<P> The venture was so successful that by 1958 the company moved to much larger premises in Parramatta Road, Concord, and then to Milperra, by which time the mower incorporated an engine, designed and manufactured by Victa, which was specially designed for mowing, rather than employing a general - purpose engine bought from outside suppliers . Two Victa mowers, from 1958 and 1968 respectively, are held in the collection of the National Museum of Australia . The Victa mower is regarded as something of an Australian icon, appearing en masse, in simulated form, at the opening of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000 . </P> <P> A cylinder mower or reel mower carries a fixed, horizontal cutting blade at the desired height of cut . Over this is a fast - spinning reel of blades which force the grass past the cutting bar . Each blade in the blade cylinder forms a helix around the reel axis, and the set of spinning blades describes a cylinder . </P> <P> Of all the mowers, a properly adjusted cylinder mower makes the cleanest cut of the grass, and this allows the grass to heal more quickly . The cut of a well - adjusted cylinder mower is straight and definite, as if cut with a pair of scissors . This clean cut promotes healthier, thicker and more resilient lawn growth that is more resistant to disease, weeds and parasites . Lawn cut with a cylinder mower is less likely to result in yellow, white or brown discolouration as a result of leaf shredding . While the cutting action is often likened to that of scissors, it is not necessary for the blades of the spinning cylinder to contact the horizontal cutting bar . If the gap between the blades is less than the thickness of the grass blades, a clean cut can still be made . If more, however, the grass will slip through . Reel mowers also have more difficulty mowing over uneven terrain . </P> <P> There are many variants of the cylinder mower . Push mowers have no engine and are usually used on smaller lawn areas where access is a problem, where noise pollution is undesirable and where air pollution is unwanted . As the mower is pushed along, the wheels drive gears which rapidly spin the reel . Typical cutting widths are 10 to 16 inches (250 to 410 mm). Advances in materials and engineering have resulted in these mowers being very light and easy to operate and manoeuvre compared with their predecessors while still giving all the cutting advantages of large professional cylinder mowers . Their distinct environmental benefits, both in noise and air pollution, are also strong selling points, something not lost on many international zoos, animal sanctuaries and exclusive hotel groups . </P>

When was the first push lawn mower invented