Juggernaut

You might want to rethink the "technologically, financially, and socially" thoughts you have.

You're mistaken.



Here are some Australian firsts:

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Democratic Firsts:

First place in the world to have a secret ballot in elections (1856)
First Place in the world to give women the vote. (1894)

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Legal Firsts:

Torrens Title. An Australian invented the worlds first method of land registration. Now in use by many countries around the world.

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Sporting Firsts:

First country in the world to beat America in it America's cup.
Only country to have attended every modern Olympic games.
The first country to employ skiing as a sport. (1863)
The Australian crawl. Until the 1890's competetive freestyle was done with the head out of the water. (Remember how Tarzan used to swim in the movies?) Australian Dick Cavill popularised it and enabled it to be accepted in world class meetings.

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Inventions:

The bionic ear, a device that enables some deaf children to hear.
Flexible wine casks... the bag in the box.
The boomerang. Ancient weapon of the aboriginies. Other cultures have throwing sticks but none came back to the thrower if it missed the target.
The Notepad. In the whole history of paper, it had been sold and used in single sheets until in 1902 JA Birchall thought it would be a good idea to stack a pile of half sheets together, back it with cardboard and glue one end.
Making the world's first notepad.
The Electric Drill was the invention of Arthur James Arnot, who patented it in 1889.
Postage stamps. The world's first pre paid postage system was introduced at Sydney in 1838.
The world's first refrigeration plant was an Australian invention of 1858.
To our collective shame, the worlds first bathing beauty contest was held in Australia in 1920.
The famous "black box" flight recorder for recording aeroplane movements was invented in Australia in 1958.
Also in 1958 the worlds first regular 'round the world' airline service was begun.
The inflatable aircraft escape slide, which becomes a raft if the aeroplane ditches in water was an Australian invention of 1965.
The Automatic letter sorting machine - 1930
Two stroke lawn mower.
The rotary hoist washing line.
Lithium as a treatment for manic depression.
Latex gloves 1945
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