Table of Contents
Healing of New Zealand and Australia
Healing, established first in Australia and later in Christchurch, NZ, in 1898 1) started manufacturing bicycles in New Zealand in 1967. By the late 1970's, they were making 700 bicycles/day and importing even more 2). In 1983 they launched the Healing MTB, later called the Mountain Cat. The mid 1980s saw the demise of almost all New Zealand bicycle manufacturing, as import licenses were scrapped and tariffs decreased from 25% to 6%. As with Morrison, Healing was bought out by Masport in 1989 and stopped making bicycles.
Healing's Australian mountain bikes were identical to their New Zealand bikes and it's uncertain whether they were produced both in New Zealand or Australia. A. G. Healing of Australia remained the parent company. It's likely the import restrictions kept New Zealand's production completely local.
His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales, on a Healing
bmxsociety
1983 MTB
No pictures can be found.
1984 Mountain Cat 18
The sorriest picture of a bike on this website. The only other pics to be found had people sitting on them. Perhaps scouring marketplace listings in the future might dig up something less incomplete.
The name Mountain Cat was also used by Panasonic.
1984 Mountain Cat 18, vorb.org.nz
“Take it off my hand. Will deliver for $5.”
Production Notes
[1]. ?
1)
Much history to be found at: Aussie Velos
2)
See: Ride: The Story of Cycling in New Zealand by the Kennett Brothers. The entire book is available to read for free on Google Books