Australia Day – two Aussie inventions the internet wouldn’t work without

John Murray

Today, we celebrate a national day on the other side of the world, and while it might not be quite the weather for crowding around the barbecue with a few cans of Foster’s or VB, perhaps it is the time to give a nod to some of the everyday items we have Australia to thank for.

For example, did you know that the first ice-making machine was created in Australia in 1856, paving the way for the modern refrigerator? Multi-focal contact lenses were invented in Queensland, and the dual flush toilet is one of Australia’s proudest environmental contributions thanks to the amount of water it saves. As recently as 2018, the country released the world’s first modular self-fitting hearing aid.

At Engage Web, we’re most interested in the inventions that contribute to navigating the internet and building websites, and Australia has played its part here too. Here are two of its biggest online successes:

1. Wi-Fi

Today, Wi-Fi is technically an American trademark, but the technology behind it can be attributed to Australia 30 years ago. Inspired by Stephen Hawking’s work on black holes and radio pulses, Sydney University graduate John O’Sullivan applied his learnings to computer networking in the 1980s, in a time before the internet. His wireless technology gained an Australian patent in 1992 and is the basis of the seamless internet connection we can’t do without today.

2. Google Maps

The priceless tool that is Google Maps, with its amazing features like Street View, was not invented by the Google team itself. Rather, it was a platform developed by four computing whizzes – two Australians and two Danes – in Sydney in the early 2000s. The search giant liked the look of it and acquired it in 2004, hiring the four men who built it at the same time.

For advice on creating Google Maps of your own and embedding them on your website, check out this blog.

As well as these two pivotal creations, Australia has played a role in cybersecurity through its information and communications technology bureau NICTA’s work on microkernels like seL4, and within the last decade, it has advanced computing with creations like the quantum bit.

At Engage Web, we’re delighted that from our Ellesmere Port, Cheshire premises, we even have clients in Australia. To find out why we’re trusted by local, national and international companies, why not speak to us today?

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John Murray

Content Editor at Engage Web

John studied English with Creative Writing at university and went on to write for newspapers in both West Yorkshire and Chester. A published poet, short story writer and music blogger with a flair for quick pun-delivery, John is a genuine word nerd and a member of a Scrabble club, so it was only natural that he went on to work in a wordy position.

Australia Day – two Aussie inventions the internet wouldn’t work without