Background
Dennison was born Hilderthorpe on 2 January 1876. His father was a blacksmith and his mother the local Post Mistress.
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Frederick Dennison
Edit ProfileEducation
He was educated at Pukeuri.
Career
He moved to Christchurch and was employed working as a mechanical engineer In the 1890s, while working as a cycle mechanic and engineer, he became interested in motor vehicles and began designing his own, including its engine. His first recorded motor vehicle, May 1900, was a petrol engined three wheeler.
He stated at the time that he intended to use the engine in his first car.
Dennison designed and made the car by June 1900. He drove the car from Christchurch to Oamaru on a proving run in June 1900.
The journey which now takes about two hours took five days with rivers to ford, numerous mechanical failures, and very poor roads. Unfortunately on the return journey the car exploded and was destroyed by the ensuing fire.
Dennison was unharmed but lost his luggage.
On his journey to Oamaru he was shown a three-wheel vehicle in Timaru by its maker Cecil Walkden Wood. Whether this vehicle pre-dated Dennison"s and was a motor car is the subject of unresolved ongoing debate. Wood"s endeavours were well covered in Timaru newspapers of the time and they stated that his first three-wheel vehicle ran a year later in 1901.
There is no record of any further self-designed cars by Dennison.
In 1904 he assembled a Ford Model B with the Papakaio village smith"s assistant, Donald A Whyte and in 1906 began importing and assembling Ford"son His also made at least one bus, only the body and tyres were made by others
The bus was sold to West Fewings of Waikaia for the Waikaia to Riversdale run. Although delivered by Dennison in May it took till September to commence the bus service.
The reasons for the delay were not stated.
In March 1903 Dennison was reported as participating in what may have been one of New Zealand"s first motor cycle races. Dennison, riding a Torpedo, finished third out of the four bikes that participated in his heat. The winning bike was a Mitchell, followed by a Clément-Garrard, then Dennison"s Torpedo and last was a French.
Dennison also raced the Torpedo at Dunedin in December of that year, but it was described as being not in it for pace.
In 1908 Dennison was appointed Ford agent for Otago and South Canterbury by their Australasian representative Gordon M McGregor. Dennison was also an inventor who applied for and held patents for various inventions relating to vehicles and their engines.
Dennison died in 1960. In 2000 a replica of Dennison"s vehicle was constructed in Christchurch and his route retraced.
The book outlines the story of its construction and journey.
