About the Company
Ferry (often associated with Ferry Sound Industries) was an Australian manufacturer of reel-to-reel tape recorders, based primarily in Adelaide, South Australia (with addresses like 99 Springbank Road, Clapham, SA, and some activity in NSW). Founded by Jack Ferry, the company specialized in tape recording equipment during the post-WWII boom in magnetic audio technology. They produced consumer-oriented machines, including some with built-in radio tuners, and a few experimental or semi-professional models.
Ferry is a relatively niche and lesser-known brand outside Australia, especially compared to British (Ferrograph, Ferrograph) or German/Japanese competitors. Their machines were valve (tube)-based in the early years, targeted the domestic/educational market, and gained some local approval (e.g., PMG engineers approved certain models for South Australian public schools in 1954).
1950 – First Tape Recorders
1950 – Ferry released its first reel-to-reel recorder, a full-track mono, single-speed model with no fast-forward, built in cast aluminium. These early units targeted the growing consumer and hobbyist tape recorder market in Australia.
Early 1950s – Model Evolution
1951–1953 – Subsequent machines (like the Model 1 and Model 2) added rewind and AC bias, and featured cast-aluminium or sheet-metal construction with improved variable speed.
1952–1954 – The Deluxe Radio-Tape Unit M5 combined a reel deck with a radio receiver and was marketed domestically. About 300 units were made during this period.
Mid-1950s – Expanded Features and Stereo
1955–1956 – Ferry introduced three-motor machines with multiple speeds and, in 1956, reportedly developed Australia’s first stereo tape recorder prototype (nicknamed “Frankenstein the monster”).
1956–1957 – Professional-type reel-to-reel units with multiple speeds (15, 7½, 3¾ ips) appeared, often as heavier duty “professional” designs.
Late 1950s
1957–1958 – A portable 12 V AC machine and a prototype of a smaller portable with a transistor amplifier were developed, though the latter didn’t sell widely as Japanese imports entered the Australian market.
1958 – The company began adopting imported tape transport mechanisms (such as Collaro), similar to other small manufacturers seeking better reliability and cost efficiency.
1960–1961 – Decline
1961 – As television and imported tape recorders from Japan dominated the consumer electronics market, Ferry’s output declined sharply, and the company appears to have wound down production around this time.
Production Output & Significance
Ferry is estimated to have sold about 1,500 tape recorders in total, a modest production volume compared with international brands but notable as a locally made Australian tape recorder of the early magnetic recording era.
Machines ranged from full-track mono consumer units to semi-professional and custom models with multiple speeds and stereo capabilities, reflecting the evolution of reel-to-reel technology during the 1950s.
Legacy
Today, Ferry recorders are rare and mostly of interest to vintage audio enthusiasts and collectors, with surviving examples often preserved in audio heritage collections and local museums in Australia. The story of Ferry also reflects the broader transition from early tape technology to mass-market consumer electronics dominated by larger overseas manufacturers by the 1960s.