Victa is more than an iconic household name, it's 73 years of ever evolving innovation, rich Australian history, reliability and bloody beautiful lawns.
From Humble Beginnings
Founded in 1952 by Melbourne engineer Mervyn Victor Richardson, Victa started with the simple idea to make lawn mowing more efficient, easier and for Australians to enjoy taking care of their lawns. Merv's invention of the rotary mower was specifically designed for Australian lawns and conditions, which are tougher and have more variety than the English lawns of traditional mowers. It was revolutionary for this time period, and the start of something that became deeply ingrained in Australian history.
The Victa name quickly became a household favourite creating a new love for backyard enthusiasts, the everyday family and professional landscapers. Victa set itself apart by creating a sense of community with strong values of commitment to innovation, quality and reliability which quickly lead the brand to evolve introducing a series of petrol push mowers and ride on mowers to suit all needs and versatility of outdoor spaces.
Beyond machines, Victa truly embodies and represents the true-blue Australian lifestyle which to-date still sings through the nation - proud, hands-on, passionate and willing to lend a helping hand.
Victa's Journey Over The Years
Victa has never been a brand that lacked ambition, over the years the brand has trialled some unexpected ventures which included the aviation space of light aircraft in the early 1960's developing over 150 "Victa Airtourer" airplanes within Australia. The same year Victa dabbled in building in project homes and boat engines, more ventures that are now only a distant memory.
A journey that did come to fruition was the private and public pay-phone systems well known as the "Red Phone" which were sold and leased to various businesses and in 1964 "Victa Telecommunications" was acquired by the then-government phone service provider (predecessor to Telstra). Victa then decided to expand and focus on what its core product was, lawn mowers.
By focusing on the lawncare industry Victa was involved in some iconic marketing and creative promotions varying from supporting a walking marathon from Sydney to Melbourne where competitors pushed a Victa mower the whole marathon. Victa was also one of the first brands to hire public facilities for advertising, wrapping a Sydney train turning it into a yellow and green moving billboard to promote the latest mower release.
The most defining and iconic was its involvement in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. Victa's lawn mower was showcased in the opening ceremony, further honing in on community and truly cementing it's prominent status within Australian culture. The achievements over the years have been nothing short of significant.
Welcome Home Victa
"Victa is a name synonymous with Aussie backyards, and we’re proud to bring this legendary brand back under Australian ownership where it belongs."
Victa's Legacy Continues Under Australian Ownership
Formally owned by an American company since 2008, the year 2025 brings a monumental shift and change of ownership to the Victa brand. Welcoming this Australian icon back home and now under ownership of the proudly Australian owned and operated, lawncare powerhouse Roy Gripske & Sons, being placed under the Powerup Lawncare Products (PLP) division. With 45 years of knowledge and operation in the lawncare and spare parts industry within Australia, Victa is welcomed home back where it belongs.
The team at Roy Gripske & Sons are passionate about uplifting the Victa identity, community, dealer network and products to a brand-new level whilst ensuring the historic feel and culture remains engrained into its already rich history.
