OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories VICTA - The Years 1951-1954

VICTA - 1952 - The 18" Rotary
Australian lawnmower making history changed on 20 September, 1952.
On that particular Saturday a short advertisement appeared for the first time
in the classified columns of the Sydney Morning Herald.

Merv Richardson's leap of faith in the rotary design started with this advertisement: -

FOR SALE, Victa 18in Rotomo, 1-h.p. Pet. Eng.
Cuts to fences and any height, grass,
weeds, etc. Safe for 10-year-olds.
£39/16/. Any time, UF3093.



Note that, from the very start, the Victa Rotary was named as a Rotomo.
The "Billy Cart" became its nick-name after the event (because of its cast billy-cart wheels).
It appears that these small diameter wheels were a carry-over from the prototype
"Peach-tin" design.

This was an ad that presented feature-based advertising.
This is "reason-why" marketing at its simplest.

The first feature was, of course, that this was a petrol engine - not a mains electric motor,
that powered the first AUS rotaries half a decade beforehand. The petrol motor technology
was well understood by this time, and without physical restrictions or limitations of the
corded electrics. The Victa, like the automobile, gave freedom to the user!

The second feature was a clear attack on the conventional reel mowers - that a rotary
(of the skirtless design) could cut grass to fences - no edging required! This was the
great feature of what would be coined the "toe-cutter" base. No hands-and-knees edge
clipping required.

The third feature was an important feature that Victa would use in advertising for this decade:
the Victa rotary would cut any height of obstacle. I have written about some crazy stories
about this. The claim has a certain truth, but really?!!!

It is hilarious that the fourth feature would be ... safety! Yes, this was a base claimed "safe
for 10-year-olds". I'm not so sure about that - I feel there is a certain conflict between
feature two and this claim ....

The fifth feature was price. Always a key feature in the emerging hegemony of the
rotary mower over the reel mower in the following decades. A basic powered rotary
would always be cheaper than a basic powered reel to buy, and significantly cheaper
to service than a reel mower. For me, this is buying proposition number 1.

The sixth and final feature was the "Any time" contactability. Of course, that meant
the respectable hours, but Merv's biggest day would be all-day-Saturday trading
from his home at 81 Brays Road, Concord.

I have found three separate examples of an illustrated Victa rotary ad from 1952,
appearing in November and December. Merv pretty much advertised weekly in the
Classifieds of the Sydney weekend papers, but the illustrated ads I have found
come from the Friday papers - and were not classified ads, but dearer
placements located somewhere in the first dozen pages of the edition.

I feel Merv Richardson had early notice that he had struck gold!