Skip to main content
Advanced Search
Johnson Seahorse outboard engine of the hydroplane MATILDA
Johnson Seahorse outboard engine of the hydroplane MATILDA

Johnson Seahorse outboard engine of the hydroplane MATILDA

Maker (American, 1912 - 2000)
Datec 1961
Object number00002809
NameOutboard motor
MediumMetal
DimensionsOverall: 1270 × 555 × 800 mm
Storage (includes weight of customised pallet): 190 kg (418.87 lb)
ClassificationsVessels and fittings
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionThis seahorse outboard engine was built for use on the hydroplane MATILDA. The 15 foot skiboat MATILDA is one of the earliest production fibreglass runabouts built in Australia by leading fibreglass boatbuilding company International Plastics in 1961. It was a very popular runabout which enjoyed widespread usage throughout Australia.HistoryMatilda is one of the first mass-produced fibreglass runabouts to be built in Australia. Sleek and sporty while spacious and reliable, runabouts like this became the family car on water. In the booming 1950s and '60s, with high unemployment and money to spend on recreation, the mass production of motorboats opened up the world of pleasure boating to middle class Australians. Fibreglass hulls and outboard motors were easier and cheaper to maintain than older wooden boats with inboard motors. Their lighter weight and increased engine power also meant they could reach the faster speeds needed for towing water skiers. And 'trailer sailors' did not have to be experts to navigate the waterways and handle their craft.SignificanceMATILDA is representative of a very significant era in the history of small boat technology and the introduction of fibreglass technology which eventually superseded both wooden planking and plywood as popular building materials.