Richardson, Mervyn Victor (1896-1972), a self-taught Australian engineer, developed the first gasoline-powered rotary lawnmower. In 1952, he made his first lawnmower in a workshop in the backyard of his home in Concord, Sydney, New South Wales. In 1953, at the age of 57, he established the Victa Motor Mower Company (now Victa Limited). Within four years, Richardson had become a millionaire. Victa quickly expanded to serve all of Australia, and the company’s lawnmowers were even exported to other countries. In his factory at Silverwater, Richardson introduced advanced ideas of profit sharing. Richardson retired as chairman of the company in 1965. The business was sold to Sunbeam Corporation in 1970; it is now owned by the GUD Holdings Group Limited.
