Hello ODK History Lovers

This is an important post concerning the Scott Bonnar Company and their first power mowers of 1923.
The bigger significance, though, lies in the early development of electric-powered lawnmowers.

The story of how the Company became involved with lawnmowers is straight-forward, and I have read it
many times from a few primary sources. Its source, no doubt, is Malcolm Bonnar's Memoirs, privately
published in early 1971.

The Scott Bonnar Company was formed from the partnership of two brothers: Scott Bonnar, and his elder
brother, Malcolm, in early 1920. The company was essentially a small brass foundry and brass finishing
company for the first three years of its operation - that is, 1920 to 1922.

However, a seminal triggering event occurred in 1923 that would change the destiny of the company -
its seeming introduction to lawnmowers - brought about by a request of a long-time friend of Malcolm's,
the Adelaide bootmaker Tom Harrison.

This post challenges Malcolm's long-time-after recollection of these events with respect to a couple
of significant details. I will present the story of a demonstration of an electric lawnmower, held in
the historic Elder Park (by an unknown inventor) in 1920. First, I will let Malcolm tell the story in
his own words:

[Linked Image]

There is no dispute that the first 'Scott Bonnars' were converted machines: imported electric motors
coupled with imported British reel/roller push mowers (secondhand or new). The company manufactured
these on the basis that they bought the relevant 1919 patent from an unknown (un-named) Adelaide inventor.
These were the machines made between 1923 and 1925.

In his Memoir (extract), Malcolm specifically discusses an unsuccessful demonstration of the patentee's
electrically powered mower at Adelaide Oval in 1919. It is also made clear in his words "we found out ...
that Malcolm's 1968 recollection was that he did not know about the demonstration before the company
started making these converted lawnmowers in 1923.

I personally don't see how that's right. I have never been able to locate any record of a 1919
demonstration of an electric mower at Adelaide Oval. I have found, however, a number of newsprint
records of a demonstration of an electric mower held at historic Elder Park in 1920.

This demonstration did receive good coverage in Adelaide newspapers and, according to the press, was a
successful one. It is important to note that Elder Park is just across the river from the Adelaide Oval,
and was within two kilometres of Scott Bonnar's first premises at Chapel Street, Southwark (now Thebarton.)

TO BE CONTINUED ...