OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Company Histories ALEX GRAHAME - The Lawnmower King - c1890

Hello ODK History Lovers

There is much to admire and respect about Alexander A. Grahame and Company. They did it
all - importers, manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, repairers, seller of duplicate parts for
many makes - They held agencies for many UK, European and Australian makes, and they should
be considered an important company for the early promotion of lawnmowers in general, and
powered lawnmowers in particular. This is a company of some importance and should not be
forgotten in vintage lawnmower history.

This was an old New South Wales lawnmower business that saw the transition from the old
world of 'pushies' and horse-powered machines, to the modern world of gang mowing, and
electric and petrol power mowing. The Company would, in its own right, become manufacturers
of reel and rotary lawnmowers and associated garden products. The Alex Grahame Company
traded for about eighty years, finally ceasing business, I guess, at some time in the
late 1970s.

NOTE: This would make Alex Grahame the oldest, continually operating, private lawnmower
company in Australian vintage mower history!

This posting explores what I know about the company. Three Supplementary Topics cover
(1) the Reel Mowers; (2) the Rotary Mowers and; (3) their Litter-Vac Vacuum Cleaner.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - LOCATIONS

The premises were located at 1 (1-7) Whiting Street, Leichhardt in Sydney's Inner West.
That would be their factory and showroom for the duration; however there was a separate
'branch' located at 432 Military Road, Cremorne in the mid-1920s.

In the early 1930s there was a separate showroom at 549 Parramatta Road, Leichhardt
(opp. Fort Street School), and in the 1950s there would be a separate showroom (distinct
from the factory) at 427 Victoria Road, Gladesville, and again later, at 169 Mona Vale Road,
St Ives. The Whiting Street address, though, would always be the factory and main showroom.



In numerous advertising records Alex Grahame state that they were established in 1890.
That's both interesting and problematic. The earliest advertising reference to the company
I have found date from the early 1920s. However, NSW Year Directories place the company at
Whiting Street from 1907.

I have been unsuccessful in tracing the company prior to that date; although I do not doubt
the late 19th Century start date; given the extensive advertising that boasted this history.
It may be that Alex Grahame's father started a business elsewhere ... I just don-t know.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE - The Roaring Twenties

The earliest advertisements (from the 1920s) present the company as Alex Grahame,
Lawn Mower Hospital. At this time, the company was clearly a lawnmower specialist
mainly engaging in repair work, but also trading in second-hand machines, and
importing new lawnmowers for sale.

The Company was clearly selling new Green's lawnmowers at this time, including the
large size Silens Messor Pony and Horse Mowers. By the end of the twenties, Alex
Grahame was advertising a 'large variety' of 'New and Slightly Used' lawnmowers.

Significantly, Alex Grahame were selling both residential and commercial machines,
new and second-hand; and acting as a repairer, seller and importer. Their first
phone number was Petersham (Pet.) 168.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART FOUR – The Thirties
Despite the hardships of the Great Depression in the early 1930s, the
Alex Grahame Company prospered in the mid-to-late 1930s; becoming
importers of many UK and European brands. They would also begin
manufacture of some of their own products.

The 1930s records reveal the company was growing.
Many advertisements title the business as ‘The Great Eastern and
Western Lawn Mower Hospital’, and Alex Grahame as the ‘Lawn Mower King’.

Alex Grahame was not the self-proclaimed ‘Lawnmower King’
without good reason. In terms of power mowing in Australia,
the company was there pretty much from the start, and the
makes and models were impressive …

DENNIS AGENCY
The Dennis Brothers Lawnmower agency should be singled out;
because Alex Grahame held this exclusive Dennis Agency for many
decades. This was a real coup!

These were respect commercial mowers of the day and they were used
by many leading councils, including Sydney City Council. Grahame
referred to Dennis as the ‘Rolls-Royce of Motor Mowers’ in some advertising …



Also note the company had a showroom at 549 Parramatta Road,
Leichardt at this time ...



By the mid-thirties Alex Grahame clearly had an inventory that
livedup to the company’s claim of being a ‘Mower King’.

They offered push, horse, petrol and electric mowers.
They were also selling their own mowers and the Australian-
built Gravic mowers.



By 1936 Alex Grahame had the capacity to not only manufacture
their own mowers but also offered duplicate [spare] parts for other
makes and for other local sellers. Alex Grahame was no small, local seller.



GANG MOWERS: -
A special mention should be made about gang mowers.
Although an American invention (1919), gang mowers ‘took hold’
in Australia in the 1930s. They solved a big problem: how to cut
very large areas of grass. The idea of gang mower was made
possible by the invention of the tractor, and tractors became
much more common – and affordable - in the thirties.

The Late 1930s was in the shadow of the imminent and terrible WWII.
It is no surprise that Alex Grahame was involved with Gang Mowers
used for military purposes. The Aerodrome was central to war effort
and Grahame help the sole agency in NSW.



Also, the market consisted of municipal bodies -
who wanted to develop public parks; sporting clubs;
and golf clubs. The latter explains why gang mowers
were sometimes referred to as ‘fairway mowers’.

Clearly, Alex Grahame saw the commercial and military market,
and help agencies for Ransomes and Shanks gang mowers,
and the Exclusive Agency for Green’s gang mowers.

CONCLUSION: -
By the end of the 1930s Alex Grahame was clearly a major
seller of all types of mowers. The situation is nicely summed
up in this advertisement from early 1939.

Most popular Australian power mower: Scott Bonnar; most
popular imported power mower: Atco; Everything else in terms
of power mower – from Britain and Europe - was pretty much
being sold through Alex Grahame!



TO BE CONTINUED …