Electronics by the Coral Sea: australian contributions to tech

The world's technologies aren’t exclusive to the United States, Japan or Korea. Whenever we see a technological breakthrough, we associate it with those countries. However, there are many inventions that are highly valued worldwide that originated in Australia. What are Australia's contributions to tech? Let's take a look. You're sure to be surprised. Some of them are so commonplace that we wouldn’t even have wondered about their origin. Of course the list is subjective, as there are many contributions from this country.

Flight data recorder (black box)

If today we can collect information and listen to what happened in an airplane cabin prior to an accident, it is thanks to an Australian named David Warren. He came up with the original black box idea in 1953, but they believed that the device somehow violated the pilots' privacy. It would have been forgotten had it not been for the fact that in the 1960s the UK became interested in flight data (information and voice) recorders, making them mandatory devices for modern commercial aircraft.

Penicillin

This antibiotic that has saved lives for many decades was discovered in 1928, in London, by Alexander Fleming. But it was not until 1940 that Howard W. Florey of Australia's Ernst Chain described the process of purifying penicillin for medicinal use.

Pacemaker

The first pacemaker prototype was created in 1932 in the United States, but it had a small drawback: it was located outside the body and was driven by a hand crank. Since that time, several people have tried to perfect the device, but it was the Australians who succeeded. In the 1980s, the company Telectronics created the pacemaker as we know it today.

Boomerang

Long before you started having fun with the boomerang feature on social media, kids in the 1980s and 1990s used to play with this object on the beach. Australia takes boomerang very seriously, so much so that since 1988 it has been promoting the world championship.

Refrigerator

The faithful companion of our days, which preserves everything from a few insignificant tomatoes to slices of pizza and meat, was created in 1856. An Australian brewery hired James Herrison to develop a refrigeration system for its products, which is still in use today. Could you imagine living without a refrigerator? It is an absolute companion in the summer season to keep drinks cool and also other products such as fruits, vegetables or ice cream.

Toilet button

You've probably used this resource and never wondered about its origin, but in a country with limited water resources dual flushing is an extremely important issue. The system was invented by a company called Caroma, which received an incentive from the Australian government to develop a water-saving idea. Launched in 1981, dual flush is now mandatory in all Australian homes.

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