Mens rollerskates from Australia
Object No. 2008/32/1
These roller skates appear to be home-made, are in good condition for their age and probably date from the 1930s or 1940s. At that time roller skating was popular in Australia, both as an inexpensive recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. Roller rinks catered for leisure skaters as well as for those competing in roller hockey, speed skating and dance skating. Clubs were established to manage competitive skating and social activities. It is thought that this pair of quad skates was used in competition. Roller skates were probably first made in the mid-1700s, by Joseph Merlin, a Belgian mechanic and musical instrument maker. As with other fads and crazes, the popularity of roller skating has risen and fallen over the decades, sometimes driven by technical innovation and sometimes by marketing. In 1819 a patent for a roller skate was issued in France. Robert John Tyers patented his volito in England in 1823, using five wheels attached in a straight line like today's inline skates. Skating took off in Germany, and by 1857 two public rinks had opened in London. In the USA James Plimpton made a mechanical breakthrough in 1863 by designing roller skates with two parallel sets of wooden wheels on rubber springs, giving skaters the ability to steer in a curve. Because each skate had four wheels, they became known as 'quad skates', and they remain in use today. Later in the 1800s the addition of bearings brought a marked improvement to the performance of roller skates.
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Summary
Object Statement
Rollerskates (pair), mens, leather / metal / rubber / wood / textile, maker unknown, Australia, 1930-1950
Physical Description
A pair of mens four-wheeled rollerskates, each consisting of a leather lace-up boot bolted to a steel chassis which is joined to two parallel axles by metal bolts with rubber springs. The axles each hold a pair of wooden wheels and are placed under the heel and the ball of the foot. The boots are black with high ankles, leather soles and uppers, and black laces. Each boot has a rubber toe stop under the sole that functions as a brake when the skater tips the skate onto the toe.
DIMENSIONS
Height
220 mm
Width
115 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The maker of the rollerskates is unknown and they do not have a maker's label or brand. The rollerskates were probably made in Australia between 1930-1950 and appear to have been home-made, by modifying a pair of store-bought boots.
HISTORY
Notes
This pair of roller skates belonged to a man who lived at Aubreen Street, Collaroy Plateau. In 1981 the donor's sister-in-law moved into his house. Aged in his seventies at that time, he told her that he had used the skates when he was a champion roller skater.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs J Larke, 2008
Acquisition Date
15 February 2008
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