Sir Ernest Fisk papers, 1892-1965, together with the papers of Lady Florence Fisk, 1945-1975

MLMSS 6275

fonds

1892 - 1975

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Drawings, Photographs

147219

8.22 metres of textual material (42 boxes, 2 outsize items) - manuscript, typescript, typescript (photocopy), typescript (carbon), typescript (processed) and printed
Clippings
Albums
Drawings
Photographs

English-born Sir Ernest Fisk (1886-1965) was a pioneer and world figure in the fields of radio and electronics. He became one of Australia and Britain's most influential industrialists during the first half of 20th century. A co-founder of the communications giant, Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Limited (AWA), he spearheaded its rise to become one of Australia's blue-chip public companies and a household name.

Fisk's career began with the English firm, Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company, which he joined as a radio engineer and operator in 1906. He pioneered Marconi wireless installation in the Arctic region, the United States and Newfoundland. He first came to Australia in 1910. A year later he returned as the Marconi Company's resident engineer to establish training and operating depots, and also the first wireless stations in ships of the Australian and New Zealand mercantile marine.

Legal battles over conflicting patent rights followed the Marconi Company's entry into the Australian wireless industry. Fisk was in the frontline defending the company's patents from infringements by its local competitor, Australasian Wireless Limited (AWL), founded in 1909, and the Australian Federal Government; AWL held rights to Marconi's rival, the German Telefunken system. In 1913 the Marconi Company and AWL merged their Australasian businesses to form AWA. In the process, Telefunken granted AWA a perpetual licence to its patents.

Fisk was a founding Director of AWA, its Technical and General Manager to 1917, and from then Chairman and Managing Director until his resignation in December 1944. Fisk's international reputation flourished during the interwar years chiefly through his efforts in the establishment of various services between Australia and Britain: direct wireless communication, direct wireless telephone, and high capacity beam wireless.

After the outbreak of World War II, Fisk was seconded to special war service with the Federal Government in the dual capacities of Director of Economic Co-ordination, with the rank of a senior Minister, and Secretary to the Economic Cabinet. He was also Chairman of the Seaborne Trade Committee for the Government and a member of the Capital Issues Advisory Board.

The early postwar years presented Fisk with a new entrepreneurial challenge. From January 1945 to January 1952 he helped shape the reconstruction of British Commonwealth industry, chiefly through his position as Managing Director of Electric & Musical Industries Ltd (EMI), the largest British manufacturer in the areas of acoustics, electronics and light engineering.

A keen inventor, Fisk held patents at various times for a sound-proof window, an illuminted advertising sign, an air conditioning system, an electric 'pick-up' for phonograph records and a device for collecting solar energy. In 1945 he sold some of his patents to EMI for 50,000 pounds.

Fisk's contributions to commerce and industry and to public life received world-wide recognition. In 1937 he was knighted for services to the state of New South Wales. Four years earlier he had been decorated by the King of Italy. Professional bodies in Australia, Britain and the United States showered Fisk with prestigious appointments and awards throughout his distinguished career.

Sir Ernest Fisk, in 1916, married Florence Chudleigh; they had four sons, Ernest Kelvin (1917- ), Thomas Maxwell (d. 1944), Graham Chudleigh (1928- ) and David Marconi (1931- ).

I. Sir Ernest Fisk

Correspondence, 1918-1965
Personal files, 1918-1960
Papers concerning Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Company and Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), 1892, 1906-1964
Papers concerning Director of Economic Co-ordination and the Economic Cabinet, 1939-1943
Papers concerning Electric and Musical Industries Limited, 1919-1953
Papers concerning company directorships, 1906, 1931-1943
Financial and legal papers, 1915-1964
Addresses, articles, broadcasts, lectures and talks, with related correspondence, 1917-1962
Certificates, 1926-1951
Newscuttings, 1915-1963
Printed material, 1912-1964
Pictorial material, 1915-1949;
Miscellaneous papers, 1910-1964

II. Lady Florence Fisk - papers, 1945-1975

This collection comprises 14 record series. You may navigate to a more detailed description of each series from this record.