Just notified by Austramax that they are closing their doors from 3 Nov 2023. So very sad that these fine lanterns appear to be ending. I am sure more on this will follow.
Yes, just got the notification. Very sad that Austramax is closing. It's an excellent lamp, and I hope spares will be around for a long time. Good'on'em anyway, for hanging in there for so long.
Yes sad to see the end of another great Aussie product, thought this may interest you. Historic lamp lights up 50 years of family enterprise May 13, 2002 — 10.00am The Age. Now for a subject that can throw light on itself - the Austramax kerosene pressure lamp. A relic from a pre-electric age, it has been made in the same factory in Brunswick for 60 years and by the same family since 1950. But the production has changed. While the base is still turned out by hand, the vital innards are now made by computer-controlled robots. Anne Faiman began her association with the factory when her father bought it after emigrating from Poland following the Second World War. It is now run by her husband Allen. Over those years, the company has turned its hand to many things, and in the '50s and '60s, blenders, floor polishers and even hot-dog heaters rolled off the line. These products were eventually wiped out by imports, and now the Austramax mainstay is electric switching for industry. But the original kerosene pressure lamp has continued, virtually unchanged. There was a time in the late '60s when the factory turned out thousands of lamps a week. These were popular with campers, the military and homes in places without electricity. Now demand is less than 1000 a year. Although the factory has its high-tech computerised machinery, much of its equipment is almost museum material - also Australian made, by makers long since pushed out of business. There was one big potential lamp order about three years ago, when the Australian Army was sent on its peacekeeping mission to East Timor. Mr Faiman said the army wanted 300 lamps immediately, but because of low demand he did not have enough stock. "We could have done it but it would have taken us three weeks to a month, so Coleman got the order and they manufacture in the US or Mexico." The lamps, which are based on a design that goes back to the beginning of the last century, can be fiddly to light. Unlike gas, they need to be pumped to maintain pressure; the upside is that when fuel is low, the light doesn't fade. The lamps are also cheap to run and easily serviced, which explains why their biggest market now is in island states ranging from Papua New Guinea to the Maldives. The biggest recent orders have come from the Republic of Kiribati. No one is quite sure when Austramax lamps were first made, but the Faimans have a copy of a patent taken out in 1946 by a previous owner, Norman Grummet. Mrs Faiman said her father bought the business after owning a factory making hurricane lamps in Poland. From a staff of about 30 in the '60s, Mr Faiman now employs just eight workers, mostly immigrants from Sri Lanka. But Mr Faiman produces most of the lamp bases himself, by hand. "Most Australians don't want to work in factories any more and there is an attitude of: why make something when it can be imported?" he said. His factory also produced gas lamps until last year, for a large local retail chain. "But they don't want them any more because they can make bigger margins from lamps made in China or somewhere." Mr Faiman said the main reason they stayed in business was to keep himself and his staff in a job. "But it is also a tradition. We have people who bought their lamps 40 years ago who ring us up and are surprised we can service them and supply spare parts."
Sad ! But not even Coleman seem keen on making pressure lanterns anymore. I guess the cold functionality of LED has taken over.
Maybe a local could try to score some of the tooling. The dies for drawing the tanks would be the thing…
that is bad news, lived near the factory for years and a local landmark. should have bought a new hood the last time I was there as mine has got a hole in it. the factory will probably get knocked down and another block of flats put up
Broken hearted, another Aussie manufacturing icon gone. Very disappointing but as Mr Faiham says no one wants to work in a factory any more.
@Walkop It’s a hard time for them. But it’s a bit too close to write up the end of production, and the wind up of the company. There's a good story of very good people to be told. Just give it a bit of time. Cheers Tony
Very nice people there; absolutely. I have dealt with them a few times this year and drove to Melbourne to call in at the factory last Monday. Very helpful and friendly.
Wish I was closer so could drive to the factory, unfortunately live a long way away in another state.
Hi, I just joined and was looking out to read contents about the Austramax lamps and saw this news about them closed. I visited them a few years back to get a replacement part. It’s a very nostalgic building and also the office as you enter the door. Just shared about Austramax with N overseas friend and now it’s closed. Hopefully they have better plans and also hopefully we can still source for spare parts. Just doing general maintenance on my our 2 Austramax, prepping for the Xmas camping and found that or of the Austramax had a leaking cap. Confirmed by pouring soap water onto it and bubbled. Rgds, Sully
That is unfortunate. It has happened to others. Looks inevitable. Sad but true. Unlikely that anyone would be keen on manufacturing pressure lamps anymore.
HI Sully, welcome to the site, good to see you are doing your bit in keeping the lanterns alive with your three, cheers, Frank
A few years back, I actually brought a couple of the Austramax to a youth camp. I was soo happy that they were very keen to learn how to operate these lamps. I think the opportunity to actually try out some steps and get an old generation lighting apparatus work, bringing the heat and bright light, lighting their dark cool night in the forest really gave them a memorable experience. My first opportunity lighting one was when I was a boy Scout at the age of 9. Funny how it sticks till today. Loving the interaction with the lamp when using it. .
Well I’m a little late to the party, and very sad to hear this. My first lantern was an Austramax 3/300 and a gift from my father-in-law. Great lanterns and great people whenever I needed some parts. Selfishly, I wish I’d known a little earlier so I could have stocked up on pump assemblies and generators. I hope the stories are shared one day.
Speaking of spare parts for Austramax. The nipples are the same 4.64 mm diameter and thread as for Aladdin 1A so that might help when they are needed. Aladdin 1A on left and Austramax on right.
It's a pity that such a traditional company is closing its doors. I am happy that many years ago, in 2008, I was able to buy an Austramax on Ebay in Australia. At that time, shipping by shipping container was still cheap.
I was in Melbourne about a year ago and decided to call in at the factory and buy a couple of globes. The front of the factory seemed closed but looking around the side I could see a door towards the back that looked open. I went in and found myself in a large machine room in the old style, very under lit, with many very used looking manual machines crowded together, but no sound, no movement and no staff. I found an employee in the next room and he took me through the factory to the front office. Not exactly a guided tour but an glimpse back to a time which has passed. The front office was open (just not the door) and I chatted to a managerial person as my purchase of two globes went through. Sorry to hear it is closed but no surprise. It is not possible for that sort of old technology, no matter how much I love it, to compete with CNC let alone compete with countries with lower costs.
@Tnehgsirhc , thanks for this detailed description of the Austramax factory. I write as a ex worker in the Australian electronics/radio industry in the 1970's. The same could be said of the factories I knew of that era. Can remember the Ducon capacitor factory and the testing bay was a bench with a black bakelite panel covered with even then very old school meters and switches. All testing of capacitors was manually done by hand. The Ferris car radio factory in Brookvale ? had the workshop floor area heated by brown Fyrside kerosene heaters ! Can still remember the smell of kero when I walked in and could not believe my eyes. Grouped around these heaters were mostly women workers at benches carrying out various assembly tasks. Alas so many good manufacturing brands have gone due to lack of investment and outdated work practices.
In my opinion, one of the reasons for companies to finally succumb in such situations is that they had not managed to diversify their business in time. While they can invest to upgrade their equipment and improve some aspects of their manufacturing processes for the older products, the main driving force for continual existence would still be the actual market demand for those products. The actual fact is that the real market demand for liquid-fueled pressure lamps and stoves had long ceased. It won't be just the escalating costs of manufacturing being contributive in such situations. Some of the brands like Coleman, Primus, Butterfly, etc are still in market existence, partly due to the reason that the owners had managed to diversify to other contemporary or modern products that would still be in demand today. Whether or not they decide to allocate funds and continue with the production of their older legacy products would partly be determined by the profits derived from the sales of their main(modern) products. This only applies when the owners or other shareholders remain interested to keep the company alive and in business.
