Totalizator Wager Type Explanation
| Pool definitions from the 1989 ATL diary |
This is one of several pages relating to the history of the automatic totalizator, its invention in 1913, the inventor George Julius and the Australian company he founded in 1917, Automatic Totalisators Limited, which became a monopoly (later part of an oligopoly) in this field. Automatic Totalisators Limited was later renamed ATL Limited. An extract from the Automatic Totalisators Limited 1977 Report to Employees, in this page explains the name change. This page contains pool definitions extracted from the 1989 ATL diary. This is a history only non commercial page. If you wish to start from the beginning then go to the index.
| Pool definitions from the 1989 ATL diary |
I have intended to present this extract on the internet for some time, Nick's request has prompted me to action! Regarding this diary, staff members at ATL and selected customers received a copy each year. Each senior staff member would have their name printed on the front of the diary along with the company logo making a personalised copy. This was clever psychology on the company's behalf as this small gesture strengthened ones sense of belonging and commitment in a time when alternative employment was plentiful.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
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Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
Note that all these definitions were made in 1989 and details may be outdated.
| Company Name Change |
As I have mentioned the company name change from Automatic Totlisators Limited to ATL Limited at the top of this page, I have included the following, which is an extract from the Automatic Totalisators Limited 1977 Report to Employees regarding the name change.
In this regard, the initials ATL have become firmly established and well known within the totalisator and other industries, and therefore it was felt that the new name should be based on these initials. The Directors have therefore chosen the new name of the company 'ATL Limited'.
The position of the Group within its established totalisator markets will not be diminished by the change in name; in fact continuing development of new products will further enhance the Group's standing as a major and leading supplier to both on-course and off-course totalisator markets.
| Chairman's Address (Australian manufacturing concern) |
As I have already provided an extract from the Automatic Totalisators Limited 1977 Report to Employees above, I have also included the following, which is The Chairman's address. I find it rather prophetic, as it mentions the problem of high local manufacturing costs making it difficult for private enterprises in Australia to trade profitably. Although it is optimistic about the Government's policy to control inflation, in retrospect, I believe these high costs were a major factor in the demise of two once great Australian technology manufacturing companies, that I worked for, this being one of them .
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Directors' Report which accompanied the Annual Accounts has provided you with a good deal of information on the Group's activities and successes during the year. I am sure you share the Board's pleasure at the financial results achieved, and at the promising outlook for continued profitable growth.
Of particular importance is the fact that our North American Division has contributed very substantially to total Group earnings during the past two financial years and these operations are also mainly responsible for the growth in Group net profit, over that period, of 142%. Your Directors have always been convinced that the North American market for Group products and services offered tremendous potential for profitable business, given adequate financial support and good management.
The parent company has until very recently reinvested all after-tax earnings to assist in funding the growth which has occurred, and the North American Division has been able to make its own borrowing arrangements with United States banks to provide the additional financing required.
These resources have been most capably utilised by North American management, and I am sure that you will join with me in offering our congratulations to Mr. Martin Zwerin, Chief Executive of the North American Division, on the excellent results obtained. The Directors have asked him to convey our thanks to his senior managers and other staff for their good work on behalf of the company.
It will be apparent that we are no longer simply a totalisator company. Whilst the totalisator industry will continue to be our principal area of business operations, it will be seen that much has already been achieved in diversifying into activities which, whilst not connected with totalisators, are compatible with our technological expertise and which offer opportunities for profitable expansion.
During the year under review we have had to increase space to accommodate our workforce which, as you will see from the Highlights Statement in the Annual Report, has increased substantially. This value of Group Contracts in hand as at this date is in the vicinity of Aust$ 15 million.
Our competitiveness against overseas suppliers, particularly in export markets, is dependent upon the level of local manufacturing costs. Whilst the outlook appears to be much brighter than it has been for some years, I again emphasise that costs within Australia are very high and that further increases will weaken the ability of private enterprises like this company to trade profitably and to maintain or improve employment levels.
However, it is worth noting that in spite of these disadvantages, your company is successfully and profitably marketing Australian manufactured equipment overseas. We too often hear of the depressing future facing the manufacturing segment of our economy. We believe however that with the right management and technically innovative products, Australian manufacturers can successfully compete in the world market place.
The outlook for the balance of the current financial year is one of a good deal of activity in fulfilling contracts already on hand. If the Federal Government is given the opportunity to persist with its policy of putting control of inflation first in all it does, a policy which is vital to this company's future development, and a policy which has already borne fruit as the rate of inflation has noticeably fallen, then it is anticipated that profit for the June 1978 year will at least be equal to that of the year just ended.
In conclusion, I wish to again thank all of the employees of the company and its subsidiaries for the contribution each has made to the prosperity and growth of the Group. There are some who have only just joined this company, and we wish them well and hope they will enjoy being with us.
J.G. Riddle,
Chairman.
| Review of the Years Activities |
As we have come this far with extracts from the Automatic Totalisators Limited 1977 Report to Employees, I have also included the following Review of the Years Activities for the Australasian Division. The section titled NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION is presented in the Automatic Totalisators in America chapter of this website which can be viewed by selecting the Go to the index option in the Nav Bar at the bottom of this page and then selecting the Automatic Totalisators in America chapter and scrolling down to the heading NORTH AMERICAN DIVISION
The TOTALISATOR DIVISION, which is responsible for sales, engineering and installation of on- and off- course equipment, completed further contracts in South Africa and Malaysia. A complete system was shipped and brought into operation at Guam, and a new system has been shipped to Manila for the Jai Alai fronton. In Australia equipment was installed at three Melbourne provincial racetracks to allow the mobile computer totalisator to be used, and a new display board was installed at the Brisbane Gabba Greyhound track.
Major contracts that have been gained by the Totalisator Division include terminals for the New Zealand TAB, and a mobile pay/sell on-course totalisator system for Brisbane. The former is significant in that it is our first success in providing equipment for T.A.B. use. The outlook is encouraging in this market, and we anticipate that further substantial orders will be achieved.
The combined racing, trotting and greyhound clubs in Brisbane announced they had selected ATL to provide computerised pay/sell facilities at all their tracks, and this contract will include an operating agreement for the next 10 years. The equipment will become operational toward the end of 1978, and will include two mobile vans to house the central computer equipment.
The Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club has placed further orders for terminals and additions to the basic Sha Tin system, and equipment orders have been received from Baghdad and Malaysia, amongst others.
Development work has continued, and recent product releases include the J24 mark sense terminal which reads a customer-marked card. This can be used for on- and off-track betting, lottery, and other applications, and the technology is applicable to a variety of markets. A small computer totalisator known as the Microtote, has also been released for use on small country and provincial tracks.
The MANUFACTURING DIVISION, which comprises Main Plant, Toolroom, and Page Manufacturing Co., is also very busy. The Main Plant has a healthy order book for ticket issuing machines for shipment to the U.S. as well as the Australasian region. New automatic equipment has been installed to increase productivity and this programme will continue. Labour relations have been harmonious and employment levels have been increased considerably. A new Special Products section was formed within the Main Plant to handle a variety of small batch items including special hospital electronic equipment, coin mechanisms for copying machines, etc.
Our precision Toolroom has made good progress since the last report. Some reorganisation has taken place to reduce overhead costs, and order intake has increased. This section has been the main beneficiary of a manufacturing contract awarded to us by Brookeades Pty. Ltd. for the manufacture of a quantity of Microfiche cameras. These Australian- designed cameras will be marketed worldwide by Brookeades, and ATL will provide field service support both in Australia and the U.S.A.
Page Manufacturing Co. also operated satisfactorily during the year, but raw material cost increases caused decreasing margins. Some plant improvement is planned, to increase flexibility, and we were successful in obtaining interstate number plate business against tough competition.
The OPERATIONS DIVISION also had a satisfactory year. This division operates on-course totalisators under contract to racing clubs in Australia and New Zealand, and despite continuing cost pressures and on-course turnovers that were barely above the previous year, profitability was improved. Of significant benefit was the introduction of Trifecta betting in N.S.W., and the utilisation of the Melbourne mobile equipment at Victorian provincial tracks. The Sydney and Perth branches have been reorganised in view of the reducing commitments in these locations, and some service personnel have been reassigned to support our diversified product lines. The Operations Devision will benefit from the contract that the Brisbane clubs awarded us, and they are actively continuing their re-equipment programme to provide better service to their clients.
The MARKETING DIVISION, which is responsible for most of our diversified activities in the S.E. Asian area, has had good success in its initial year of operation. We were awarded a contract by the National Capital Development Commission for Parcotax equipment in the first stage of a series of parking stations in Canberra. Our parking equipment product line has also been broadened by an agreement with a Swedish company, AB Ticfak, to market their products in this region.
The Gladstone nurse call and hospital communications equipment was extended by some new products, and this group also market an opthalmological diagnostic system manufactured by Interzeag AG, which has created considerable interest.
Two ATL-Datatronics VDUs right hand side
Webmaster's Note: I recall Datatronics and their Visual Display terminals, mentioned below and shown in the above image in the corner on the right hand side and elevated for a good reading position when seated. I visited the Datatronics factory in Melbourne when I worked for ATL. From memory it was on Whitehorse Rd. possibly Box Hill. My department maintained Datatronics VDUs which were part of the PDP11 based Brisbane totalisator systems which commenced operation in 1979. They were a novel design with a radically different aspect ratio, tall and thin rather than short and fat. I used to program on these terminals and remember it being quite useful having more text visible on the screen reducing the need for scrolling. This was prior to the widespread use of structured programming. With the indentation of structured programming, not being able to see the end of lines without scrolling right would have eliminated any saving on scrolling vertically.
Agreement has also been reached with Cubic Western Data, Inc. of San Diego, to market their automatic fare collection systems for bus and rail applications. In conjunction with Cubic Western we tendered and have been awarded a contract for equipment for the Eastern Suburbs Railway in Sydney. This equipment has good potential in the S.E. Asian area, and Cubic are one of the largest suppliers in this field worldwide. ATL Datatronics, which manufactures systems for the printing and graphics arts industry, achieved good penetration in this market during its first year of operation. Operating profitably, it is rapidly growing with the move by the printing industry toward automation. Their product range is being extended to include general purpose visual display terminals, and they are already well established as suppliers to the commercial printing and provincial newspaper market.
Arrangements have been made to establish direct representation in Hong Kong for all of these product lines, and this office will service the near Asian countries. A wholly owned subsidiary - Automatic Totalisators (Hong Kong) Limited - was incorporated in Hong Kong on 16th July, 1976.
Our Australasian organisation has grown considerably during the year and new products have been released to the market. The coming year should see the benefit of these development activities, and the improved economic conditions in most of our markets give us an optimistic outlook.
| Acknowledgements |
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