page_title: Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia)
section_title: During World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) / History / During World War II
caption_attribution_description: AWA Tower
context_page_description: AWA Ltd, formerly Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd, is an Australian electronics manufacturer and broadcaster. Throughout most of the 20th century AWA was Australia's largest and most prominent electronics organisation, undertaking development, manufacture and distribution of radio, telecommunications, television and audio equipment as well as broadcasting services.
  After the sell-off of most of its assets and operating divisions, AWA is now primarily an information and communications technology services company.
context_section_description: During World War II, the Marconi School trained an extensive number of military personnel in signals and communications.  Additionally, the Department of Defence appropriated and operated the Ballan facility for military radio operations, eventually returning it to civilian operations with the Overseas Telecommunications Commission (OTC). OTC joined with Telecom Australia in 1992 to form the Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation, later to become Telstra Corporation. AWA continued in maritime operations supplying marine radio operators to Australian registered vessels. The AWA Marine Division with its headquarters in the Sydney suburb of Leichhardt continued to wholesale marine communications and radar equipment to the Australian maritime and leisure-boating market into the mid-1980s.
  The AWA Building 45-47 York Street in Sydney was completed in 1939 becoming an instant landmark with its art-deco style and large white radio tower on top (in the shape of the Eiffel Tower) and was the tallest building in Australia until 1958. It remained the AWA head office until the 1990s and is now heritage listed.
caption: AWA Tower
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