PART FIVE - SignifanceI believe the
Rotoscythe was the first powered rotary sold here.
My records indicate that both Western Australia and Queensland sold Rotoscythes
from
late 1937 to
early 1940, when imports were halted due to wartime.
When imports resumed, Rotoscythes were again sold here from
mid-1947. This time
a more organised distribution network through State agencies meant the Rotoscythe
was heavily advertised and sold in most States, and through some large stores.
The Rotoscythe County was a post-war design that augmented the several rear-
catcher machines on offer. My best estimate is that it arrived here sometime in 1950.
The County was not a sales success here because of one determining factor: price.
At about
£75 (pound) they were
three times the price of an Australian electric
rotary. The first Victa rotaries were
£39 when they went on sale in late 1952,
increasing to the magic number of
£49, about the average cost of a 1950s petrol-
powered domestic rotary lawnmower.
Nonetheless, I believe a smallish quantity (perhaps hundreds) sold to State
and municipal bodies, including councils and schools.
These are
rare and
desirable machines. They represent the petrol-powered rotary
before Victa and the 'rotary revolution' that occurred from about the mid-1950s.
The
design of the County is significant. The high skirt base and large, thin
wheels clearly influenced Australian lawnmower design, particularly the Ogden
Rotamatic and the rare Melbourne Malvins.
The rest is history.-------------------------------------
Jack