G'day Jack

Well, all very good news there.
Ryans had a Scooter Department at the factory - so they would have sold
quite a few of those.

[Linked Image]

What is not explained is the big design difference between your direct
drive rotary and the early belt drive designs. Perhaps yours is a
Speediescythe 16: Light ...

A note on engines.
The belt drives used JAP c80 engines.
In Australia, the first vert shaft Briggs used was an 8 Series,
appearing in 1960 - https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/76724/Briggs_81700_-_Wind-up_Starter.html

You can see Speediescythes in the flesh - including one fitted with a Briggs 8 Series.
Mount Bruce Pioneer Museum:-
I think the RH mower is a Ryco too. Note it is painted.
[Linked Image]
Source: Alan Mattingly

Central Hawkes Bay Settlers Museum:-
[Linked Image]
Source: Alan Mattingly

Yes, that is an early Steelfort Lawnmaster.
They sold in Australia, and had a 'true' dual drive - with independent
clutches for reel and landroll. The downside was the high C.O.G., due
to the large plate clutches being mounted below the engine.

Here is a 1970s version of it (that I owned):-
[Linked Image]

As I understand it, Steelfort is the last NZ mower maker to still
manufacture mowers in NZ.

Thanks for keeping us informed as to progress.
I hope to have two new forums up in this History Forum - Models -
this year. Then we can start to record the NZ makes.

p.s. a note on the dating of your machine.
I have said it probably belongs to the late 1950s, but I base
that on how AUS rotaries developed.

NZ never had a 'toecutter' base like the Victa and other AUS makes.
NZ residential mowers had safer machines with side skirts. This
may explain the slower development of secondary safety skirts
underneath (that appeared here in the late 1950s). If that is so,
then your machine could easily come from the early 1960s.

Cheers
---------------
Jack