OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums The History Forum Model Histories AUSTRALIAN Power Reel Models MORRISON MOTOR MOWER - c1945 NZ

Hello ODK History Lovers

It seems odd that I should place this record in the Australian Reel Mowers forum. After all,
Morrison was, perhaps, the greatest of the New Zealand garden machinery manufacturers. However,
a Morrison reel mower was made here in the 1950s. I should add that Morrison machines and
modified variants have also been sold here as Victa Imperials and the Turner-Morrisons of the
1960s and 1970s. Morrison has also had an association here in their own right, and as a child
of the parent company in the 1986 takeover of Morrison by Masport. Today, the name survives on
branded machines.

This article discusses what I have called the 'Sydney Morrisons'; reel mowers made here by
Vulcan Steel Pty. Ltd., with factory located at 88 Parramatta Road, Camperdown, Sydney. In
order to do that, I will also cover the background to this machine, drawing upon NZ resources.




Image: courtesy National Library of New Zealand.
High Resolution: http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE3379004

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART TWO - BACKGROUND

Morrison was, arguably, New Zealand's most innovative lawn mower manufacturer.
Typical of these mower maker stories, Sidney Morrison founded Morrison Motor Mowers Ltd
in a garden shed and garage on Karamu Road, Hastings, in the early 1930s. Atypically, he
was a mechanical engineer, with the technical capacity and engineering know-how to
produce many innovative products.

It would appear that the first motor mowers appeared in the late 1930s, just before the
outbreak of WWII. The earliest NZ ad I have dates from 1940. The models sold in Australia,
however, were based on a post WW11 design that was sold in NZ, I think, from about 1945.

Here are two early illustrated NZ advertisements for the new model. Both come from the
Alexandra Herald, and date respectively from 1946 and 1948:-




I do have some evidence that these machines did arrive in Australia from about 1947.
However, advertising was very limited, suggesting these were imported ad-hoc by a couple of
small dealers, and with no agencies or distribution network.

All that would change in the early 1950s with local production by Vulcan steel.
These would be the Sydney Morrisons covered in the next part.

TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART THREE - MORRISON in AUSTRALIA

Even though Morrison had been selling their Cultivator in Australia since 1945, the earliest
records for the Morrison mower being sold here date from late 1946. I believe these were fully
imported machines sold through a Distributor and a few dealers in NSW.

The Distributor appears to have been the Tractor and Implement Company of 634 Harris Street,
Sydney. In the advert below, note the wording: 'no permit required' - during the war years
permits were required to purchase the few lawnmowers available. This restriction was lifted
in about 1946. Imports and local manufacture of lawnmowers re-commenced.



The change appears to have happened in 1953, when advertising revealed Australian-made Morrisons.
These were advertised as being widely available, and through leading stores: Anthony Horderns,
Nock & Kirby, David Jones, John Danks, (and later, H.G. Palmer), etc.

This is where it gets messy. The decal on the mowers show that Vulcan Steel of Sydney were the
local manufacturers, and the brochure (made available below) list Vulcan's Sales & Service
Division at 88 Parramatta Road (not necessarily their factory).

In the first advertisement (first ad. below) the company, Amplion, are also listed at 88
Parramatta Road - the same address as Vulcan Steel (second ad. below)!




In this Victorian advertisement from 1956 (below), Wishart's present as a distributor
of some sort (asking for trade enquiries). My best interpretation of this is that
Vulcan Steel was the Australian manufacturer, with sales distribution allocated to Amplion
in NSW and Wishart's in Victoria. This is speculation on my part.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART FOUR - FEATURES

Here, the Morrison was offered 16 inch and 20 inch cuts. The 16" machine was clearly the
most popular model - being aimed at average-size residential lawns - but I have never seen
evidence of the larger cut machine surviving today ... yet.

AUTOMATIC CONTROL
The main feature was automatic control. This was achieved by Morrison's early use of the
centrifugal clutch on lawnmowers; a mechanism whereby shoes would expand by centrifugal
force to contact and engage an outer drum, connecting power to the transmission.

This feature was Morrison's trump card in a post-war world, where prosperity and appliance-
crazy consumers wanted new things, the Morrison sold on the basis of simplicity of operation.
The automatic clutch was controlled via the throttle, located on the Steering Bar.

This automatic control was enhanced, apparently, by the single control. The handle had a
centrally located throttle and 'steering bar' - meaning that the machine could be directed
with one hand only! This feature seems to be unique to small, early Morrison reel mowers.
I personally don't believe there was much merit in it. What would you do with the other hand?
Perhaps, like in the advert in Part 3, have a hand on one hip, and look smugly at the envious
neighbours? Who knows!



DOUBLE HELIX REEL
The second feature was significant: the double helix reel. This feature has its origins in an
un-identified British patent from the 19th Century (possibly Ransomes). The idea was clever,
by having opposing blade spirals meeting at the centre, grass could be directed towards the
centre of the catcher, rather than just to one side of the catcher.



TO BE CONTINUED ...

PART 5 - BROCHURE

One of the 1954 advertisements in Part 3 said that a respondent could write or phone for a free
'interesting descriptive leaflet'. I believe the leaflet brochure is the one below. This one was
supplied to me by member Willingworker some time ago. It is beautifully illustrated.

Note the single hand control and the beautiful decals. The pipe is obligatory for any user.

PART SIX - HANDBOOK

Morrison's 'How-To' Book is thirty-six pages of valuable information and a history record in itself.
There is a great illustration of the factory, some nice photographs of the machine, illustrations
and Spare Parts List, as well as an excellent exploded view. The booklet is scanned from my original
copy and is available for download in Three Parts.

PART A - includes the first 10 pages and covers two main areas:
- How to Operate the Morrison Power Mower
- How to Adjust the Morrison Mower



PART B - includes pages 11 through 24:-
- How to Mow Lawns with a Morrison
- How to take care of your Morrison
- How it is made - Morrison features
- How to lay down a Lawn
- How to get better garden results



PART C - includes pages 25 through 36:-
- Spare Parts List
- Illustrations

PART SEVEN - ASSESSMENT

The desire to have simpler controls on lawnmowers was a good thing.
Pre-WWII machines could be cumbersome and required a balancing of throttle and clutch
controls. The new model Morrisons, introduced in about 1945, and sold here from about
1947, offered single control. The Australian-made Morrisons appeared from about 1953.

These were well-built, solid machines of a quality that would ensure their longevity.
This does not mean they are immune to criticism.

The single-control (via throttle) had one serious drawback. Manoeuvring in tight
corners of some yards was difficult with an automatic clutch. It engaged smoothly but
was, ultimately, an on/off mechanism.

Some companies that took this approach - like Ransomes - would draw back, and in later
models would augment the primary automatic clutch with a secondary landroll clutch that
was slippable: meaning a user could manoeuvre the mower into tight or difficult areas
with better control. The little Morrison could not do this.

The lack of a two-part rear roller is also questionable for a 16 inch machine.
I can only guess that the 20 inch machine did have a split roller with differential action.

These are important and collectable machines; they record both the iconic NZ Morrison,
but also the Sydney-made version of it. We're not likely to know what degree the Vulcan
Steel Morrisons were 'manufactured' here: whether they were, in fact, 'assembled' here
from imported parts, or whatever? That misses the point.

The rest is history.
-------------------------------
JACK


Reproduction decal: Silensmessor, eBay Store.

These are 2012 auction photos of a fully imported Morrison.
Note the Hastings NZ decal on the side-frame.

From what I can tell, the Sydney-made Morrisons were identical to the
imported ones - the only obvious difference being the decal change from
Hastings to Vulcan Steel, Sydney.





For more photos of a Vulcan Steel built Morrison click to view Froger's machine:-
https://www.outdoorking-forum.com.au/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=60610

AUSTRALIAN POWER REEL MODELS


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