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Victa lawnmower
Object type
Lawnmowers
Object number
1990.0064.0001.001
Description
Green Victa brand lawn mower with a circular central body that holds a blade underneath, and four red, yellow and black rubber tyres. The handle for the lawn mower is adjustable and features a pull cord on one side and a silver switch at the top.
Collection name
J Bickle collection
The 1959 Victa Special 18 inch Model 5 Lawnmover in the J Bickle collection has a circular central body with underneath blade, and four red, yellow and black rubber tyres. The handle for the lawn mower is adjustable and features a pull cord on one side and a silver switch at the top. The former owner, Mr Bickle, purchased the lawnmower at J.B. Young, Manuka, in 1958. J.B. Young, at that time, operated as a co-operative where shoppers owned shares and gave their membership number when making purchases.
The development of suburbanism as part of the 'great Australian Dream' is linked to the period of post-war reconstruction in the 1950s and 1960s and due chiefly to the expansion of Australian manufacturing, low unemployment rates, the baby boom and the removal of rent controls. Suburban houses on quarter-acre blocks typically featured a public front garden and lawn, and a Hills Hoist clothesline and barbeque out the back. The developer of Victa mowers, Mervyn Victor Richardson, used psychology-based marketing which sought to idealize this suburban dream. In 1959, the slogans 'turns grass into lawn' and 'Australia's top selling mower' were introduced, with the Victa mower promoted as an essential ingredient for a relaxing weekend. For male breadwinners, lawn mowing became a weekly ritual, while the Victa Lawnmower is acknowledged as an Australian icon whose status was confirmed by its inclusion in the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
Maker
VICTA
Agents
J B Youngs Pty Ltd
1958
Approximate
User
Mr J Bickle
Place used
Griffith, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Period of use
1958 - 1990
Materials
Metal - non specific, Rubber, Plastic - non specific
Dimensions
Width: 440mm
Height: 900mm
Depth: 1190mm