Australian Public Telephone

units

-special thanks to Henry Titchen.

Easiphone

The early 1960's saw an opportunity to bridge the widening gap between the constraints on provision of public telephones by the PMG, and the damand for privately leased public telephones. The PMG could not provide PT's in shops, factories or flats where expected revenue was insufficient to meet the costs of installation and maintenance. Furthermore the demand in these locations, especially shops and institutions became exceptionally high, and any attempt to meet it would have been frustrated. Two private companies were permitted to market and install instruments of their own, and these proved an overnight success in N.S.W. and the rest of Australia. In some shopping centres leased services may be seen in almost every second shop, the number being far beyond that which the PMG could have reasonably provided.

EASIPHONE: This instrument also came onto the market in the early 1960's and was marketed by Elliott Automation Pty. Ltd. in Sydney for supply to the same commercial market being exploited by Victa. Although not provided in the same sort of numbers as the Uicta instrument it was also a great success. Based largely an the design of the British public telephone (also New Zealand) it was imported from the UK and appear­ed at first in yellow and green but later in many different colours.

COMPANY PUBLIC TELEPHONE TAKEOVER: In December 1974 Telecom absorbed all the private company instruments and customers and these instruments then became the responsibility of Telecom who began their own active marketing programme which has continued to the present. Easiphone instruments are being phased out of operation and a revised Red Phone is being successfully promoted for this sector of the market. Coin head changes saw a six penny, so seven cents and in 1975 to ten cents.