Billy cart

A Billy Cart is a popular Australian form of gravity powered vehicle, often homemade and constructed for either recreational or competitive use.

History

1880's-1890's

Young boy in a billy cart outside a Queenslander home at Indooroopilly, Brisbane ca. 1910

The first references to Billy Carts appear in the 1880's, with the term identified as originating from wooden carts pulled by billygoats, with these carts being a commonplace occurrence throughout Australia prior to the rise in popularity of the automobile.

These carts were adapted overtime to become both a tool and toy for children, featuring a design comprising primarily timber materials with four wheels and a front steering system which utilised a pivoting axle design. Rope was then attached to this pivoting axle to enable the cart to be pulled or steered by hand. This design was advantageous for kids who would scavenge areas for food, scrap materials and more, whilst also becoming a pastime wherein children would challenge others to see who could travel the fastest/furthest with gravity to assist in building momentum.

1900's-1950's

The early to mid 1900's are considered to be the time in which Billy Carts were most popular, as most Australians had become aware of the carts and due to the low cost and simple design were easy to construct. Many such examples were constructed either from scrap timer/offcuts or from wooden crates which had been used to transport goods such as produce.

As automobiles rose to prevalence during this time there was an increase in incidents involving Billy Carts identified, this can be attributed to the fact that impromptu races organised by neighbourhood children were often run on the same roads as vehicles, without road closures, and as car ownership grew in suburban areas of Australia the risk of colliding with vehicles grew.

In 1952, seeking to aid his son's lawnmowing business, Mervyn Victor Richardson created a prototype lawnmower, utilising scrap metal and recycled household items, including wheels from a billy cart. Following the successful prototype Richardson created the Victa Mowers company, producing lawnmowers which quickly became an Australian icon.

1960's-1990's

Whilst no longer as popular as they once were the mid to late 1900's were seen to bring on the rise of organised competitions. This can be linked both to the nostalgia of parents who built carts in the decades prior providing the same opportunity for their children, and to the immense popularity of Soapbox Racing in the United States.

During this time some competitive carts could be seen to adopt similar design cues to the American Soapbox, with an aerodynamic streamlined design, lay-down configuration and front pivot axle steering which was aided by a steering wheel to improve safety and control of the cart at higher speeds.

The more traditional cart style however remained a staple of recreational use, used by children living in suburbs either on grassed hills or streets with low volumes of vehicle traffic. This cart style was also often used competitively as the simple and low-cost design enabled them to be built by children with minimal assistance from adults.

In 1981, The Perth Soapbox Club (Founded 1968) was successful in securing a location for a dedicated race track, located in the Western Australia Sporting Car Club complex. Following its construction it remains today as the only dedicated facility/track in Australia for Billy Cart Racing.

2000's-2020's:

Whilst the popularity of Billy Carts as a competitive sport has declined from the mid-late 1900's there remains a dedicated number of groups which organise annual derbys as a community event. Similarly, there is a large following of the sport, with a significant online and social media presence, particularly as corporations such as Redbull have developed it into a popular form of online entertainment. The recreational appeal of Billy Carts has also remained relevant, with media outlets reaffirming the social and health benefits associated with building and using Billy Carts in the backyard, local streets and parks.

A number of events are still held throughout Australia, aimed at bringing together the local community, and encouraging children to stay active and spend time outside in a unique low-cost sociable environment which encourages intergenerational participation. These events are also successful in attracting visitors from surrounding communities and interstate.

The Covid-19 Pandemic outbreak in Australia resulted in all annual Billy cart events throughout the country being put on hold as event organisers were unable to hold events due to social distancing and other measures implemented by local, state and federal governments. This also resulted in a number of events held annually prior to the outbreak in 2020 being cancelled or postponed indefinitely by organisers.

Rising costs associated with organising Billy Cart Derbys have pressured a number of event organisers to either relocate or cancel events, particularly costs associated with insurance, as a result most events held today require sponsors to pay the costs associated with organising an event. Other pressures include complaints from locals regarding temporary road closures and inflation.

Design and Construction

Official rules and regulations for Billy Cart Derbys typically vary between organises, due in part to track layouts, estimated cart speeds, safety concerns & other constraints such as starting ramps.

As a result there are no well-defined categories for design, however it is often observed to be two distinct design styles; traditional & professional. It is commonplace to see these categories used at organised events to enable increased fairness of competition between entrants.

Traditional:

Traditional carts retain many design cues from Billy Carts constructed throughout the late 1800's and early 1900's. These include a mostly timber design, upright seating, pivoting front axle with rope steering, and solid wheels. Optional design features include a scrub brake on either one or both rear wheels and a wooden block to limit the pivot angle of the front axle.

Many guides are available online detailing the construction process and this style remains to be a low cost and simple design, able to be easily constructed with common hand and power tools and are still often utilised recreationally by Australian children.

A number of manufacturers produce these carts for a relatively low cost and can be found in stores throughout Australia as well as online retailers.

Professional:

Professional carts form a much broader scope of designs compared to traditional carts, these carts are often capable of reaching speeds much higher than traditional designs as they are larger and heavier, and as such also may feature a range of safety features such as seatbelts and rollcages. Steering is often required by event organisers to utilise either a steering shaft and tie rod design, or handlebars, whilst brakes may range from scrub brakes to rim or disc brakes, typically required to be installed on two or more wheels. The overall construction of carts typically include either timber or metal frames, with most lightweight materials also permitted by event organisers, with many carts also using materials such as corrugated plastic, polycarbonate, fibreglass and carbon fibre in their designs.

Pneumatic wheels are often utilised for professional carts, repurposed from common items such as wheelbarrows, push bikes and wheelchairs. These are often limited in size by event organisers to ensure safety and typically may either be constructed in a three or four wheel configuration.

Many professional carts are homemade, however often may require additional power tools during the construction process, due to this, particularly in recent years, many carts are fabricated professionally with some higher-end carts valued around $5000.

It is common that professional carts are designed around a specific theme, these themes can also be an ideal starting point for the design process as it can allow for the design to be unique yet recognisable. One of the most common themes for Billy Cart designs are vehicles, with some based on vehicle styles such as hot-rods and classic cars, whilst other vehicles used for inspiration include vehicles popularised in film franchises such as Back to the Future, Transformers and Cars.

Billy Carts in Australian Pop Culture & Media

Television:

• Bananas In Pyjamas – "The Billy Cart Race"
  • Season 4 Episode 58 – Original Series

• Bananas In Pyjamas – "The Billy Cart Race"
  • Season 1 Episode 7 – Animated Series

• Beep and Mort – "Wheelie Good Race"

• Better Homes and Gardens – "How to make a Billy Cart"

• C/o The Bartons – "The Great Billycart Aid Race"
  • Season 1 Episode 6
  • Subsequently an image from this episode was featured on back cover of a book of the same name.

• Don’t Blame the Koalas – "Billy Cart Madness"

• Red Bull Billy Cart Race – Melbourne 2022
  • Aired on Channel 7
  • Subsequently was also uploaded to 7Plus

• Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation – "Building a Billy Cart"
  • Season 5 Episode 7

• The Wiggles – "Bill the Billycart"

Toys:

• Bluey – "Rusty & Bluey's Go-Kart Vehicle Playset"

Music Videos:

• Dune Rats – "Space Cadet"
  • Filmed during the 2023 Bangalow Billy Cart Derby

Billy Carts in Australian STEM Education

STEM Education programs within Australia have incorporated Billy Cart's into a number of programs, with the simplicity of Billy Cart design allowing for kids of all ages to attempt their own project in a hands-on environment and develop critical thinking skills whilst also learning from the range of mathematical and scientific factors that determine what makes a Billy Cart design fast including rolling resistance, aerodynamics, and wheel diameters.