In light of Australia Day tomorrow, we’ve looked at six Australian inventions that have had a serious impact on the world and how we operate. Although Vegemite, the wine cask, and fairy bread are clearly great leaps in innovation, here are several of the top inventions that you may or may not know came from our sunburnt country:
1. Black Box Flight Recorder
Australian Dave Warren developed the black box flight recorder in 1961 which completely transformed the airline industry. The device records voices from the cockpit and flight data, with the ability to replay the final moments before a plane crash. Today, every commercial plane in the world flies with this Australian invention.
2. Wi-fi
John O’ Sullivan and the CSIRO established wi-fi technology in 1992. Originally they were researching for black holes when they realised the potential of the technology.
3. Penicillin
Howard Florey, a scientist from Adelaide, purified penicillin from a special strain of mould. In the 1940’s he created a way for penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic, to be manufactured and processed so it could be used to treat infections in humans. The antibiotic was mass produced and used to assist victims of World War II.
4. Cochlear Implants
Dr Graeme Clark from Melbourne invented the world’s first bionic ear, a device that helps deaf people hear by stimulating the cochlea. This invention has greatly improved the quality of life of over 50,000 people in 120 countries.
5. Ultrasound
In 1961 David Robinson and George Kossoff built Australia’s first ultrasound scanner, called the CAL Echoscope. Ultrasounds enable unborn babies to be observed and give doctors the ability to look inside bodies without surgery.
6. The Notepad
It took 500 years of human evolution for Tasmanian J.A.Birchall to change the way we look at single sheets of paper. In 1902 he decided to stick them together to form the first notepad. From starting great works of literacy to studying for a maths exam, the versatile notebook has aided us all at one point or another.
These are just a few of the inventions Australia has developed which have changed the way we operate. However, with Australia’s innovation agenda released in December last year and the nation set to embark on an ‘ideas boom’ in 2016, no doubt more inventions will be produced in the coming years. If you are researching and developing a new invention, product, process, or software, the government does offer tax incentives. The R&D Tax incentive is a government incentive to combat the cost of engaging in R&D and to encourage innovation in Australia. Contact AusGrant to day to find out if you are eligible for Research and Development Tax Incentive.
