AUSTRALIAN and NEW ZEALAND 78 labels - Dates and Images.

Last updated 18 June 2008 

Adam Miller, Wellington, New Zealand

Labels are Australian, unless otherwise noted. Many of the larger labels were pressed on both sides of the Tasman Sea.
Also included are foreign labels solely intended for the Australasian market.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M

N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A
AERONA
Made in England by the Crystalate Mfg. Co, prob. imported into Australia by Salkeld & Wallace Ltd, wholesale distributers of Sydney. Almost all issues under pseudonyms.


7"
100 mid 26
201 early 27

AEROPLANE (Flexible)
Produced by the Unbreakable Disc Records Co (successors to World Record Australia).
Mainly Banner (Plaza) masters (some derived from Bell or NYRL), all issued on pseudonyms.
10"
100 to
118		 28

AIDA
One of a number of 1950s labels catering to Australia's immigrant population. All sides are Hungarian gypsy music by Gyuri Patko & His Orchestra.
From matrix, appears pressed by Columbia Graphophone (Aust) Pty Ltd.

Aida 78rpm label
AH 10"
101 to 112 55
[More data sought]


AMPERSAND

Jazz label from William Miller (Melbourne) started in September 1943. The 10" series ran to 36, there was a 12" from 1201-1206 and some 10" re-issues from US sources R101 to R105. All but 26/27 issued on vinyl rather than shellac. Production of 78s ended in 1955.

ANGELUS

From late 1928 to mid 1931. Drew on US Cameo, Gennett, Crown, Paramount & Grey Gull, English Imperial.
Black then purple labels

AN- 10" (AN dropped after 3037)
3049 12/28
3117 29
3243 30
3357 31
then to LYRIC. CLIFFORD 3000 series ran in parallel.

Black on yellow series used UK Imperial masters. The Clifford 4000 series ran in parallel.
1001-
1035		 31

ARCADIA

From late 1929 to early 1930. Manufactured by Melbourne Vocalion, probably for Edments chain stores. Masters mainly from American Plaza/ARC, under pseudonyms.

2000- 10"
2001-
2071		 29/
30


ARTRANSA
The Artransa Company was formed in 1940 initially to manufacture transcription discs for radio.
Pressed in both Australia and New Zealand.

A 10"
001 mid 49
027
(last)		 mid 51


AUROTOR

NZ label - recorded by Rotorua Radio Ltd, pressed by Stebbings


TD 10"
1-6 1959

AUSTRAL
Pressed by World Record (Australia) Pty Ltd - a Pemberton-Billing outfit.

A- 10"
1 to 164 25
then to CONDOR.

AUSTRAL DUPLEX
"Unbreakable" - 1/4" thick layers of cardboard with a thin shellac coating.  Gold, or gold & blue.  These were the first records to be both recorded and pressed in Australia. 


8"
1 to 68 25


AUSTRALIAN JAZZ
From Melbourne Jazz entusiast, recording on a Pyrox wire recorder were transferred to 10"/12"/16" recordings.
Late 1940s - 1951.


AVALA
One of the bunch of 'ethnic' labels that sprung up in the 1950's, including Aida & Cosmopolitan. Yugoslavian material.
Avala 78rpm label

AWA
AWA (Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia)) produced the Radiola record, as well as Custom recordings.

B
BEEDA
Pressed in the USA by Plaza. 

100 10"
100 to 116 25

1000 10"

1000 & 1001 7/25

A singe issue 684 was produced by Compo Canada on special request.

BELLBIRD

(flexible) 10"
bellbird
100 to 151 30
300 to 321 31

BETA
New label pasted over Winner


10"
100 series 18-21
2000 18-21

BLACK DIAMOND
A sole issue known, pressed in the UK c1915, bearing a patriotic song about the Anzac's Gallipoli landing by the Australian composer Reginald Stoneham.  

BLUE STAR
Produced at the same time as CIRCLE and WILCO. Used French BLUE STAR masters.

BS- 10"
Blue Star 78rpm label
101 - 103 50/51

BON MARCHE

100 10"
Made in England by Imperial, mix of US and UK masters.
100-255 c. 27

1000 10"
Made in USA
1000-
1036		 late 26 to 27

BROADCAST
8"
Pressed by Vocalion, Melbourne.

All in 1928-30

BROADCAST DE LUXE (10")
Pressed by Vocalion, Melbourne.

W500- 10"
500 to 648 mid 29 to mid 30

BROADCAST TWELVE (10") really!
Pressed by Vocalion, Melbourne.

1929-30

BRUNSWICK

Data fragmentary but where a series is also listed
in Barr, the fit is good.
405 12/30
519 9/31

A bunch of other series exist, more work required.

6000 10"
6000 - 6139 early 1931-32

10000 10"  Gold on Purple.
10155 6/26

15000 10"
15198 7/29
15218 7/30

20000 ?"
20022 12/26
20087 7/29

30000 12"
30110 12/26

50000 12"
50066 12/26
50156 7/29

70000 ?"
77004 7/29

90000 ?"
90008 7/30

C
CAMDEN
Paste-over label on English Vocalion (1927) to be retailed by Buckinghams, Sydney.

Both 10" and 12"
camden

CAPITOL (1)
Paste-over label on English (1926) , and later local Parlophone and less commonly Columbia (1927-31). Any relation to the Mocklers Special "The Capitol" paste-over label?

10"
on UK Parlo 26
on local
A2xxx		 27-31

CAPITOL (2)
The US label
 
039 49
328 54
1001
 3/56
1251 6/57

CK children's series


CARINIA

A label catering to Australia's large post-WWII East European immigrant population. Reissues from Jugoton (blue) and Orbis Polonia UK (red)


1950's 10"
[More data sought]

CENTURY


1000- 10" (DD prefix on 1010 & 1011)
1001
-1014		 1950

CY 1000  10"
1015-27 1950

2000-  10" (Various prefixes M, V, S, 0- all from Boosey & Hawkes Mood Music catalogue)
various 1950

CENTURY PARTY RECORDS
A division of Austin Business Service Pty Ltd, 141 York St, Sydney.  Issued a Racing game on record with 6 parallel tracks per side.
Pressed in both NZ and Australia by HMV as a process recording, sold for 19/6.

  12"
PRX3736 late 50's

CETRA
Distributed by the Minstrel Record Co.  Ethnic recordings.

Cetra 78rpm label
DC- 10"
100- 50's
[More data sought]

CIRCLE
Produced at the same time as the WILCO and BLUE STAR. Used American CIRCLE masters.


C-0100 10"
0101 - 0106 50/51

CLARITÉ
Pressed by Plaza, USA.

10"
801 late 26
840 mid 27?

CLIFFORD
Clifford Industries produced many labels, including ANGELUS, PARAMOUNT, ELECTON, EMBASSY, GRACELON, MELOTONE, ORPHEUS, PLAZA, REGENT, STARR, STERLING, WORTH, GRAND PREE and GOLDEN TONGUE, all in the space of 3 years. Many masters were pressed on multiple labels, under various pseudonyms.

5000- 10"
5180 - 5335 28 to 31
This series mirrored on ANGELUS 3000- series.

4000- 10"
4001 - 4035 31
This series mirrored on ANGELUS 1000- series.

COAST
From the U.S. contemporary label. NZ numbers differ sometimes from the Australian for the same title.


CST 10"
001-
0012		 late 49/
early 50

COLONIAL 
Produced in Germany by Homophon gmbh from 1910 for Lockwoods of London (trading as the Perophone Co.).  Not sold in the UK, these were exported to Australia until WW1 stopped things.

COLONIAL PEROPHONE
A follow-on label from COLONIAL, leading on to PEROPHONE.  

COLUMBIA

 
0 10" dark blue
0517 7/26
0533 12/26
0720 8/27
0786 11/27
0917 1/28
01122 6/28
01475 7/29
01677 11/29
01923

7/30


0 12" dark blue
02936 7/29

0 10" light blue
03510 12/27

0 12" light blue
04263 7/29
04348 11/29
05055 1/30

 "Potato-face" label
0 10" Whiteman

07001 9/28
07017 7/29
07027 11/29
07043 6/30

0 12" Whiteman
07501 9/28


DNZ 10"
103 8/56
105
 12/56

DNZ 10"
10027 8/56
10086
 8/57
10109
 12/57
10129
 3/58
10145
 8/58


DO 10"
94 6/30
210 12/30
423 9/31
780 9/32
969 11/33
1375 8/35
1609
 2/37
1705
 12/37
1763 6/38
1838
 2/39
2064 10/39
2059
 6/40
2220 7/41
2337
 2/42
2495 9/42
2537
 5/43
2619
 12/43
2699
 10/44
2789 12/45
2896 12/46
3075 12/47
3206 12/48
3286 7/49
3347 7/50
3370
 11/50
3396
 51
3579
 6/53
3635 54
3750 8/55
3798
 9/56
3838
 3/57
3882
 12/57
3960 5/58
Some DO- series featuring Maori Music has a special label


DO 70000
70000 4/53
70246
 2/56

DOX 12"
8 6/30
74 12/30
208 9/31
300
 8/32
479
 11/33
501
 12/35
515
 2/37
551 7/38
596
 8/39
639 7/41
715
 12/43
725
 10/44
746
 12/45
806 12/46
882
 12/47
974
 8/48

KO 8" Childrens - early series
Columbia KO
1-6 12/31
to 18

KO 6" Childrens - late series reusing old numbers but different material. Pressed in multicoloured vinyl.
Columbia KO
Late 1950s.

LOX 12"
5 6/30
52 12/30
128 9/31
178
 11/33
216
 8/35
279
 2/37
332
 12/37
365 7/38
408
 8/39
429
 6/40
484 7/41
493
 2/42
526
 5/43
542
 12/43
564
 10/44
578
 12/45
638
 12/47

ROX 12'
168 37

PR 10" (Process Record)
210 late 37
969 c.43
1384 50
1645 4/52
2795 56/7

12" 100 series from the UK was also pressed in Australia

COLUMBUS (N.Z.)
Columbus 78rpm label
10"

1950's

CONDOR
Pressed by World Record (Australia) Pty Ltd.

C100- 10" (follows from AUSTRAL)
153 to 172 25

CONSTELLATION
Made by EMI (Aust) for Don Harper Musical Enterprises, Mitcham, Victoria.  Don was very much into Square Dancing, although a children's series was also made.
Constellation 78rpm label
10", 1950s.
[More data sought]

CORAL
Pressed by Festval Australia.

CS- 10"

957 8/56
1149
 12/56
1233
 3/57
1298
 6/57
1521
 9/57
1576
 3/58

CORONET
KP- 10"

049 12/56
112
 6/57
149
 9/57
177
 12/57
200
 3/58
209
 6/58


COSMOPOLITAN
One of the bunch of 'ethnic' labels that sprung up in the 1950's, including Aida & Avala. Russian material.
Cosmopolitan 78rpm label
10", 1950s.
[More data sought]

CRICKET
7", 'bonus play' Children's label from W&G

XKP 238 12/56
[More data sought]

D
DAHLMONT
Found as a sticker label over English Vocalion and ACO (rare, 1925/26).  Also a pressed record by Plaza, USA. The pressed label carries a credit for the "Myer Emporium", in Melbourne and was a contemporary of CLARITE and BON MARCHE.

10"
101 to 129 27

DECCA

Australian DECCA (Moulded Products Ltd, Melbourne)

M- 10" Masters mainly English Decca and Vocalion.
1000 early 32
1221
(last)		 early 33

EMI DECCA (Sydney)


X- 10"
1145 36
1431 6/38
1731 2/40
1761 4/40
1877
 2/41
1940 7/41
2001
 2/42
2089
 5/43
2122
 12/43
2148
 10/45
2191 12/45
2221
 12/46
2247
 12/47
2265
 9/48


Y- 10"
5000 ?36
5174
 12/37
5201 7/38
5244
 2/39
5345
 8/39
5433
 6/40
5581 7/41
5653
 2/42
5820
 12/43
5861 10/44
5892 8/45
5917
 12/45
5947 6/46
5982
 12/46
6048
 12/47
6119
 12/48
6128 3/49
6223
 7/50
6257
 11/50
6390 52
6417 4/53

Z 12"
700 ?36
752 12/37
801
 2/41
810 8/41
835
 12/43
840
 12/45
888
 12/47
931
 12/48
946 3/49

DEC- 10" NZ pressed

108   3/57
124 6/57
162
 12/57
175
 3/58
192
 10/58

DIAPHON
A subsequent label to ROSEVILLE by Graham Connolly.  Transcribed from Pyrox wire recordings.
Most were 33rpm, but a few 78rpm were released.

10" DS

1-3 8/53
4
 6/54

10" MTG (Multi-Track Groove - 2 songs/side)

1-2 6/54

E
ELECTRON

Pressed between 1928 and 1929 by Clifford Industries, for Coles stores, thence Embassy. Masters from Cameo, Romeo and Gennett.

10"
5000-5123 28-29

ELMAR

Another of the small jazz labels started in the post-1945 boom.  Elmar was started in Sydney by Norman Lineham, who registered the name in July 1948. Several sessions were recorded, but only Elmar 2 was issued, in October 1948.

EMBASSY

8000 10" (by Vocalion Foreign) Masters mainly Plaza/ARC.
8000 - 8114 29-30

9000 10" (by Clifford Industries)
9130 - 9330 30

E 10" (by Brunswick Australia)