Australian inventions that have changed the world and would not exist without Australia and its people. Australia has always been an innovative country. Below are some of them.
19th Century Australian Inventions
| Date | Invention & Inventor/Organisation | Notes |
| 1856 | Ice-making & refrigeration machine James Harrison (Geelong, VIC) | World’s first commercial ice-making machine. |
| 1876 | Stump-jump plough Richard & Clarence Bowyer Smith (SA) | Allowed ploughing through tough, rooted soil. |
| 1889 | Electric drill Arthur James Arnot & William Brain (Melbourne) | World’s first electric drill. |
| 1896 | Photographic dry-plate camera shutter Lancelot Richardson (NSW) | Early contribution to modern photography. |
| 1893 | Box kite Lawrence Hargrave (NSW) | Foundation for powered flight |
| 1887 | Anti-flogging sheep shears Frederick Wolseley | Mechanised shearing. |
20th Century Australian Inventions
| Date | Invention & Inventor/Organisation | Notes |
| 1906 | Feature film (“The Story of the Kelly Gang”) Charles Tait & team (Melbourne) | World’s first full-length feature film. |
| 1906 | Surf lifesaving reel Lyster Ormsby & Bondi SLSC | Revolutionised ocean rescues. |
| 1912 | Military tank track improvements Lancelot de Mole (Australia) | Preceded WWI tank development. |
| 1913 | Automatic totalisator (betting machine) George Julius | Used worldwide in horse racing. |
| 1902 | Notepad (pad of glued paper sheets) J. A. Birchall, Tasmania | Office staple worldwide. |
| 1940 | Zinc cream (sun protection) Faulding Pharmaceuticals | Early commercial sunblock. |
| 1930s | The surfboard fin (“skeg”) Charles “Snow” McAlister | Improved surfboard control. |
| 1925 | Rotary clothes hoist (prototype) Gilbert Toyne | Precursor to Hills Hoist. |
| 1905 | Tilt-pad thrust bearing Anthony Michell | Major engineering advance. |
| 1926-28 | Electronic pacemaker (prototype) Mark Lidwill & Edgar Booth | First functional pacemaker. |
| 1939 | Penicillin purification & mass production Howard Florey | Enabled antibiotic revolution. |
| 1941 | Owen submachine gun Evelyn Ernest Owen | Key WWII Australian weapon. |
| 1945 | Hills Hoist Lance Hill & Gerhard Kaesler | Rotary clothesline icon. |
| 1960 | Plastic spectacle lenses Sola Optical | Safer, lighter eyewear. |
| 1957 | Permanent-crease wool (Si-Ro-Set) CSIRO | Revolutionised textile industry. |
| 1958 | Black box flight recorder David Warren | Standard on all aircraft. |
| 1965 | Inflatable aircraft escape slide/raft Jack Grant (Qantas) | Airline safety innovation. |
| 1956 | Stainless steel braces Percy Begg | Improved orthodontics. |
| 1951 | School of the Air Alf Traeger (radio innovation) | Remote education via radio. |
| 1940s | Penicillin delivery method (Florey’s team) Florey / Chain / Heatley | Safe medical application. |
| 1950s-60s | Cervical cancer screening Pap smear improvements Dr. Dorothy Hill (research) | Early screening advances. |
| 1978 | Cochlear implant (“bionic ear”) Graeme Clark | Restores hearing to the deaf. |
| 1980 | Dual-flush toilet Bruce Thompson | Major water-saving innovation. |
| 1966 | Plastic wine cask (bag-in-box) W. J. Marshall / Angoves | Revolutionised wine storage. |
| 1972 | Permaculture concept Bill Mollison & David Holmgren | Sustainable farming philosophy. |
| 1992 | Multi-focal contact lenses Stephen Newman | Improved vision for presbyopia. |
| 1988 | Polymer banknotes CSIRO & Reserve Bank | Counterfeit-resistant money. |
| 1983 | Winged keel (yachting) Ben Lexcen | Enabled America’s Cup win. |
| 1999 | Spray-on skin for burns Fiona Wood | Life-saving tissue repair tech. |
| 1991 | Long-wear contact lenses CSIRO / UNSW | Breathable lens material. |
| 2006 (research began 1991) | Vaccine for cervical cancer (HPV) Ian Frazer & Jian Zhou | World’s first HPV vaccine. |
| 1992 | Wi-Fi (key CSIRO patent) John O’Sullivan et al. | Foundation for global wireless networking. |
| 1980s | Baby safety capsule for cars Bob Botten | Set infant car-safety standard. |
21st Century Australian Inventions
| Date | Invention & Inventor/Organisation | Notes |
| 2010s | Spray-on solar cells UNSW Engineers | Printable renewable energy. |
| 2003-04 | Google Maps (originated from Where 2 Tech, Sydney) Lars & Jens Rasmussen | Became global navigation platform. |
| 2017 | Quantum computing silicon qubits Michelle Simmons / UNSW | Global quantum tech breakthrough. |
| 2012 | Polymer fibre bullet-resistant material CSIRO | Advanced defence material. |
| 2014 | Foldable surf rescue board Bondi lifeguards / Surf Life Saving Australia | Easier emergency transport. |
| 2013 | Micro-air vehicle (insect-scale drone) CSIRO / ANU | Bio-inspired robotics. |
| 2021 | Wearable blood glucose sensor Monash University | Non-invasive diabetes monitoring. |
| 2015 | Inflatable nasal airway device for sleep apnoea Oventus (Brisbane) | Dental-based sleep therapy. |
| 2020 | Smart bin (AI waste sorting) Brisbane startup “BinSense” | Automates recycling management. |
| 2014 | 3D-printed titanium heel implant CSIRO / Anatomics | Custom medical prosthesis. |
| 2022 | Firefighting drones (autonomous fire mapping) CSIRO & DFES | Drone tech for bushfire control. |
| 2018 | Smart prosthetic hand UNSW Biomechatronics team | Neural-controlled prosthesis. |
| 2023 | Hybrid solar-hydrogen battery University of Sydney | Green energy storage innovation. |
| 2020 | Bionic eye (prototype) Monash Vision Group | Restores partial sight. |
| 2016 | Portable solar BBQ (“GoSun”) Developed in Australia | Eco-friendly outdoor cooking. |
| 2020 | Micro-needle vaccine patch University of Queensland | Needle-free vaccine delivery. |
| 2021 | AI-assisted cancer detection algorithm CSIRO | Improves early cancer diagnosis. |
| 2022 | Carbon-neutral cement UNSW / UQ researchers | Sustainable construction material. |
| 2019 | Water-saving irrigation system (smart sensors) Charles Sturt University | Precision agriculture. |
| 2021 | Modular satellite bus (space tech) Fleet Space Technologies | Enables small satellite constellations. |
| 2014 | Electric vehicle fast charger (ultra-rapid) Tritium (Brisbane) | Used worldwide in EV networks. |
| 2022 | Hydrogen-powered drone CSIRO / Boeing | Clean fuel aviation prototype. |
| 2019 | Plant-based meat analogue V2food (CSIRO collaboration) | Sustainable food innovation. |
| 2018 | World’s first printed human cornea University of Sydney | Breakthrough in tissue printing. |
| 2019 | Smartphone-based eye test UNSW Optometry team | Portable vision diagnosis. |
| 2017 | Solar-powered Wi-Fi hub for remote areas CSIRO / Telstra | Expands rural connectivity. |
| 2016 | Automated shark detection drone Little Ripper Group (NSW) | Lifesaving beach tech. |
| 2020 | Rapid COVID-19 diagnostic test University of Queensland | Pandemic response tool. |
| 2024 | Compact fusion energy laser array ANU Plasma Research | Experimental clean power source. |
| 2021 | Graphene-based water filter RMIT University | Purifies water efficiently. |
| 2023 | AI-enhanced bushfire early-warning system CSIRO | Predictive disaster management. |
About the author