15/10/2026
On 14 October 1926, the Governor of NSW opened the Columbia Graphophone studio and record factory in Homebush. It was the only recording studio in Australia.
Kingsford Smith and Ulm told their story there. The Melbourne Cup was recorded there. In 1954 the studio moved to 301 Castlereagh Street and took the address as its name: Studios 301.
The factory is self storage now. The studio never stopped: Mitchell Road in Alexandria from 1999, a ground up rebuild on Ellis Avenue in 2018, and since 2025, Surry Hills.
100 years of music history. Ready to write yours.
Photos: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales (Sam Hood); National Library of Australia; Studios 301 archive.