Meeting the Demand - Made in WA

Before 1940, marine engines for small craft were fairly simple devices- hand-cranked to start and using the most basic ignition systems. Breakages, especially with the pistons, were not uncommon. In WA, demand among fishing boat operators generated a considerable amount of work for local engineering firms which began designing and making their own brands. By the 1930s such was the competitive nature of the business that manufacturers had to constantly work to improve their product’s performance and reliability.

One of the pioneers of small marine engines was Tommy (Ingvald) Overgaard, who worked from his boatshed below his home in Victoria Avenue, Claremont, making inboard marine engines, like the one you see here, sold under the brand name ‘West Ho’.

Opening his own engineering business in 1933 after being crushed by a car, his work included replacing cylinders of Evinrude Alto outboards and adapting defunct Harley Davidson motorbike engines to inboard marine engines. He went on to manufacture single and twin cylinder West Ho inboard engines, for general sale, in batches of 10-15 engines. Learning from experience to steadily improve the motors he would make in his next batch, he would also built engines to order for clients. They could actually assist in the manufacture of their own engines, thereby reducing the cost of the end product and creating a unique experience for the owner.

Tommy Overgaard passed away in 1965 at the age of 86. He is remembered for his creativity and innovation.