OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Rotary Models HORNET - Green Hornet - c1957

Hello ODK history lovers
The Hornet Lawnmower Manufacturing Company of
175 King Street, Mascot, Sydney, ‘made’ reel and rotary
mowers in the 1950s and maybe early 1960s.

I say ‘made’ because Hornet never appears to have had
much manufacturing capacity. Instead, they engaged in,
originally, powering second-hand reel mowers; later
powering new side-wheel and roller mowers not of their
manufacture [but sold under their brand names].

This record is for their 18” rotary, the Green Hornet.
It is a ‘toe-cutter’ design that I date to about 1957.
I first became aware of Hornet mowers through old spark plug guides …





The Green Hornet appears to have been powered by a
Hurricane 125cc engine; but later the Villiers Torque Master 7F.

Its design seems similar to another brand.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART TWO – The Sting
It was only through a lot of research that I came to realise
that the Green Hornet was a re-brand of a mower actually
manufactured by Amplion [see Related Reading].

In retrospect, the signs had always been there. Many thanks
to Kye Turnbull for sending me this image in 2016. Note the
wording on the nameplate, “a guaranteed product of …”.

Hornet never held themselves out as the maker!



There are a few images I have recorded of two Hornet
rotaries that survive [see Gallery]. More correctly, they
should be referred to as the Green Hornet 18, and the
Hornet 7F Automatic.

Note that the Villiers powered Automatic is original,
the Green Hornet 18 is not. It has been re-powered with
a Victa 125cc engine. That’s my best guess anyway.

The Green Hornet was a re-brand of a 1957 Amplion rotary: -
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/109831/amplion-18-rotary-c1957.html


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