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Our Clever Country

Explore some of the innovations that have shaped Australia and the world.

Is innovation the hallmark of Australia? Are Australians especially ingenious, inventive and innovative?

Australia is a harsh, isolated continent. We've had to be ingenious to survive and thrive. From woomeras to artificial hearts, we've shown the world how inventive we can be. This exhibition highlights some Australian innovations — past and present.

Object Theatre & Icon Wall

A major feature of the Our Clever Country exhibition is an animated theatre. Watch as the scene and the story unfold, discover many stories of Australian ingenuity and realise the opportunities of this great country.

A wall of Australian icons reveals the inventiveness of Australians, holograms and lasers bring science, technology and art together.

Click to open the Interactive QuickTime panorama

Australian innovations

• plastic banknotes
• School of the Air
• food innovations (the esky, lamingtons, Wiltshire staysharp knives and wine casks)
• control of introduced species
• gene shears
• bionic ear
• microsurgery
• Solarscan melanoma detector
• Royal Flying Doctor Service
• VentrAssist heart pump
• black box flight data recorder
• Indigenous inventions including the boomerang and woomera
• Parkes Radio Telescope
• True Blue Loo, a no-flush toilet
• improved solar cells
• CSIRO
• Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch

Other information

• 100 Years of Innovation, an invention timeline
• Innovative People, including our Nobel prize winners
• Curriculum Resources for educators
• Clever Links