Before electric trimmers and robotic mowers, there was a noisy little machine born in a Sydney backyard workshop that changed Australian life forever.

Tonight’s Nightline Bedtime Story travels through the rise of the iconic Victa lawn mower and the remarkable life of its inventor, Mervyn Victor Richardson, a man who survived failure, financial ruin and heartbreak before creating one of Australia’s most recognisable household names.

From suburban Saturdays and quarter-acre dreams to post-war optimism and backyard memories, this is a warm and nostalgic story about invention, resilience and the quiet ways ordinary people can shape a nation.

The Nightline Bedtme Story, each weeknight on The nightline with Cheralyn Darcey