OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories WALMAC ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS - c1947

Hello ODK history lovers
Walmac Electrical Products of 2 Firth Street, Arncliffe, NSW,
had a misleading company name; given the absolute diversity
of products they manufactured over many decades.

Yes, mostly electrical products – stoves, irons, heaters and
the like. They were specialists in the emerging market of
fluorescent lighting. However, Walmac also made other
products, the most significant one for us being lawnmowers.

These were sold most usually under store-name brands like
Eric Anderson and HG Palmer. But Walmac also sold mowers
in their own name, and the most common would be the little
Walmac Utility Mower of the 1960s.



Walmac was a complete design and manufacturing entity –
they could do most processes in-house – from sheetmetal
fabrication (welding, guillotining, folding); pressing to 150 tons;
dies if required; baked enamel and lacquer spraying.

The company is not fully understood, but I have enough
information to say something.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART TWO – Who Was Walmac?
Walmac was never a ‘house garage to riches story’.
It was started with capital for a purpose and a Dun’s Gazette
entry for 1947 tells us the original start date, address and the
proprietors: Francis E. Walters and Duncan and Robert J.
MacIntyre … Walmac!



The original factory was located at 2 Firth Street, Arncliffe
and then 23 Lusty Street, Arncliffe. Original products included
stoves, irons and heaters.



This was a progressive company using production line assembly.
Products were sold across Australia.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART THREE - Lawnmowers
It was only in research that I realised an anomaly:
Walmac were making lawnmowers years before the first ads
appeared for Walmac mowers. I know this because of classified
ads for employment at Walmac, the earliest I have found dates
to 1962 [see Gallery below].

The first ad for a ‘Walmac’ mower I have is from late 1965.
It depicts the first version of the Walmac Utility (not the one
most collectors know of), and it appears in an Eric Anderson
ad (Canberra) with an Eric Anderson rear-catcher Lawnmaster.

Take a close look at both mowers. Have you seen them before –
as another brand ...?



It is my contention that the E.A. Lawnmaster was also
made by Walmac. But both of these mowers appeared
years’ earlier as …

TO BE CONTINUED …