Is Australia anti-intellectual?

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Shy Girl S

The Hills Hoist and the Ute are distinctively Australian. The black box flight recorder, the baby safety capsule, and the Begg orthodontic technique are less predictable members of the top 100 Australian innovations of the twentieth century.

Australian inventions from all decades of the twentieth century are included. Many are well known â€” like the Ute (1934), the Hills Hoist (1948), the IVF freeze-thaw method for storing embryos (1983), the Triton portable multipurpose workbench (1976), the Wiltshire Staysharp knife (1970), and anti-counterfeiting technology for banknotes (1992).

Other Australian inventions are more surprising. Almost every office in the country has a wall-mounted Miniboil (1981), aeroplanes worldwide carry black box flight recorders (1961), and the concept of Racecam TV sport coverage was also developed here (1979).

In keeping with the spirit of the project, the general public had a role in developing the list. The Powerhouse Museum launched the website in June with a list of 90 innovations, requesting the public to make submissions for the final 10.

"[This] brought an extremely high level of public interest," said Rob Renew, Senior Curator of Engineering and Design.

"One suggestion, the Begg orthodontic technique, was something we had never heard of, but as a significant Australian innovation, made the final 10 selection."

Australians have long been recognised for their ability to improvise. Some inventions have been born from necessity, such as the first community environmental movement, Landcare (1989). The dual flush toilet (1982) has reduced water wastage from over-flushing. Dynamic Lifter fertiliser (1972) recycles chook manure, helping gardens grow throughout the country.

Australian innovation is also responsible for many medical conveniences the world takes for granted. Penicillin (1944)'s antibiotic properties were discovered and developed by Australian Howard Florey. It is administered by another Australian invention, the plastic disposable syringe (1949).

Pregnant women look forward to the first pictures of their unborn babies through the use of ultrasound (1976), pioneered in Australia. When the baby is born, they will almost all use a baby safety capsule (1984), the first design in the world to provide restraint for babies travelling in cars.

Even modern genetics can trace its roots to Australian science. Watson and Crick's analysis of the structure of DNA relied on images from X-ray crystallography (1912) â€” a technique developed in Britain by father-and-son team William and Lawrence Bragg. Lawrence was born in Australia, and both Braggs spent important time at Adelaide University, moulding their scientific interests and skills.

1. Thong
2. Barbecue
3. Vegemite
4. Hills Hoist
5. Black box flight data recorder
6. Dame Edna Everage
7. Holden and the Ute
8.Felix the Cat
9. Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
10. World Series Cricket
11. Australian Medical Discoveries
12. Surf Lifesaving Clubs and Surf Lifesaving Reel
13. Australian rules football
14.The Story of the Kelly Gang
In 1906, Australia made the first narrative feature length film, about the tales of Ned Kelly
The film was billed as "the longest film ever made"
The film premiered on Boxing Day, 1906 at the Athaneum Hall in Melbourne
15.Dual flush toilet system
Invented by Mr. Thompson in 1980 who worked for Caroma at the time
The dual flush toilet is now shipped to more than 30 countries worldwide
16. Ugg Boot
In the early 1960's, Australian sheepskin boots or ugg boots were first introduced to the United States.
17. Australia II's winged keel
The winged keel was the secret weapon that lead to Australia II to victory in the 1983 America's Cup, breaking the longest winning streak in the history of sport
18. Australia's Big Things
It all starting in 1964 with the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales and the Sunshine Coast's Big Pineapple in 1971
Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited the Big Pineapple in 1983
19.Victa lawn mower
Suburban Sydneysider Mervyn Victor Richardson built the world's first 2-stroke lawn mower in 1952 for his son who had a part-time lawn mowing business
In 1957, the 100 000th Victa rolled off the production line
20. Speedo
The Speedo costume was introduced on Bondi Beach in 1928
In 1955, Speedo introduced Nylon into its competitive swimwear

referralguru

Maate we lead the world in many technological fields we just dont brag about it like the yanks.

Wayne y

I saw a thing on inventions once, it said an Aussie invented penicillin (or found the medicinal purpose for it) and created the black box we see in aircraft crashes, designed to keep very important info of the crash to understand why it crashed. Plus you have to weigh up how long Australia has even been a COUNTRY! Plenty of societies were created before Christ and started inventing things but Australia is pretty new compared to them.

Its bloody anti Whinger!
Your a bloody sook go and tell your mummy i said so!

REnate

Don't be silly. Australians are great intellectuals

Ken E

Frankly literature, high art, science and high technology goes over most sports fans' heads, so it's not surprising that these things get left out of the sports Olympics.

How do you illustrate the theory of clonal selection (Macfarlane Burnett), the discovery that bacteria cause almost all stomach ulcers (Barry Marshall) or the bionic ear at the the Olympics? Australian scientists are at the forefront of immunology but that is impossible to show on the Olympic arena. You may know that there are such things as mathematics Olympics etc but these never receive much publicity.

Fact is Australians have been awarded a swag of Nobel Prizes in sciences and literature, Copley Medals (and other Royal Society awards).

Australians tend not to brag about these things since we don't have much of an inferiority complex.

jess_purplemonkey

That's an odd quote to use - the Olympics Closing Ceremony is about partying, after all.

I also find your suggestion that we focus on advancement of technology, skills and business rather than "intellectualism" - I would suggest that advances in technology and skills require a high degree of intellectual aptitude.

I know what you're trying to say, though - there is an increasing focus on technical skills rather than academic skills. Certainly there is this trend in current education policy, with the promotion of technical schools etc. I think it is just a phase, however - there is an increasing number of people studying academic (as opposed to technical) courses at the university I attend!

ll_jenny_ll here

OOH BOY don't get me started ....
My daughter was extremely academic all through primary school .. SHE STILL IS .. but the bloody school focusses on the ROCK ESTEDFORD and their bloody Volley Ball team ...and it just isn't practical to change schools...

the school screws around with teaching the kids LIFE SKILLS ( hell I thought that was the job of the parents????) while their ability to write add and THINK crumbles ...

the brain drain from australia will CONTINUE unless we stars from the start .. ie our education foccus.

T.A.P

Actually Australia is one of the leading countries in medical & technological research!!!

The problem???

The government fails to financially back these amazing research programs/inventions & they are forced to go overseas to further the outcomes.

One of the biggest inventions in Australia was Fibre Optics - at the South Australian Institute of Technology.

Australian doctors recently released the cervical cancer vaccine & skin grafting techniques.

...last but not least, the good old Hills Hoist was Aussie too:-)))

~ B_e_K_z ~

I think the reason we had those people at the Olympics closing ceremony was to keep the Aussie image. Bushy folk, fit, blonde, tanned etc.

completelysurroundedbyimbeciles

Normally I'd say something about Steve Irwin at this point, but making fun of Australians is like shooting sting rays in a barrel.

Gabriel G

Yes, hereÂ´s the proof, check it out on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqgnExSiS0s

ELM

" I saw a thing on inventions once, it said an Aussie invented penicillin "

You cheeky Australian that was a Kiwi!...always claiming things for your own aren't you - tut tut tut :-)

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