SIGNIFICANCE
I believe the Emu was our first catcher for a rotary lawnmower.
However the race for the first Australian catcher is a close one and not definitive at all.
Another Australian manufacturer, G.M.F. Electric Motors, would lodge a patent just two days later
on 28 November, 1956, for a complete lawnmower with a rear catcher. That machine, however, would not
go into production until 1958 (best guess).
Most importantly, there is the issue of the Clyde Major and Clyde Minor motor mowers.
I have good evidence that Clyde Industries were manufacturing rotaries with catchers from early 1956!
There is little information at this time on these rare machines.
We can fairly say that grass catchers only became popular in Australia for the 1960-61 season,
with all the major brands offering them as an optional extra. The rise and popularity of the
side catcher was short-lived. By 1963, the advent of a wide variety of Australian
rear catcher machines would dominate the domestic lawnmower market from that time forward.
The rest is history.
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JACK.
