Every story has a beginning. This is ours.
Long before the first Australian-made Vokes filters rolled off the production line in Rockdale, NSW, a small partnership between British engineering and Australian enterprise laid the groundwork for what would go on to become Australia’s longest-standing air filtration brand.
1930s
Vokes had already built a reputation for its high-performance air cleaners, centrifugal separators and silencers. Such technologies were becoming increasingly relevant in industrial Britain where managing air quality was a growing challenge, particularly for the transportation and manufacturing industries.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Australia was emerging from its own Industrial Revolution which, coupled with an increase of urbanisation, was creating its own demand for increased standards of air quality control.
Enter Smith, Sons & Rees Ltd. The Sydney-based engineering firm possessed a wealth of experience in industrial supply and spotted the opportunity to introduce Vokes products to the Australian market.
The company became Vokes’ importer and distributor via the Australian Pneumatic Corporation (APCO) – a division of Smith, Sons & Rees. APCO became the face of Vokes in Australia in these early years, handling distribution, technical liaison and customer support.
1940s
Throughout the 1940s, Vokes filters and air cleaners gained traction within Australian industry, being used across industries like rail, energy, farming, and infrastructure. Vokes, with the help of Smith, Sons & Rees, soon built a reputation for reliability and adaptability within the local market.
This continued through the post-war period, an era of increased development of Australian infrastructure. With Smith, Sons & Rees, Vokes became more than just a British import – they became a practical, credible and active participant in the Australian marketplace.
1950s
The 1950s marked a turning point for Vokes in Australia. With local demand rising and British imports no longer sufficient to meet the scale and specificity of customer needs, Vokes took steps toward direct manufacturing. In 1952, the company opened its own filter manufacturing plant in Australia, a major milestone that laid the groundwork for full local production.
While Smith, Sons & Rees remained a valuable distribution and support partner through this era, the formation of Vokes Australia Pty Ltd and the increasing localisation of operations signalled a gradual shift in control. The seeds of full Australian manufacturing had been sown, with the next decade set to deliver that reality.