Many of Wagga’s well-known businesses of the 1930’s can be seen in this photo taken in Fitzmaurice Street, Wagga Wagga, including, the Australian Hotel, White Rose Cafe, Hunters and David Copland’s. But what was Wagga Wireless Distributors?
Wagga Wireless Distributors was a business started in 1928 by Chemist, Harry Gissing who had developed an interest in wireless during his World War I service in the Ambulance Corps. The business traded until the 1950’s and for most of that time was in the basement of Harry’s “Central Pharmacy” in the Australian Hotel building on top of the hill in Fitzmaurice Street.
Its business included the sales and distribution of Stromberg Carlson radios throughout New South Wales.
Wagga Now and Then Booklet 1938
Wagga Wireless Distributors also specialised in the erection of public address systems.
Harry’s son, George who later became an international authority on micro-wave communication started his career as a teenager with Wagga Wireless Distributors during World War II repairing hundreds of old and traded radios to help meet demand for radios which were in short supply during the war.
