His Masters Voice

History

HMV (His Masters Voice) was a brand name used by EMI (Electric Music Industries), once a massive multinational. 

In Australia the group had been pressing  records dating back to the 1925. The Australian group was formed from The Gramophone Company and a small pressing plant owned by another company.

The British parent company became the result of merger three separate companies in 1931. The Gramophone Company (HMV), The Columbia Record Company & Parlaphone Records. This merger became known as the The Electric & Musical Industries (EMI). However, the Australian arm remained known as the The Gramophone Company until 1960. The company relocated from Erskineville & combined with The Columbia Company at the Homebush plant.

In 1935 they began tooling up for radio manufacture and released their first models in 1936 under the HMV brand name.

Production expanded following World War 2, and televisions were produced form 1956. The Kelvinator brand was used on some radios during the 1950s. (Kelvinator televisions were made by PYE/Astor.)

EMI continued to produce an extensive range of products including record players until the mid 1970s when tariffs were reduce and Asian products took over the market. 

The very successful recording division (HMV, Columbia, and Parlophone) continued under EMI until the late 1990s when it was sold to management.