http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1912-dreadnought-wheel-big-lizzie-frank-bottrill-australian/ a history of cybernetic animals and early robots Sun, 10 Apr 2016 20:52:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://cyberneticzoo.com/walking-machines/1912-dreadnought-wheel-big-lizzie-frank-bottrill-australian/#comment-30895 Fri, 16 Jan 2015 03:08:01 +0000 http://cyberneticzoo.com/?p=10613#comment-30895 Re: 1912 – Dreadnought Wheel and “Big Lizzie” – Frank Bottrill (Australian) "One early attempt at this approach occurred in 1850 when a Hunter Valley farmer named Cleve had a steam engine built in Sydney. He decided to take it home under its own power on the iron shoes it laid down in succession in front of its wheels. Cleve called his machine the `Megaethon', but the Aborigines who saw it called it the 'buggy buggy'. Eventually Cleve had to get some bullock teams to come and rescue his engine. Its great weight made its progress very difficult." The "Megaethon" was built by Richard Garrett and Sons, Leiston, England, using Boydell's patent wheels. It was displayed at Chelmsford "Royal" Show in 1856. It was purchased by E. G. Clerk, of Bundarra, northern N.S.W., and shipped from England arriving in Sydney on 30 March 1857. After several demonstrations in Sydney the engine was shipped to Morpeth. After some delay, due to wet weather, the Megaethon departed Morpeth under its own steam, passing through Maitland on its way to Bundarra. Unfortunately, becoming disabled near Singleton, it was hitched to a team of bullocks for the remainder of the journey, arriving at his property "Clerkness," Bundarra, in November, 1857. It was here thatt the natives gave it the name "buggy buggy."

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