OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories WILLIAM ADAMS & COMPANY - Presto Lawnmowers

Hello ODK History Lovers

This story is about the William Adams Company. This is background information
to the only lawnmower they made " the Presto" - 'The Magic Mower' of 1932
(see Related Reading). The main focus, though, is my desire to understand why
a few of these large engineering companies started the Australian lawnmower
industry. That will be discussed in Part Two.

William Adams Company survived a century as a continuous entity, until its
takeover by Tubemakers of Australia Limited. It started out as an importer
of engineers' supplies, but became ... a company selling everything!

As the official biography says, "Typical of many merchant companies, it
first sold 'Everything for the engineer' - "from heavy engineering equipment
to nuts and bolts" and even those essential items for men on the land, such
as rabbit exterminators! Later, it moved into the distribution of steel,
aluminium and heavy earthmoving equipment."


Image: NLA http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/51555961

Adams became one of Australia's largest merchant companies - a manufacturer
in its own right, but mostly a distributor of Australian and imported goods.

Here is an archive record from the Australian National University:



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - William Adams in Context

So how did a large merchant company, importing agents for varied products -
such as Sentinel Steam Waggons, Parsons Steam Turbines, Bucyrus Draglines
and Shovels, Caterpillar Tractors - and thousands of other products, end up
manufacturing just one model of lawnmower, the Presto?



From the earliest days of the company, in his one-room office in Bond Street,
Sydney, Adams 'realised the potential for national distribution.' Why?

The company biography supplies the answer:
"Tariffs were unknown in those days and, because of this, local manufacture
was practically non-existent. Electricity was in its infancy. The requirements
of the young Australian colonies were simple and easily catered for, and most
engineering goods were imported from the United Kingdom, although agencies for
North American firms were also sought."

This is a significant point in understanding why local lawnmower manufacture -
with just a couple of exceptions - was not part of the Australian landscape.
It would take, not just our Federation, and the desire for 'Nation building',
but also deliberate government intervention to foster and nurture new industry.

Australia became a Commonwealth Nation when it federated in 1901.
It fought under the Australian Flag in WW1 and there was a growing national
sentiment that sprung up in our industries. One important attribute of any
nation is its ability to domestically cater to its own needs. We needed to
develop secondary industries that made things here, rather than import
manufactured goods.

With this in view, A Federal Tariff Board held hearings across Australia
in the late 1920s and implemented Tariff Protections that encouraged overseas
manufacturers to set up shop here; and existing Australian manufacturers to
expand production of specific goods; or existing and new companies to produce
new products, now that it had become profitable to do so. I hope to discuss
the tariff issue in a separate article at some point.

There were just a couple of Australian lawnmower manufacturers prior to 1930.
After 1930, local manufacture increased significantly. In this context,
William Adams & Company, and a few other engineering companies, gave Australia
its own lawnmower manufacturing industry.

The rest is history.
---------------------------------
Jack


William Adams Sydney Headquarters, c1935
Image: NLA http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/12975013

PRESTO - The Magic Mower

BILLBOARD AD - The Presto


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