The Dobbie Dico Meter Co. (DDMC) was originally established in Western Australia in 1940. A joint venture between Mr. William (Bill) Bardon and Mr Alex Dobbie (Alexander’s grandson). A.W. Dobbie & Co. Ltd., had the office branch at Hay Street, Perth and manufactured a wide range of machinery with their main line of business now sewing machines. Together Bill and Alex identified an opportunity in the W.A. market to locally produce water meters and with the South Australian expertise to draw upon, agreed to commence manufacturing operations in Perth. The name of the company was derived from the Dobbie connection and Dico, Latin for ‘to state or declare’. It was felt this was a strong name for a manufacturer of meters. The original Dobbie Dico plant was located in Wittenoom Street, East Perth and comprised both a ferrous and non-ferrous foundry, together with engineering shops and product assembly facilities. During WW2, DDMC was contracted to supply deck equipment and other casting components for the US Navy's operations and installations within Australia. This business area faded as WW2 ended. DDMC, as the company was initially known, commenced the manufacture of water meters and valves for the WA market and at one time accounted for some 70% of all water meter production within the State. Dobbie meters were noted for their accuracy and reliability and remained in production for many years. In 1952 DDMC (Perth) acquired the neighboring iron foundry business Kay & Heron, the operation is thus expanded to meet demand. In 1961 the company enters the Fire Protection Equipment market and commences manufacture of various equipment. 1970 sees the company expand into process control valve equipment manufacture for civil and industrial customers. In the late 1980's Manu Electronics P/L (ManuFlo) began an association with DDMC purchasing their 20mm Co-Polymer water meters via Davies-Shephard and modifying them to electronic signal output types with 1000 pulses per litre, the flowmeter was known as the MED20.