MATILDA

Date1961

Object number00002807

NameHydroplane

MediumFibreglass, paint, metal, leather, vinyl, aluminium, perspex, plastic

DimensionsOverall: 1230 x 5000 x 1810 mm, 460 kg
Display dimensions: 1150 x 1740 x 4250 mm
Vessel Dimensions: 4.57 m × 1.83 m, 0.46 tonnes (14.99 ft × 6 ft, 0.45 tons)
Display dimension overall on trolley: H/1850 W/ 1740 L/ 3300mm, 473 Kgs

ClassificationsVessels and fittings

Credit LineANMM Collection

DescriptionThis 15 foot ski boat 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 known as the family car on water. In the booming 1950s and '60s with 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 that 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significant era in the history of small boat technology and the introduction of fibreglass technology which eventually superseded both wooden planking and plywood as popular building materials.

Australian Water Sportsman published a boat test in April 1961 commenting: “quick onto the plane, soft entry through a choppy sea and nimble handling had us convinced in a very short time that HERE was an acquisition to the runabout market."