Rexonola—Australia’s Gramophones & Talking Machines—ca 1912–1930

I first became enthused about gramophones in 1996, when I got lucky and bought this great oak ‘Rexonola’. Turning to the internet to research the acquisition, I came up completely empty handed! These ‘Rexonola’ gramophone pages are intended to fix that problem by becoming the first to be dedicated to these noble Australian instruments.

Much information on this site was obtained by unpaid in-person research at Sydney’s State Library, and by visits to descendants of those who manufactured ‘Rexonola’ gramophones during the first three-decades of the 20th Century. Information here is free to use, but please credit this source (or those who submitted machine images) when you do so.

‘Rexonola’—created & manufactured by Jackson & MacDonald Co., Sydney, Australia

During the first three decades of the twentieth century, the company Jackson & MacDonald of Kent Street Sydney, locally manufactured an impressive range of quality ‘talking machines’ under the trademarks ‘Rexophone’, ‘Rexonola’ and ‘Rexoport’—external horn, internal horn and portable machines respectively. In the early years, they also imported lateral cut ‘Rexophone’ discs, pressed exclusively, from Prussia, and later, after the First World War, from Great Britain.

The ‘Rexonola’ story begins in 1906 when two young men, S. J. Jackson & D. S. MacDonald, established themselves in Ash Street (then Sydney’s music centre), having obtained the city’s only Edison phonograph franchise. By 1912, after six years of selling Edison’s, they were in the position to commence local manufacture of their own machines. Their ‘Rexonola’ gramophones eventually became Australia’s leading brand and ‘Jackson & MacDonald’ the largest gramophone manufacturer in the Australian Commonwealth. ‘Rexonolas’ were widely distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand and by 1926 export within the British Empire was anticipated. Estimated production output between 1912 and 1929 is in the order of 180,000 units.

Sydney in the 1920s boasted numerous record and music shops (known variously as Music Parlours or Salons, Houses of Tone, etc), in fact a great deal more music outlets existed then, than do today! Most of these were also ‘Rexonola’ outlets. Jackson & MacDonald also competed with their own dealers by selling directly to the public. They backed their ‘Rexonola’ machine line with a range of steel and fibre needles and promotional materials including record cleaning pads. Store placards were available to support dealers and help boost sales.

‘Rexonola’—Instruments & Image Gallery

‘Rexonola’ cabinets were locally manufactured from selected oak (possibly Japanese or American) or from Queensland maple. Timber was carefully seasoned for at least six years before use.

Oak instruments were finished either dark (variously called a ‘Flemish’, ‘fumed’ or ‘nut-brown’ finish in adverts) or in light shades (‘mission oak’). Maple instruments were sold with a ‘mahogany finish’. Nitro-cellulose varnishes were applied for either ‘bright’ or ‘satin’ surfaces.

Acoustic era ‘Rexonolas’ relied on imported Swiss made reproducers, tone arms and ‘Thorens’ precision spring motors. Later motors carry a ‘Rexonola’ stamping on the base plate. Jackson & MacDonald varied components and features to formulate a model line-up catering to every budget. ‘Rexonolas’ ranged from humble lidless table top units with a simple tone arm, ‘Standard Sound-Box’ and single spring motor, to fancy models boasting elegant carved, embellished cabinetwork and the best quality hardware available—swan-neck tapered tone arms, the ‘Autophonic’ aluminium bodied sound-box with long play multi-spring motors. Due to restrictions imposed on the use of metals at the time of World War I, pot metal was unfortunately used for many tone arms and reproducers during the late teens and early 1920s. Later models use high quality tone arms of nickel-plated machined brass.

Jackson & MacDonald were very serious about improving and developing their products. They designed and patented two timber internal horns. Early models used the ‘Patented Reflector Sound Chamber’ to amplify and ‘bring sound waves to their correct focus’. After long and patient experiment, a major improvement was introduced in 1926, with the ‘Prismatic’ folded reflecting horn, based on a triple reflecting sounding board principle.

‘Prismaphonic’ models soon followed when the new ‘Rexophonic’ speaker (strangely, Jackson & MacDonald referred to sound-boxes or reproducers as ‘speakers’) and a quality ‘S-shaped’ tone arm were combined with the ‘Prismatic’ horn.

The ‘Prismaphonics’ achieved substantially improved reproduction, in a similar way to (and around the same time as) Victor’s ‘Orthophonic’ models. Even the tone of small portable ‘Rexoport Prismaphonics’ is quite impressive, especially given their compactness. In the ‘Rexoport’ models the ‘Prismatic’ horn was laid on its side, conserving space.

Collector Mark Ravagnani comments on the longevity and durability of Rexonolas: “In 1978 I bought my first machine, a Rexonola table model, for the princely sum of $15 from Tempe Garbage Tip. This was the start of my collecting career. I have a soft spot for the Rexonolas as I appreciate their well-made cabinets and motors (I enjoy restoration projects). Even when they have been neglected, it is rare to see one that can’t be repaired. The use of solid oak for most of their construction has meant that many of the early machines have survived.”

Created: Michael Chapman & Peter Stephens, March 2003

Last edit: Thursday, 23 October 2024; 16:08