COMPANYHISTORIES

Australia

Companies based in Australia, and the events that shaped them.

40companies1835–2003founding years38still active2no longer operating
§ 01

Australia companies over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedAustralia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited
1835
1839
TechnologyGoodyear discovers how to vulcanize rubber.
1851
TechnologySinger's sewing machine mechanizes garment-making.
FoundedHolden Ltd.
1856
TechnologyBessemer's process makes cheap steel possible.
1857
EconomyThe Panic of 1857 spreads through banks and railroads.
1859
TechnologyDrake's well at Titusville launches the oil industry.
1867
TechnologyNobel patents dynamite.
1869
EconomyThe transcontinental railroad links the American coasts.
EconomyThe Suez Canal opens, reshaping global shipping.
1873
EconomyLevi Strauss patents riveted denim work pants.
EconomyThe Panic of 1873 triggers a global depression.
1876
TechnologyAlexander Graham Bell patents the telephone.
1879
TechnologyEdison demonstrates a practical incandescent lamp.
FoundedBurns, Philp & Company Ltd.
1882
TechnologyEdison's Pearl Street Station opens the electric-utility era.
1886
EconomyCoca-Cola is first served in Atlanta.
TechnologyThe Hall-Heroult process makes aluminum cheap to produce.
FoundedCSR Limited
1887
1888
TechnologyKodak's roll-film camera brings photography to everyone.
1893
EconomyThe Panic of 1893 pulls down banks and overbuilt railroads.
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
1908
TechnologyFord's Model T puts the automobile within reach of the middle class.
FoundedMcPherson's Ltd.
1913
TechnologyFord's moving assembly line transforms factory production.
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
1916
EconomyPiggly Wiggly opens the first self-service grocery store.
FoundedDavid Jones Ltd.
1920
1925
EconomyThe Grand Ole Opry begins broadcasting from Nashville.
FoundedAmcor Limited
1926
FoundedSmorgon Steel Group Ltd.
1927
TechnologyThe Jazz Singer ushers in the era of sound films.
TechnologyLindbergh flies the Atlantic solo, and aviation captures the public.
1928
TechnologyPenicillin is discovered, opening the age of antibiotics.
1929
EconomyThe stock market crashes; the Great Depression spreads worldwide.
1931
EconomyThe Empire State Building rises in just over a year.
1933
EconomyThe first drive-in movie theater opens in New Jersey.
1937
EconomyThe Golden Gate Bridge opens as the world's longest suspension span.
FoundedAWB Ltd.
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1946
TechnologyENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedJohn Fairfax Holdings Limited
1955
EconomyMcDonald's franchising begins, remaking fast food.
EconomyDisneyland opens and invents the modern theme park.
1956
TechnologyThe first transatlantic telephone cable opens.
FoundedLend Lease Corporation Limited
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
EconomyThe first Walmart opens, built on everyday low prices.
FoundedBond Corporation Holdings Limited
1969
TechnologyARPANET, the internet's precursor, goes live.
1971
EconomyThe dollar leaves the gold standard; currencies float.
1973
EconomyThe OPEC oil embargo triggers a global shock.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedNews Corporation Limited
1979
EconomyA second oil crisis drives inflation higher worldwide.
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
TechnologyThe first US in-vitro fertilization baby is born.
FoundedHarvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
1982
1983
EconomyThe Australian dollar is floated.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedRidley Corporation Ltd.
1987
EconomyBlack Monday: markets fall sharply around the world.
FoundedTELECOM AUSTRALIA
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
TechnologyLinux and open source challenge proprietary software.
FoundedTelstra Corporation Limited
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
FoundedTABCORP Holdings Limited
1994
TechnologyE-commerce begins to disrupt retail.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EconomyThe Asian financial crisis rattles global markets.
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
1999
TechnologyNapster ignites the digital disruption of recorded music.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
EconomyThe Sydney Olympics; a mining boom follows.
TechnologyGPS opens to civilian use, turning location into a utility.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2008
EconomyThe global financial crisis freezes credit worldwide.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

James Hardie Industries N.V. →
Active · Australia
Australia-based, Netherlands-registered James Hardie Industries N.V.
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited →
Active · founded 1835 · Australia
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) is the second largest of the "Big Four" banks in Australia,…
Westpac Banking Corporation →
Active · founded 1850 · Australia
Westpac Banking Corporation is one of the four main banks in Australia along with competitors National Australia Bank,…
Holden Ltd. →
Active · founded 1856 · Australia
Holden Ltd.
Arnott's Ltd. →
Active · founded 1875 · Australia
Arnott's Ltd.
Burns, Philp & Company Ltd. →
Active · founded 1882 · Australia
Long a part of Australia's corporate establishment, Burns, Philp & Company Ltd.
BHP Billiton →
Active · founded 1885 · Australia
BHP Billiton was formed through the 2001 merger of Australia's mining and oil giant BHP and U.K.-based mining group…
CSR Limited →
Active · founded 1887 · Australia
CSR Limited is one of the world's largest building and construction materials companies, with operations in Australia,…
Southcorp Limited →
Active · founded 1888 · Australia
Based in New South Wales, Australia, Southcorp Limited is the world's largest maker of premium brand wine.
McPherson's Ltd. →
Active · founded 1913 · Australia
McPherson's Ltd.
Ansell Ltd. →
Active · founded 1920 · Australia
Ansell Ltd.
David Jones Ltd. →
Active · founded 1920 · Australia
Into the mid-1990s, David Jones continued to shift its offerings in order to attract a broader clientele.
Qantas Airways Ltd. →
Active · founded 1920 · Australia
Qantas Airways Ltd.
Coles Myer Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1921 · Australia
Coles Myer Ltd.
Amcor Limited →
Active · founded 1926 · Australia
Headquartered in Australia, Amcor Limited manufactures and sells a diverse assortment of paper, plastic, and metal…
Metcash Trading Ltd. →
Active · founded 1927 · Australia
Metcash Trading Ltd.
Smorgon Steel Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1927 · Australia
Smorgon Steel Group Ltd.
Aristocrat Leisure Limited →
Active · founded 1933 · Australia
Aristocrat Leisure Limited, based in Australia, is the world's second largest manufacturer of casino gaming systems,…
AWB Ltd. →
Active · founded 1939 · Australia
AWB Ltd.
Village Roadshow Ltd. →
Active · founded 1954 · Australia
Village Roadshow Ltd.
John Fairfax Holdings Limited →
Active · founded 1955 · Australia
John Fairfax Holdings Limited is the holding company for an Australian publishing enterprise established more than 150…
PIONEER INTERNATIONAL LIMITED →
Active · founded 1956 · Australia
Stock Index: Sydney Pioneer International was formed during the period of industrial growth in Australia that followed…
Lend Lease Corporation Limited →
Active · founded 1958 · Australia
Lend Lease Corporation Limited, one of Australia's top public companies, is a leading integrated global real estate…
Foster's Group Limited →
Active · founded 1962 · Australia
Foster's Group Limited, whose beer commercials once taught drinkers to speak Australian, has also developed a taste for…
Bond Corporation Holdings Limited →
Active · founded 1969 · Australia
Bond Corporation Holdings, Limited, was an international conglomerate with operations in four primary fields: real…
Macquarie Bank Ltd. →
Active · founded 1969 · Australia
Macquarie Bank Ltd.
Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. →
Active · founded 1973 · Australia
Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd.
News Corporation Limited →
Active · founded 1979 · Australia
News Corporation Limited is the holding company for the large range of enterprises created or acquired since the 1950s…
ELDERS IXL LTD. →
Active · founded 1981 · Australia
Market Value: A$1.485 billion (US$985.7 million) Stock Index: Melbourne Sydney Adelaide Brisbane Perth Hobart London…
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd. →
Active · founded 1982 · Australia
Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.
Goodman Fielder Ltd. →
Active · founded 1986 · Australia
Goodman Fielder Ltd.
Ridley Corporation Ltd. →
Active · founded 1987 · Australia
Ridley Corporation Ltd.
Lion Nathan Limited →
Active · founded 1988 · Australia
Lion Nathan Limited is one of the leading brewers in the Australasian region, with the number one spot in New Zealand…
TELECOM AUSTRALIA →
Active · founded 1989 · Australia
The Australian and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation (Telecom Australia) is a government-owned, regulated, public…
PMP Ltd. →
Active · founded 1991 · Australia
PMP Ltd.
Telstra Corporation Limited →
Active · founded 1992 · Australia
Telstra Corporation Limited is a full-service telecommunications, information services, and network platform company…
Publishing and Broadcasting Limited →
Defunct · founded 1994 · Australia
One of the largest corporations in Australia, Publishing and Broadcasting Limited (PBL) has built its empire through…
TABCORP Holdings Limited →
Active · founded 1994 · Australia
TABCORP Holdings Limited offers a variety of gambling products and services, such as sports and race wagering and…
Aquarius Platinum Ltd. →
Active · founded 1996 · Australia
A minnow compared with the big fish in the PGM (platinum group metals) mining market, Aquarius Platinum Ltd.
Rinker Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 2003 · Australia
Rinker Group Ltd.
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