Vegemite Is An Australian Icon
Vegemite was developed in 1922 by Australian food technologist, Cyril P Callister, and marketed by a Melbourne businessman, Fred Walker.
In 1923 Fred Walker purchased from Carlton and United Brewery the thick, dark, yeast paste left-over from the beer making process. He gave the paste to his chemist to see what could be done with it and from this previous waste product, ‘Vegemite’ was created.
It took some time for Vegemite to gain popularity. Walker promoted Vegemite as “The Vitamin vegetable paste for use in sandwiches, soups, stews and gravies…full of vitamins…” Vegemite’s... (more...)
Posted in Products
Australian Favorite, filling for pastries, food paste, Vegemite
The Aussie Ute Has Great Storage Space And Was A Popular Get Away Car!
In 1932 there were half a million motor vehicles in Australia. Most of these were passenger cars with rest mostly trucks. Australian farmers were changing their horses and carts for cars. Some farmers cut the back off a passenger sedan and fitted a table top making a useful vehicle that carried goods and people and the ‘ute’ was born. They could cart produce around during the week and take the farmer and his wife to church or the cinema on weekends.
In 1934 the Ford company produced their first utility vehicle. These vehicles had a comfortable cab with a useful... (more...)
Posted in Innovations, Technology
cargo bed, comfortable cab, Utility vehicle, vehicles
The development of the wheat stripper was one of the most important agricultural advancements in early Australia
For thousands of years wheat was harvested by sickles and other tools. Dozens of workers all had to be on the one field at the same time because this was a slow, hard job for each of the workers.
Wheat crops grew well in South Australia and in 1843 they grew too tall and combined with a general lack of labor made it very difficult to harvest and meet the current demand. A competition was started for the best design for a machine that could cut wheat faster than cutting by hand.
Nobody won this competition but there was a lot of interest... (more...)
Posted in Innovations, Technology
harvest the crops, The Wheat Stripper, Wheat crops
The Ballerina that inspired a desert that has become a
National Dish in both Australia and New Zealand.
Most Australians know Pavlova as the sweet dessert made with a base of meringue crust, topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits. The dessert was actually named after Anna Pavlova, a famous Russian ballerina.
Anna Pavlova was born in 1881 in Russia and entered the Imperial Ballet School at ten. She worked very hard there and on graduation began to perform at the Maryinsky Theatre, debuting on September 19, 1899. In 1914 she was traveling through Germany on her way to England when war broke out. She was not able to return to Russia and soon... (more...)
Posted in Innovations, Products
cake of meringue, Christmas dinner, dessert, The Pavlova
How the simple sponge cake accidentally became one of Australia’s most popular cakes.
The first settlers liked to cook large slabs of cake to feed their big families, but the lack of refrigeration and adequate preservatives meant these cakes quickly went stale. Rather than waste the stale cake it was cut into cubes with a jam filling in the centre and coated in chocolate and then rolled in grated coconut. So the original Lamington cake was actually made to disguise stale cake.
Recipes for the Lamington started appearing in cook books in the early 20th century and it soon became one of Australia’s most popular cakes. So popular that... (more...)
Posted in Products
cake, dessert, sponge cake, The Lamington
This Invention Has Made Waterlogged Pitches And Greens A Thing Of The Past.
In 1974 while playing a game of golf, Gordan Withnall came up with the idea of the supersopper. When Withnall’s ball fell into a puddle, a mate challenged him to invent a machine to get rid of puddles. Within a week Withnall had invented the Supersopper. The machine consisted of a large perforated cylinder covered by a soaking sponge, a smaller cylinder squeezed out the water into a tank inside the roller. The Supersopper could be pushed by hand and was useful for tennis courts or golf greens.
In 1979 the Supersopper really took off when the Melbourne Cricket Ground... (more...)
Posted in Innovations, Technology
absorbs water, lightweight machine, removing water, Super soper, super sopper, supersopper
The Stump Jump Plough A Major
Contribution To The Success Of Australian Agricultural Development.
The early Australian Pioneers brought with them their knowledge and experience from centuries of agriculture in England and Europe. Many of the practices that worked in the rich and fertile lands of the old country were not suitable to the harsh and barren Australian landscape.
This was the case with the task of clearing land in preparation for cultivation. The English manner was to deep plough with completely turned furrows. This was required to kill the weeds that grew furiously in the rich and damp European climate. This practice was not at all... (more...)
Posted in Innovations
cleaning land, deep plough, Stump Jump Plough
Revolutionizing Turf Management For Sporting Venues
The StrathAyr natural all weather turf system was invented in the 1970s . StrathAry turf is grown on a farm, cut in rolls and then the soil is washed out of its roots. The turf is laid on plastic mesh with beds of sand and gravel and drainage pipes below. Buried sensing devices check that turf is neither too wet nor too dry. Sports fields laid with StrathAyr turf can be easily repaired if damaged during games. In 1992 the Melbourne Cricket Ground was re-laid with StrathAyr turf.
(more...)
Posted in Innovations
instant grass, instant lawn, Strathayr turf, turf
The Wiltshire Stay Sharp Knife Made Keeping Knives Sharp Nothing To Worry About.
In 1969 Denis Jackson, an engineer at Wiltshire Knives, solved the problem of keeping kitchen knives sharp by designing a knife and scabbard with a sharpening block inside. When the Stay Sharp Knife is pulled out of the scabbard its blade is sharpened as it runs through the block. the Stay Sharp Knife is very popular. Millions have been sold in more than 30 countries.
(more...)
Posted in Innovations, Products, Technology
kitchen knife, knife, knives sharp, Stay Sharp knife
The ‘Splayd’ Is A Combination Knife, Fork And Spoon
The Splayd was invented by William Mc Arthur in 1943. The word Splayd is a combination of “Spoon” and “blade” but in fact the real Splayd also incorporates a fork making it an extremely versatile eating utensil.
The Splayds Spoon
Splayds can be used as a spoon for eating all kinds of foods such as stew, fruits and deserts but is not so efficient for soups. Eating with just a spoon is even more limited compared to eating with a splayd.
The Splayds Fork
Using it as a fork is even better than a regular fork. Try eating spaghetti with a splayd, it is easier to... (more...)
Posted in Innovations, Products, Technology
Fork, knife, Splayd, Spoon and Blade
