OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories SCOTT BONNAR Models MODEL 30 - QUEEN 30" Bowling Green Mower

Hello ODK History Lovers
Australia's greatest red may be Penfold's Grange, but Australia's greatest
bowling green lawnmower must be Scott Bonnar's Model 30 Queen.

Introduced in 1958, this was a specialised lawnmower; not at all a general design
that might be fitted with components suitable for bowling greens, but a lawnmower
designed for a single purpose: to be the best bowling green mower on the market.
And it was!

In his 1971 Memoir, Malcolm Cornelius Bonnar, paid tribute to the Model 30 Queen:





Scott Bonnar lawnmowers were used extensively on bowling greens throughout
Australia (and overseas). In fact, use of Scott Bonnars on bowling greens within
Australia was ubiquitous, with the company claiming that their machines were,
used on almost 100% of Bowling Greens in Australia. [1963 Catalogue]



Why was the new Queen made as a 30"?
The mover to the larger machine (from the Model 16 24" to the Model 30 30")
gave Scott Bonnar a significant advantage over the small number of competitors.
Post WWII, Clubs, and their greens-keepers, clearly wanted larger machines.
Many clubs had moved to two greens (or more)!

A Bowling Green is made up of 8 rinks. Each ring is 14 foot (168") wide.
Assuming a 2" overlap on a 30" Queen, each rink could be mown and rolled
with 6 cuts (168 divided by 28 = 6). Do the figures for a 24" machine and you glimpse
the problem (168 divided by 22 = 7.6.) In other words, a 30" machine had the magic
number to meet the fixed rink size of 14'. Greens could be mown more
quickly and accurately.

I conclude this part with a second point about the Queen's intended market.
Lawn Bowls was a hugely popular sport in Australia in the 20th century. Why?

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - Strictly Bowlroom
Lawn Bowls had been played in Australia sine the mid-19th Century.
However, it was in the early 20th Century that rapid expansion occurred
with the founding of many clubs throughout Australia.

Why? I guess a combination of things :-
suitable weather, growth in suburbia, and our love of the great outdoors.
Lawn Bowls, tennis, cricket, and football all took hold on these shores.


http://www.websterworld.com/websterworld/aust/h/historyofbowlsinaustralia859.html
http://www.bowls.com.au/About-BA/History

Scott Bonnar arrived on the scene at this time and took advantage of new technology -
the mains-electric power lawnmower. The 24" Queen City (named after Adelaide) was
their bowling green mower and Scott Bonnar claimed "Twenty-five Bowling Clubs in
South Australia use our Electric Mowers."


SOURCE: https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/66423/brochure-c1927.html

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE – The Brochures
I believe this to be the original Queen brochure c1958.
This is the one that introduced the new Model 30 Queen.
This brochure comes from my collection and it is in good condition.



This second brochure from my collection dates to c1976, when
Scott Bonnar introduced its new logo. Note that this brochure
includes the Scarifier-Groover, and the older style Turf Aerator,
and Turf Roller.



This third brochure from my collection is probably the last
Queen’s brochure representing the Queen before the Rover
take-over and the move to Brisbane. Best guess, this is
a c1980 brochure.

Also note another product – the Multi-Core Turf Aerator.
This was made in Australia and distributed through Scott
Bonnar acting as an agent.

A final note is the recognisable Australian Made logo [used 1961-86].
Those were the days … when Australia made great turf-care
machinery. We still do, but to a much lesser extent.

PART FOUR - Manual c1960
This is the earliest Operator Manual for a Model 30 I have.
Acknowledgement and thanks to member sb30inch for giving
me the opportunity to scan it a couple of years" ago.

The manual is in poor-to-average condition for its age but it is an important
record of the first Model 30s. For example, note the use of a two-shilling piece
and a sixpence for height setting. These were simpler times ... without modern BS.

In 2020 I acquired what is arguably the last Queen
brochure when Scott Bonnar's factory was in Adelaide.
[That brochure is presented in PART THREE above]



Scott Bonnar Models Forum:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/forums/155/1/scott-bonnar-models.html



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