Australian Lamp and Stove Histories
Lane's Thermil Stoves History
by Iain Sedgman
Introduction
This popular Australian wick stove, made by Henry Lane Pty Ltd, was marketed for many years, commencing in the forties, on the principle of it being ‘Absolutely safe and silent” (Ref: a). Indeed, it was easy to use, with no pumping or priming, and it was found in many households, generally pre-electrification. The stove operated on lighting kerosene which was readily available.
This popular Australian wick stove, made by Henry Lane Pty Ltd, was marketed for many years, commencing in the forties, on the principle of it being ‘Absolutely safe and silent” (Ref: a). Indeed, it was easy to use, with no pumping or priming, and it was found in many households, generally pre-electrification. The stove operated on lighting kerosene which was readily available.
A 1941 advertisement spruiking the benefits of a wick stove.
The Company
Henry Lane (Australia) Ltd was established in Newcastle in 1919 to make rabbit traps which had previously been imported from Henry Lane Ltd in England. At the end of World War I, the demand for traps in Australia was so great that Henry Lane moved his wire spring trap production to Australia. Once Henry had established the factory, he returned to England and sent his son out to oversee the operation. Unfortunately, his son was taken by a shark whilst swimming at Nobby's Beach near Newcastle six weeks after his arrival. There is a plaque at Nobby's Beach commemorating the tragedy. (Ref: d)
The Company
Henry Lane (Australia) Ltd was established in Newcastle in 1919 to make rabbit traps which had previously been imported from Henry Lane Ltd in England. At the end of World War I, the demand for traps in Australia was so great that Henry Lane moved his wire spring trap production to Australia. Once Henry had established the factory, he returned to England and sent his son out to oversee the operation. Unfortunately, his son was taken by a shark whilst swimming at Nobby's Beach near Newcastle six weeks after his arrival. There is a plaque at Nobby's Beach commemorating the tragedy. (Ref: d)
The Henry Lane (Australia) Ltd factory in 1928 (Out of Copyright - Ref: e)
Sometime after the mid-thirties the company appears to have changed to a public company, Henry Lane Pty Ltd. During WWII Lane also kept “…the nation safe by producing fighter aircraft parts and Owen machine guns during the war effort.” (Ref: j)
Lanes were also famous not only for the Lane’s Thermil stove but also a carpet sweeper and a can opener that was widely used in Australia into the sixties. The Lane’s various companies went on to manufacture hardware and furniture fittings and locks. The Thermil trademark was not renewed by Henry Lane Pty Ltd and removed in December 1973.
Overview of Stove
The general features are a flattened cylindrical fount with a removeable cowl (‘cup’) housing two inverted cone shaped plates facilitating vaporization. The ‘long life patented wool wick’ (Ref: b), called Thermwol, (Ref: c), was woven from wool and cotton and then formed into a round type allowing air to be drawn in from below the stove via a central draft tube, similar to many lamps. A winder with a cog drive shifted the wick carrier up or down as required.
Sometime after the mid-thirties the company appears to have changed to a public company, Henry Lane Pty Ltd. During WWII Lane also kept “…the nation safe by producing fighter aircraft parts and Owen machine guns during the war effort.” (Ref: j)
Lanes were also famous not only for the Lane’s Thermil stove but also a carpet sweeper and a can opener that was widely used in Australia into the sixties. The Lane’s various companies went on to manufacture hardware and furniture fittings and locks. The Thermil trademark was not renewed by Henry Lane Pty Ltd and removed in December 1973.
Overview of Stove
The general features are a flattened cylindrical fount with a removeable cowl (‘cup’) housing two inverted cone shaped plates facilitating vaporization. The ‘long life patented wool wick’ (Ref: b), called Thermwol, (Ref: c), was woven from wool and cotton and then formed into a round type allowing air to be drawn in from below the stove via a central draft tube, similar to many lamps. A winder with a cog drive shifted the wick carrier up or down as required.
A tool was provided with each purchase to trim the wick and remove any to allow for removing gritty bits of the wick if it got out of shape.
Model 50 standalone stoves had 3 steel legs, early ones straight and later ones angled.
Model 50 standalone stoves had 3 steel legs, early ones straight and later ones angled.
Model 50 Straight legs and Angled legs
A trivet completed the unit. A series of ranges, being simple frames that could hold 1, 2 or 3 stove units without legs complimented the range. Two ovens were also manufactured.
A trivet completed the unit. A series of ranges, being simple frames that could hold 1, 2 or 3 stove units without legs complimented the range. Two ovens were also manufactured.
Pictured above, left to right, central draft tube, fount and cowl
Models
Stoves
Models
Stoves
- 50 (Single wick stove with legs that were straight or angled)
- 13/52 (Single frame, with one single wick stove, without fount leg attachments)
- 13/52B (as above but brass).
- 23/52 (Double frame, with two single wick stoves, without fount leg attachments)
- 23/52B (as above, but brass)
- 33/52 (Triple frame, with three single wick stoves, without fount leg attachments)
- 33/52/20 (as above, but with larger model 20 oven)
Above: Model 13/52
Cookers
Questions
Trivets
There are two types, though a third is shown in company instructions. Both of the presently known types are about 200 mm wide. The ridges trivet has 6 evenly distributed small raised ridges around the trivet. The ‘spokes’ type has 6 rods pointing inwards from the outer circle part of the trivet. Both types can occur on the ranges, e.g., Model 13/52.
Ovens
The 10N oven cost 55/3 in 1946 (Ref: f)
The 20 oven usually was sold with the triple burner. However, on its own it cost 10 pounds in 1954.
Logos
Cookers
- 34/30 – I have not been able to identify this cooker to date. (Ref: g)
- 10N (Fits single or double framed ranges.) (55/3 in 1946)
- 20 (Fits triple framed range.)
- A Thermil Blue Flame room heater was also made and advertised. (Ref: h) In June 1952 it was selling for 84/3.
- Easy lighting
- Silent operation
- Beautiful efficient burning
- Controllable heat output
- Solid construction
- Wick is not made from asbestos but from wool and cotton.
- Not good in wind
- Often leaks fuel if transported fuelled.
- Fibrous burner washer shrinks over time.
- Takes around 5 minutes to get full heat and vaporisation really chugging.
- Steel founts (in most cases)
- Heater cup unit handle gets very hot and temptation to use handle.
- Some smoke when starting up though generally, it ceases quickly.
Questions
- Steel construction generally but the knurled burner nuts were always brass.
- The filler caps were generally brass but a few were made from steel.
- Some have the wick winder painted the same colour as the fount. However, many are a standard gold colour matching the burner.
- Most Lane’s Thermil instruction documentation shows a trivet with raised pot supports at ninety degrees to the flat trivet surface, but I have not yet come across a stove with this top.
- A heat baffle plate that could be inserted in the bottom of the stove to stop any heat from travelling down the air tube and damaging a surface was available with some stoves.
Trivets
There are two types, though a third is shown in company instructions. Both of the presently known types are about 200 mm wide. The ridges trivet has 6 evenly distributed small raised ridges around the trivet. The ‘spokes’ type has 6 rods pointing inwards from the outer circle part of the trivet. Both types can occur on the ranges, e.g., Model 13/52.
Ovens
The 10N oven cost 55/3 in 1946 (Ref: f)
The 20 oven usually was sold with the triple burner. However, on its own it cost 10 pounds in 1954.
Logos
These above four logos have been seen and give an indication of the order of the stoves. The square logo seems to be the first from the early forties. The ones with Made in Australia appear to be the last used. The ‘Gold’ one I am not certain but suspect it is second last. The one labelled ‘Abt Early Fifties’ is clearly on two dated stoves; one from 1951 and another from late 1952 or early 1953 but clearly it’s use could go back into the late forties. So, until more stoves arise with proven dates it’s probably close.
Parts
Dimensions
Trivet (D) – 200 mm (both types)
Stove (H) – 238 mm
Stove (W) – 200 mm
Burner washer – 88.9 mm OD and 77 mm ID - I made one out of 3 mm Viton and it worked well.
Colors
The most common fount colour is dark green coupled with a dark green ‘cup’ (cowl). Indeed, many of the other coloured founts still have the dark green cowl.
Parts
- ST14 is fount for Model 50
- ST16 is fount for Model 52 (no legs)
- ST22 is fount for Model 52B (no legs and made of brass)
- ST9 is burner complete with winder
- ST5 is the burner cowl (‘the cup’)
Dimensions
Trivet (D) – 200 mm (both types)
Stove (H) – 238 mm
Stove (W) – 200 mm
Burner washer – 88.9 mm OD and 77 mm ID - I made one out of 3 mm Viton and it worked well.
Colors
The most common fount colour is dark green coupled with a dark green ‘cup’ (cowl). Indeed, many of the other coloured founts still have the dark green cowl.
- Fount colors include: Dark green, a slightly lighter green, red, crème, mint green, polished brass and even an aluminium hammertone finish.
- Cowl (‘Cup’) colors include: dark green, a lighter green and black. I seem to remember a red cup too but cannot find evidence of it presently.
- Frame and leg colors include:
- Mint green base, legs and top,
- Mint green base, legs and black top,
- Black base, legs and top,
- White base and legs and black top.
Above: Common Colors
Dating Lane’s Thermil Stoves
The challenge of dating these stoves is best considered by looking at the main model 50 and the decals.
First Variation
This earliest variation has a square decal, split pins on the cowl, and straight legs. It is from the early forties. The following advertisement is from an Adelaide, Australia paper in 1941. (Ref: i)
Dating Lane’s Thermil Stoves
The challenge of dating these stoves is best considered by looking at the main model 50 and the decals.
First Variation
This earliest variation has a square decal, split pins on the cowl, and straight legs. It is from the early forties. The following advertisement is from an Adelaide, Australia paper in 1941. (Ref: i)
Above: First variation, though the grated trivet has never been seen, except in advertisements.
Middle Variations
They can have either the ‘abt early fifties’ decal or the ‘Gold’ decal and my belief, unsubstantiated is that the ‘abt early fifties’ decal came first. Certainly, stoves made around the period 1951 to 1953 have that decal. The early middle variations still had split pins but these seem to have changed to clips around, say 1952. The rest is hard to say for these stoves.
Last Variation
The last models are probably from the later part of the fifties. There are virtually no ads in Trove for Thermil stoves in the sixties though I have seen one dated 23 June 1961 in the Western Herald. The last variations have the decal which mentions ‘Made in Australia’ on them. There is a known ‘aluminium hammertone’ finish unit which has pre and post decimal pricing (so about 1965-66). I now feel that this is a stove sold much later than when it was made. These stoves all have clips on the cowl and not split pins. They all have angled legs too.
Price
The price in shillings of the Model 50 varied a bit. This is useful because if we know the price of a stove, we can sort of fit it into the timeline. Here are some prices and dates.
References
(a) Lane’s Thermil Blue Flame Cooking Appliances and Model 50 Spare parts brochure.
(b) Long life wool wick in brochure, https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/lane%E2%80%99s-thermil-blue-flame-stove.43744/
(c) Kopsen produced pamphlet that included the Thermil range.
(d) Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 'Ace' rabbit trap made by Henry Lane (Australia) Ltd
(e) https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-151651032/view
(f) Advertisement in Northern Star, 30 May 1946
(g) Advertisement in Cairns Post, 2 January 1954
(h) Advertisement in Daily Advertiser, 21 July 1952
(i) Advertisement in Chronicle, Adelaide 12 June 1941
(j) https://www.itwproline.com.au/trends/lane-100-year-journey/
extracted 3 Feb 2021
This page last updated: 23 September 2021
Middle Variations
They can have either the ‘abt early fifties’ decal or the ‘Gold’ decal and my belief, unsubstantiated is that the ‘abt early fifties’ decal came first. Certainly, stoves made around the period 1951 to 1953 have that decal. The early middle variations still had split pins but these seem to have changed to clips around, say 1952. The rest is hard to say for these stoves.
Last Variation
The last models are probably from the later part of the fifties. There are virtually no ads in Trove for Thermil stoves in the sixties though I have seen one dated 23 June 1961 in the Western Herald. The last variations have the decal which mentions ‘Made in Australia’ on them. There is a known ‘aluminium hammertone’ finish unit which has pre and post decimal pricing (so about 1965-66). I now feel that this is a stove sold much later than when it was made. These stoves all have clips on the cowl and not split pins. They all have angled legs too.
Price
The price in shillings of the Model 50 varied a bit. This is useful because if we know the price of a stove, we can sort of fit it into the timeline. Here are some prices and dates.
- 1942 19/6
- 1943 25/-
- 1944 21/-
- 1945 19/6
- 1946 30/-
- 1947 21/9
- 1949 25/9
- 1951 24/10
- 1952 34/4
- 1952 39/6
- 1953 40/-
- 1953 40/7
- 1954 39/9
- 1957 56/6
- 1958 45/-
- 1959 54/11
References
(a) Lane’s Thermil Blue Flame Cooking Appliances and Model 50 Spare parts brochure.
(b) Long life wool wick in brochure, https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/lane%E2%80%99s-thermil-blue-flame-stove.43744/
(c) Kopsen produced pamphlet that included the Thermil range.
(d) Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, 'Ace' rabbit trap made by Henry Lane (Australia) Ltd
(e) https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-151651032/view
(f) Advertisement in Northern Star, 30 May 1946
(g) Advertisement in Cairns Post, 2 January 1954
(h) Advertisement in Daily Advertiser, 21 July 1952
(i) Advertisement in Chronicle, Adelaide 12 June 1941
(j) https://www.itwproline.com.au/trends/lane-100-year-journey/
extracted 3 Feb 2021
This page last updated: 23 September 2021