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Fisher and Tui Sound Heads:

Distinctly New Zealand

By David Lascelles

The story by Tim Armstrong in Cinema Supplies Ltd. distributed
CinemaRecord 59 - Australasia’s and marketed the Tui around the
Innovators Of Image and Sound - gives country under the name Realtone
an opportunity to say more about two Sound Systems. The beautiful Tui bird
New Zealand sound heads. trademark engraved on every unit with
Fisher Sound Heads were the words ‘Natural Sound’, made them
manufactured by T. A. Fisher Ltd., of distinctly New Zealand. ★
King Street in Newtown Wellington.
The Tui or Parson bird is a large honey-
The design was similar to that of the
eater and skilled mimic.
RCA sound head, which was in
widespread use. (One story recounts
how someone from Fishers spent hours
in the projection box of the Paramount
Theatre in Wellington drawing and
photographing their RCA projector
sound heads).
Manufacturing started in the early
1930s, with a large and bulky first
model. An improved, second version
which came out in the mid-to-late
1930s was more compact and simple to
fit. It found a ready market when war-
time restrictions made imported
equipment difficult to obtain.
These sound heads could be fitted to
any projector and were priced
competitively. Production continued until
around 1953 - although Fisher’s were
still marketing them as late as 1958.
Tui sound heads were manufactured
No mistaking a Tui sound head!
by Bettany Engineering Ltd., of
Taranaki Street, Wellington from the
mid-30s until about 1955. (Bettany also
made feed sprockets for Ernemann
projectors).
Their Tui sound head was probably
better than the Fisher, and like its rival
it was also compact in size and design,
making it ideal for smaller machines.
During WorId War II they were
fitted to many portable Powers
projectors used by travelling showman.
They were also popular for projectors
in hostels and in Army Camps. For
many years a pair were in use at the
RNZAF base at Shelly Bay Wellington.

A Fisher sound head, model two; compact and versatile.
Photos centre and above by the author. Both images courtesy of Time Cinema Collection.

CINEMARECORD 2008 11