PEDAL CAR

The object was in the house at 152 Clifton Street, Kelmscott and was reduced to this condition due to the intense heat from the fire when the building was destroyed. The toy car was used by their grandchildren when they came to visit.
On the morning of 6th of February 2011, a bushfire was accidentally started by an individual using an angle grinder outside, during a total fire ban. Sparks from the angle grinder set nearby dry grass on fire. High easterly winds caused this scrub fire to quickly turn into a bushfire. Over the course of the rest of the day, the fire spread westerly out of Roleystone, down the hill and into Kelmscott.
150 fire-fighters were on the ground during the peak of the bushfire. Residents in the path of the fire were ordered to evacuate immediately. Over 4,000 people were evacuated during the bushfire. Many families lost their homes. 69 homes were destroyed with another 71 badly damaged.
Residents were evacuated to the Armadale Arena on Townley Street, which was turned into the emergency evacuation centre. Most residents spent the night there and it was not for a few days before they were allowed back into the area to see if their homes had survived. The Armadale Arena remained a one stop resource centre for victims of the bushfire for 2 weeks after the event.
This bushfire is now regarded as one of the worst in WA history due to the number of homes lost. No one was killed during the bushfire. For further information, see the Birtwistle Local Studies Library.
Pedal cars are 4 wheeled vehicles that became popular in 1917 work much like a bicycle does and are designed for outdoors use. Mr and Mrs Bosveld who owned this pedal car, let their grandchildren ride it whenever they came to visit. The grandchild riding it could be pushed around or used the pedals and steering wheel to ride and direct it themselves.