Person

Wunderlich, Ernest Julius (1859 - 1945)

Born
16 May 1859
Islington, England
Died
11 April 1945
Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
Manufacturer
Alternative Names
  • Wunderlich, Henry Charles

Summary

Ernest Wunderlich was chairman and a director of Wunderlich Ltd from its formation in 1908 until his death in 1945. The firm, which had branches in all States and in Wellington, New Zealand, specialised in terracotta products, at first all imported but from 1910 also produced at the Wunderlich works at Brunswick, Melbourne.

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Details

Ernest Julius Wunderlich arrived in Australia as a manufacturers' agent for imported German stamped metal ceilings. He soon developed a better type of ceiling which he patented in 1988. The following year he sold the patent to manufacturer W.H. Rocke & Co. and joined the company. Wunderlich soon became the manger of the Melbourne factory and regained the patents. Next he established Wunderlich Patent Ceiling & Roofing Co. Ltd, which eventually merged with W.H. Rocke & Co. in 1908 to become Wunderlich Ltd. Ernest Wunderlich's other interests and achievements include being a Trustee and President (1926) of the Australian Museum; founder of the Museum's magazine (1921); and built an observatory at his holiday home at Gunnamatta Bay, Port Hacking. In 1924 he placed the observatory in trust for the New South Wales branch of the British Astronomical Association, of which he was president.

Chronology

1885
Life event - Migrated to Australia (Sydney)
1888
Career position - Patented a ceiling type
1889
Career position - Sold patents to W.H. Rocke & Co.
1892
Career position - Manager of W.H. Rocke & Co. in Melbourne and redeemed the patents
c. 1893
Career position - Established Wunderlich Patent Ceiling & Roofing Co. Ltd
1908
Career position - Wunderlich Ltd established through the merger of W.H. Rocke & Co. and Wunderlich Patent Ceiling & Roofing Co. Ltd

Published resources

Book Sections

  • Walsh, G. P., 'Wunderlich, Frederick Otto (1861-1951), [medical practitioner and manufacturer]' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 12: 1891 - 1939 Smy-Z, John Ritchie, ed. (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1990), pp. 587-589. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120750b.htm. Details

Resources

Rosanne Walker

Created: 30 June 1997, Last modified: 5 March 2018

EOAS ID: biogs/P002784b.htm

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