This telephone is an early example of a large synthetic moulded product produced in Australia. Earlier moulded products made from synthetic resins were small in size due to restrictions in mould and press design.

The telephone was produced by Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd (AWA), which played a significant role in the early Australian telephone and wireless industry. AWA was one of the earliest Australian companies to use industrial designers, called 'stylists' at the time. During the 1940s to 1960s many of Australia's well known industrial designers worked for AWA.

The museum's plastics collection began in the 1930s with the acquisition of specimens of plastic raw materials and finished products. The collection was driven largely by Arthur de Ramon Penfold (1890-1980), a former industrial chemist, who worked as curator and later director of the museum from 1927 until 1955.

Penfold was greatly concerned with the technical and commercial development of local industries, particularly in the aftermath of two world wars, and believed that the museum had an important role to play in its development A permanent display of plastics was established at the museum and was described by the Sunday Telegraph as 'the best display of plastics and fibres in the world ... show(ing) the complete history of plastics from first experiments to the latest developments' (Sunday Telegraph, 1945).

In 1933 Penfold wrote the following to the manager of AWA: 'Please accept my best thanks for this very excellent exhibit illustrating the utilisation of commercial moulding powders prepared from synthetic resins.' This letter is testament to Penfold's interest in both plastic raw materials and manufactured items made of plastics.

This object is part of a large collection of plastics and plastic moulding powders acquired by the museum during Arthur Penfold's career. The collection gives insight into a period of great social, material, technological and scientific development, and into some of the aims and collecting practices of the museum at the time. Plastics continues to be an area that is developed and represented in the museum's collection; however today the collection explores some of the more ambivalent attitudes towards plastics and their use, including issues such as sustainability and the impact of plastics production on the environment.

REF:

Arthur Penfold, correspondence with the manager of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd, 4 October 1933.

Sunday Telegraph, 'For plastics he saw great things', 11 November 1945

The Radiogram, 1932, p.27, noted in Nicolas Siefken, 'History of Australian Design Case Study: AWA Radiolette', research paper.

Erika Dicker
TAM Assistant Curator, April 2008.

It is often perceived that plastic is a material of the twentieth century; however, its beginnings go back to eighteenth century Europe and conditions created by rapid industrialisation, scientific curiosity and opportunities to create great wealth through innovative and entrepreneurial ideas. Many products made of semi-synthetic plastics in the nineteenth century and synthetic plastics in the twentieth century were influenced by earlier methods of making products out of natural plastics such as horn and tortoiseshell. The development of synthetic plastics, however, allowed for a product that was not subject to fluctuations in availability and cost.

The Australian plastics processing industry began around 1917 and grew significantly after World War Two. In 1939 production of plastics was around one thousand tonnes per year, and fifty years later it had grown to around nine hundred thousand tonnes. Continuing innovation in plastics, a rising population and increasing home ownership and household consumption were major influences on this growth. Today the plastics industry is one of Australia's largest manufacturing sectors.

This object is made of phenol-formaldehyde resin, the first type of fully synthetic plastic. Products made from this type of plastic are commonly referred to as being made of Bakelite. However, technically Bakelite is a trademark for products made by the Bakelite Corporation which was establish by Leo Baekeland.

This telephone was donated to the museum in 1934 to highlight the possible applications of synthetic resins in manufacturing commercial products. Curator Arthur Penfold was very keen to have commercial products made from plastics in the museum collection along with plastic raw materials.

Telephones of this style were originally imported into Australia from the United Kingdom in the early 1930s. The development of these telephones, and their use of 'Bakelite' type plastics, was the beginning of the 'plastic' style phones. By 1933 Amalgamated Wireless Australasia had started producing telephones, some of the earliest to be made in Australia.

Amalgamated Wireless Australia (AWA) was formed in 1913 through the merger of Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co Ltd and the Australian Wireless Company. In 1988 AWA became AWA Limited.

REF:
Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd Advertisement, Wireless Weekly, 26 August 1932, p.2
Penfold, A. R., 'Plastics and Synthetic Fibres', A H Pettifer, Government Printer, Sydney, 1956

Between 26 and 28 September 1934, the Sydney Technical College and this museum collaborated to develop what was advocated as the first Plastics Industry Exhibition in Australia. It is likely that this sample was displayed in that exhibition. The Museum contributed the majority of the exhibits, which included colourful moulded objects and synthetic resin powders. The highlight of the exhibition was a standard hydraulic press that produced synthetic resin objects while the audience watched. This was loaned by John Heine and Son and run by staff from the College's Mechanical Engineering department. It utilised dies made by College students and synthetic moulding resin powders from local plastic companies. A Conversazione was held on the evening of 26th September, 1934 'to which prominent citizens, including representatives of the Plastics Industry were invited', and at which both Penfold and Dr N H Lang gave lectures on the plastics industry.

A permanent display of plastics, probably including this object, was established at the museum and was described by the Sunday Telegraph as 'the best display of plastics and fibres in the world show(ing) the complete history of plastics from first experiments to the latest developments' . Penfold was greatly concerned with the technical and commercial development of local industries, such as the plastics industry, and believed that the museum was 'destined to play a conspicuous part in bringing Science to the aid of industry' through both research and display.

In December 1944 Penfold, along with Mr C H Hunt of Newcastle Technical College, was commissioned by the NSW Government to investigate overseas technological trends in the plastics industry, including the training of technical personnel, throughout the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. On his return Penfold continued to promote the importance of Australia's development of a vigorous research and training program to develop local technical expertise, arguing that: 'The field is so vast, and the potentialities of plastics so promising, that no effort should be spared to provide adequate training for all persons wishing to acquire a knowledge of these new materials' .

Reference::
Chemlink Consultants, Australia's Chemical Industry - History and development, available at http://www.chemlink.com.au/chemhist.htm, accessed 08/08/2007.
Penfold, A. R., 'Reports on Plastics Investigation, 1945, in the United States of America, Canada and the United Kingdom', 31/10/1945
Penfold, A. R., paper, 'Recent Developments of Plastics Overseas', delivered before the Plastics Institute of Australia, NSW Section, 29/11/1945
Penfold, A. R., 'The Influence of Science Museums on Industry', read at the first Biannual Conference of International Council on Museums, 1948
Sunday Telegraph, 'For plastics he saw great things', 11/11/1945
Sydney Technological Museum, Annual Report, 1934

Table telephone and component parts, phenol formaldehyde synthetic resin, Amalgamated Wireless Australia Ltd, Australia, 1934

Table telephone and component parts made from black bakelite (phenol formaldehyde) with four rubber feet applied to the base and two cloth-covered cables attached to the back of the base. Dial with applied disk, printed "TO CALL EXCHANGE / LIFT TELEPHONE/ TELEPHONE ONLY WHEN FINISHED" with circular metal logo applied to the centre of the disk printed in gold "AWA".

Designed: AWA Limited; York Street, Sydney

Made: AWA Limited; ; 1925 - 1934

Stamped on the base in white lettering "P.M.G. AWA-34 No.162"

H3898