OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum The Old Soap Box ATCO - Perth's Old Atco Dealership

Hey All, just wanted to shed a little light on where a lot of Atco mowers were sold in Perth in the 1950's-60's. As per the attached picture you can see the old style aluminium plate affixed to my 1949 Atco alongside the standard factory dog-tag. The plate details the Business name and address of where the machine was sold. I've come across a few 1950s machines with this set up the same way so I'm guessing it was the standard practice here in Perth, I've also purchased a later model (1966) Atco that had the same information on it, only in the form of a sticker.

The business was called Westralian Motorcycles, run by MS Brooking and located on 853 Hay St Perth. I think Mr Brooking was a bit of a big deal back in the day because he also had a dealership selling Jaguars and Triumphs etc....everything English!

I've attached a picture of the front of the dealership taken in 1953 that I found on the State Library of Western Australia website. I think I've lost a bit of resolution in copying it, but if anyone is interested you can have a look by doing a picture search for Westralian Motorcycles on the SLWA website. In the picture you can just make out the distinctive Atco signage in the window.

Great forum,

Craig

Hello Craig,

That looks like a first-class restoration of an Atco there!
Thanks for that info. I have noted and recorded Westralian Motorcycles.
I hope to discuss important dealers in detail at some point.

WM appear to have been the sole distributor of Atco for a period post WWII.
I do not believe they were involved in lawnmowers prior to this.

It seems that motorcycle and car sellers really feature in early lawnmower
history in this country - for obvious reasons.

Your Atco was probably sold from 853 Hay Street (not the one in the above photos)
The building does not survive today but it looked like this:-





I'm not sure what address they moved to, but I guess it is the one in your late 1950's photos.

I guess they had more than one location - and they were involved in
the famous Redex Trials!

Cheers and thanks.
----------------------------
JACK

Hey Jack, thanks for the reply. Interesting stuff this mower history in Australia I think. I posted a few more pics of the 1249 ATCO on the Reel Mowers Resto Forum.

Craig

Yes it is Craig, and it is important that it be recorded before it is lost.
It's people like yourself - supplying information - that makes it possible.

My current research indicates that WA was one of the earliest States to sell Atco.
This is the earliest advert I have found from WA, and it was place in the
West Australian by the Birmingham Factory on 25 October, 1922.