OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Video & Image Gallery History Pictures HORSE MOWER - Port Melbourne - c1910-1930

Hello ODK history lovers

This image held by the State Library of of Victoria [SLV] has frustrated
me for years! It depicts a beautiful horse and horse mower in a park opposite
terrace houses [Try 163 Station Street, Port Melbourne, on Google Maps].



The SLV has no accurate date for the image.
It was taken by photographer Albert Jones some time
from about 1910 to 1930. The mower could be older…

Please view a SLV high-resolution image here: -
http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/43113

The frustration was that I could not identify the particular
mower in the image! I knew it was most probably from one
of the top three UK makers – Ransomes, Shanks, Greens
– but which one!

I finally got the answer in 2021, no thanks to me,
but from a renowned author and historian.

TO BE CONTINUED …

PART TWO – Clive Gravett
The one person I turned to in identifying this mower
was Clive Gravett. It’s hard to sum-up Clive’s disparate
interests in few words, but here goes …

Clive is a British lawnmower enthusiast who has given back so
much more. Consider that he is Founder and Trustee of the
charitable Budding Foundation: -
https://www.thebuddingfoundation.co.uk/

Consider that he is Curator at The Museum of Gardening: -
https://www.museumofgardening.co.uk/

Consider that he is the author of the most accessible and
knowledgeable book on old mowers: -
https://www.thebuddingfoundation.co.uk/our-programs
…

So, Clive knew what this old horse mower was.

It was a Shanks Horse Mower dated to the late 19th century.
This old photo gave up one of its secrets.

Jack,
I've been working on a Shanks's 48 inch Horse Mower during the Winter.
It had a hard working life but is mostly unseized now.

Alan

HI Allan
That's a magnificent machine!
That would make a great story down the mowing strip.

Cheers
Jack

The mower has now been painted and put on display.