City of Canada Bay Museum

Ever wondered where the iconic Aussie rotary mower, Victa, originated?

Mervyn Victor Richardson took “borrowing your neighbours lawn mower” to a whole new level when he laid eyes on the petrol-driven rotary mower designed by neighbor Lawrence Hall, a Marine Engineer, in 1948. Hall invented it so he could easily mow his mother’s lawn and the grounds of the Cabarita Speedboat Club. It was the first of its type made in Australia and the one on which all modern mowers are based. Richardson was so impressed he gained permission to “borrow” the idea and went on to build and develop the Victa Mower, the Aussie icon which “turned grass into lawn”. Visit our museum and see both the original Mowhall mower and the 128th Victa made.

The Parramatta River is over half of the City of Canada Bay’s boundary and played a very important part in our early history. Being able to bring supplies in and ship finished products out made the area very enticing for the many industries, such as AGL and Nestles, that set up along the shore, and later the railway brought in many others such as Arnotts and Bergers.

The rest of the boundary is the Parramatta Road, originally a rough bush track between Sydney Cove and Parramatta. The Longbottom Stockade, a halfway stopping place for convicts walking to Parramatta, also played an important part in our history. It was at times a prison, police barracks, government farm and timber mill. It was here, in 1840, that the French Canadian Exiles were housed following the uprising in Canada.

Come and visit to find out more