Richardson family papers and Victa Pty. Ltd. records, ca. 1925-ca. 2005

MLMSS 9653/Boxes 1-5
MLMSS 9653/Box 6X

fonds

ca. 1925-ca. 2005

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Clippings, Design Drawings, Ephemera, Moving Images

1054551

1.4 metres of textual and graphic material (5 boxes, 1 outsize box)

Mervyn Victor Richardson (1893-1972) was born on 11 November at Yarramalong, a town on the central coast of New South Wales. Mervyn married Vera Marie Bertram in the Methodist Church, Concord, New South Wales, on 26 June, 1926. They had one child, Garry Bertram Richardson, who was born, 1 August, 1931. His early career was apprentice jeweller and sign writer. Between 1914 and 1916 Mervyn, with the assistance of brother Archibald, designed and built a monoplane, for which they designed a radial engine with contra-rotating propellers.

In the 1920s, Mervyn found work as a motor vehicle salesman. He designed the Austin 'Wasp', a coupe body for the locally assembled Austin 7 car. He established New South Wales Motors Ltd and opened a showroom in William Street, Sydney. However, the Great Depression of the 1930s found Richardson in financial difficulties, and he closed the business. During the Depression years, Mervyn, his wife and young son, lived in a single room at North Strathfield, and Mervyn found employment as a salesman for Gold Star Coupon Co. and also sold slide rules. After finding employment as an engineering salesman, his financial circumstance began to improve, and in 1941 the family purchased a house in Concord.

Richardson's son, Garry, started a lawn-mowing business in 1948, to supplement the expenses associated with his university study. At this time, Mervyn made two reel-type lawn mowers for Garry in the home workshop. He continued to build mowers in this workshop and in mid-1950, he registered the name Victa (a play on his middle name). In August 1952, Richardson used a Villier's engine to drive a set of rotating blades. The post-war development of the suburbs made it an opportune time for the development of the workable, affordable, and serviceable rotary lawn mower. From early 1953, Richardson was fully occupied in developing the new business, which by 1953 was employing 3000 at a new factory at Milperra, Sydney. It is estimated that by this time, 143,000 mowers were produced annually and exported to 28 countries. In the 1960s, Victa Pty Ltd diversified to the aviation, public telephone, and home building industries. The firm manufactured the red phone (a private payphone system installed in shops and clubs), the Victa Airtourer 100 (a light aircraft) and Victa project homes.

Garry Richardson (1931-2005) helped his father considerably in the development of Victa Mowers Pty Ltd., and graduated from Sydney University in 1956 with first-class honours in psychology. Garry succeeded his father as Chairman of the company in 1965 and the company was sold to Sunbeam Corporation Ltd in 1970. In 1994, the factory moved to Campsie, Sydney, where the seven millionth Victa lawn mower was built in 1997. He wrote three books included in this archive: Education for Freedom: Blueprint for a Human-Centred School (1985); Philosophy of Conscious Action (1987), and Love as Conscious Action: Self Development for the New Society (1992). It was the philosophy of the first book that he used to establish (1978), with a group of parents, Korowal School at Leura in the Blue Mountains.

Reference: http://www.powerhousemuseum.com (accessed 05/03/2015)

Richardson family papers and Victa Pty Ltd records, ca. 1925-ca. 2005. Includes Mervyn Richardson and Garry Richardson personal papers; Richardson family photo albums and loose photographs; Victa Group records including Victa Aviation Division records; Victa News Cuttings company newsletter, both loose leaf and bounds sets, 1959-1978; Victa Group operating procedure; Victa Mowers account book 1950-1953; Various photographs of Victa Ltd. executive staff and Milperra factory; set of drawing instruments and 2 rulers belonging to Mervyn Richardson, ca. 1935; CD-ROM Garry Richardson interview with Caroline Jones, ABC Radio 27 mins; DVD MVR interview, Aircruiser launch, Overseas holiday, Victa factory; DVD Merv and Arch - Twin propeller plane.

BOX 1
Richardson family papers, including Mervyn Richardson and Garry Richardson personal papers, birth and marriage certificates, passports, medals and awards, set of drawing instruments and 2 slide rulers belonging to Mervyn Richardson ca. 1935; CD-Rom Garry Richardson interview with Caroline Jones, ABC Radio 27 mins; DVD MVR interview, Aircruiser launch, Overseas holiday, Victa factory; DVD Merv and Arch - Twin propeller plane

BOX 2
Richardson family photographs including Victa years, ca. 1925-ca. 1978, including albums, loose and mounted photographs

BOX 3
Victa Pty. Ltd. records, including Certificate of Registration, 1934, Sales Record ledger, 1952, Accounts Day Book, 1954, Operating Procedures File, 1960, and business documents, ca. 1970

BOX 4
Victa Aviation Division records, ca. 1961-ca. 1966, including photographs, brochures and advertising. Folder including printed material relating to Korowal School, Leura, ca. 1978

BOX 5
Garry Richardson printed publications related to philosophy and education, ca. 1985-ca. 1998; including Education for Freedom: Blueprint for a Human-Centred School (1985); Philosophy of Conscious Action (1987), and Love as Conscious Action: Self Development for the New Society (1992)

BOX 6X
Large Certificate of Incorporation of Company, 1954, Victa News Cuttings newsletter, both loose leaf and bounds sets, 1959-1978; and Victa People newsletter, various issues, ca. 1950-ca. 1970; loose oversize photographs and documents

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales