Australia has an interesting history of plane makers stretching back well over 100 years. Some plane makers were individuals while others were large companies. Of the companies some focussed on making planes. other produced a range of hand tools whilst for some planes and even tools generally were only one of their line of business.
One driver of locally produced hand tools was World War 2 when traditional suppliers of hand tools such as planes were unable to supply the Australian market due to other priorities and transport difficulties. This created an opportunities for local suppliers to fill the gap.
Known Australian Plane Makers:
Metal Planes
Adept Tools Co
Alanware Pty Ltd
Carter Tools Pty Ltd
Davleco Eng. & Manfg. Co Pty Ltd
Durham
Falcon - Pope Products Ltd
Goodwood (Aust.) Productions
Handee, S.O. Products
Herbert Edward Watkinson
Masonite Corporation Pty Limited - for
McConnell, Robert Inventions
McLaren, Jas
NIP
Pacific MEM
Pope Pope Products Ltd
Select Planer, Dis by Majestic Products Ltd
Sharmanco P.S.Sharman & Co
The Stanley Works Pty Ltd
Surform, Simmonds Aerocessories
Turner Industries Ltd
Vaughan, H.C. Products
Whittinglow Engineering Ltd
Woodstock Products
Wooden Planes
Bergs Aust Tools Pty Ltd
Bray, Richard
H.P.L.
James, William John
Kennedy, E. Toolmaker
Nicholls, Percy
Wehner, Jos & Co
Australian Chinese Planes
C.Foo
Chay Gum
Lim Toon
Louey Woon
Wood Planes with English Beech
Edwards, J.
Morris & Co. Morris Manufacturing Co.
Wood, C.
Woolley, T & M
Here is a selection of images reflecting the range of planes produced in Australia, both to traditional designs and some quite unconventional designs. Click on an image to see a larger image.
Australian Hand Planes
Adept Tools Co.
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/Adept-3.jpg
Alanware Pty Ltd - Aluminium body & tote
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/alanware1.jpg
Bergs Handled Smoother (rare)
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/bergs-handled.jpg
W James Plane with W H Blakely Cutter
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/BlakelyWH.jpg
Bray Chamfer Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/bray.jpg
Carter Tools #C1 - equivalent to Stanley #10
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/carterplaneC1.jpg
Davleco Engineering & Mfg Co Pty Ltd #D40
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/davleco-D40.jpg
Durham #2 Block Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/durham-2.jpg
Durham #2 Block Plane with box
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/durham-2nib.jpg
Falcon #220 - Pope Products Ltd
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/falcon220-1.jpg
Goodwood (Aust.) Productions "Tiny Town Plane"
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/goodwood-plane_and_box.jpg
S & O Handee Products Patent No. 9081-4
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/s_and_o-handee.jpg
William James Patent Smoother Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/JamesW-Patent.jpg
Kennedy Coffin Smoother Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/kennedy3.jpg
Masonite Corp Pty Ltd - Chamfer Plane, also in crackle paint finish
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/masonite.jpg
Robert McConnell welded Smoother Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/mcconnell.jpg
Jas McLaren Smoother Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/mclaren-smoother.jpg
Percy Nichols Molding Plane (Hobart)
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/percynichols.jpg
N.I.P (National Industries Pty Ltd) Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/nip.jpg
NIP - National Industries Pty Ltd Advertisement
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/NIP-P1.jpg
Pacific No. 4 Plane - MEM Tools Sydney
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/Mem4-1.jpg
Pope Products Ltd No. 4 Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/Pope-no4.jpg
Select Planer (Majestic Products Ltd)
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/Select-2.jpg
Sharmanco (PS Sharman & Co.)
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/sharmanco-1.jpg
The Stanley Works Pty Ltd - 2 x No. 4
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/2xno4-caps-web.jpg
Surform (Simmonds Aerocessories)
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/Surform-1.jpg
Extract from the History of Surform - The Tool Chest May 2003
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/surform.jpg
Turner Industries Ltd - 220 Plane
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/turner_220.jpg
H. C. Vaughan Products
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/HCVaughan.jpg
Herbert Edward Watkinson Plane
Whittingslowe Engineering
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/Whittibgslowe-1.jpg
Woodstock Products
http://webwerks.com.au/htpaa/images/oztools/ozplanes/Woodstock-1.jpg