The Royal Sydney Golf Club Machine

A second article (below) again makes reference to the first privately-owned motor mower in Australia,
a machine belonging to the Royal Sydney Golf Club.

The import date of that machine is not known to me -
[that would be the date of the first power mower in Australia].

I love the way this 1908 article makes reference to the future of lawn mowing.
The new Ransomes was classified by the Council as a 'two-horse' mower.
The reference to three-horse mowers must be understood in context. For one thing, there were
no gang mowers thought of at that time. The reference would be to agricultural sickle bar mowers
requiring three horses, not reel mowers. I'll now let the article speak for itself:

MOTOR LAWN MOWER.
Considerable interest was manifested in the trial at the Rotunda on Friday afternoon of the 6.5-h.p. lawn mower imported by Messrs. J. Hill & Sons to the order of the Adelaide Corporation. The mayor (Mr. Frank Johnson), the town clerk (Mr T. G. Ellery), members of the council, and many citizens witnessed the trial, and were highly pleased with the results. The machine, which is the first of the kind to be purchased by a municipal body in Australia, was manufactured by Messrs. Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies, of Ipswich.

The City Council have laid out about 18 acres of park lands in lawns during the past two years, thereby increasing the aggregate area under grass within the council's boundaries to approximately 70 acres. Members had inspected the first privately-owned motor lawn mower in Australia, the property of the Royal Golf Club, Sydney, and then it was decided by the council to purchase one of the most up-to-date machines in the market. The mower in question was tried on the long sward at the Rotunda, and proved thoroughly effective. The mower, which is water cooled, cost �156 landed in Adelaide, and is expected to do as much work as a two-horse mower. This means economy, but men will not be thrown out of employment, for the three horse-mowers and other mowers at present in use will still be needed. However, it is probable that as time passes, if the new order of things bears out present promises, the old hand and horse impelled machines will, as far as possible, be replaced by motor-driven mowers. The Rotunda plots, which, with a horse-mower could be cut in five days, will now, it is expected, be dealt with in from two to three days, and there is a possibility that after the first cut the work can be completed in less than two days.

The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 � 1931)
Saturday 3 October 1908, page 13

[Linked Image]

All very interesting.
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JACK