POWERHOUSE COLLECTION

Flivver or row cart made by Cyclops, Leichhardt, NSW, 1924-1929

Object No. 85/398

This is a child's ride-on toy called a Flivver and was made in Australia by Cyclops between 1924 and 1929. The term 'flivver' originated as American slang for a cheap car or aeroplane. It also refers to a railway hand car or trolley car. By the 1920s flivver was the common name, at least in Australia, for a three-wheeled children's trolley car propelled by pushing the handle bars back and forth, and steered by feet resting on front wheel foot pegs. This means of propulsion was very similar to that used on the four wheeled trolley cars also used by children at the time. The flivver was essentially a three wheeled version of the trolley car. Toy manufacturing in Australia was slow to start but by 1914 there were a small number of toy manufacturers, including Cyclops, which was begun by Heine Brothers a pressed metal company. The origins of the firm began in 1911 when 5 year-old Ernest Heine saw an American tricycle and would not leave his father, John, alone until he had imported one for him. It featured solid iron wheels, no tyres, turned wooden handle bars and a leather seat. Seeing the marketing potential of the bicycle, John Heine began manufacturing flat-framed tricycles for children in a small factory in Hay Street, Leichhardt, an inner Sydney suburb, in 1913 with a staff of four. By 1915 the name of "Cyclops", the one-eyed giant whom Ulysses met on his travels in Greek mythology, was registered as the new name of the company. In the same year they produced the Kangaroo Cycle skate, one of their earliest scooters, which featured two large steel-spoked wheels 9.5 in (24 cm) in diameter. By 1924 Cyclops claimed their "Original Flivver No.1" was the most popular toy made in Australia. The term "flivver" originated as American slang for a cheap car or aeroplane. It also referred to a railway hand car or trolley car but by the 1920s flivver was the common name, at least in Australia, for a three-wheeled toy. It came in either wire wheels with steel tyres or disc wheels with solid rubber tyres. By 1926 Cyclops merchandise had spread Australia-wide. Margaret Simpson, Curator