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The White Hat Guide to Australian Achievements & Australia's Contributions to the World

When you ask anyone who is Intelligent and Informed (and all visitors to the White Hat website are usually Intelligent and Informed) the question "What has Australia contributed to the World?" the immediate responses are likely to be connected with science, medicine and inventions. However you may be surprised at Australian achievements and contributions in other areas.

This is not intended to be a chest-thumping endorsement of all things Australian - in fact in some areas we Australians have set incredibly low standards for ourselves. It does however attempt to provide a starting point for discussion and argument about what Australia has contributed to the world. If some of these achievements seem unfamiliar, you may be interested in referring to Why do Australians often know so little of their own country's contribution to the world? towards the end of this article.

Nobel Prize winners

Australia has produced an astonishing number of Nobel Prize winners per head of population. For details see The White Hat Guide to Australian Nobel Prize Winners.

Inventions

Similarly, in the short history since European settlement Australia could well lay claim to being the most inventive people per head of population on earth. The world would be a different place without the Black Box Flight Recorder, the Bionic Ear, the electric drill, commercial refrigeration, latex gloves and a whole host of other inventions which have changed lives across the globe. For an indicative list of inventions see The White Hat Guide to Australian Inventions and Innovations.

Science & Medicine

Social

Australia is one of the world's oldest democracies and has led the world in many major social achievements. The Australian Ballot has now been adopted by nearly all democratic nations. Australia was also one of the first countries to allow votes for women.

Extraordinary People

Maths & Philosophy

The Australian Terence Tao is the recipient of the Fields Medal (the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize) and is widely regarded as on of the world's finest living mathematicians. In the field of philosophy and ethics, Peter Singer is currently one of the most significant thinkers and writers, while philosophers like Jack Smart have long been recognised on the world stage.

Engineering

The arts

• Aboriginal art

Business & commerce

The business skills of many Australian managers are well recognised and valued on the world stage. Love him or hate him, few would deny that Rupert Murdoch, starting with a small newspaper in Adelaide, has managed to have a huge impact on the business world.

Skilled managers are often forced to leave Australia with its relatively tiny local market for larger populations if they want to make a difference on a large scale. The results have been quite remarkable and in recent years companies such as Coca-Cola, Silicon Graphics, McDonald's, Ford, Scottish Power, Kellogg's, Allied Domecq, Campbell Soup and Philip Morris have all been run by Australians.

Philanthropy

See The White Hat Guide to Philanthropy in Australia

Film

Australia is the country that almost single-handedly created the feature film, and despite a small local market has still produced directors such as Bruce Beresford, Baz Luhrmann, Fred Schepisi and Peter Weir as well as actors such as Dame Judith Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Peter Finch, Errol Flynn, Mel Gibson. Sir Robert Helpmann, Nicole Kidman, Geoffrey Rush and Russel Crowe (if he's behaving well he's Australian, if not we remind people he was born in New Zealand). Australian cinematographers, designers and other film professionals often feature disproportionately (to other countries' population) in the Academy Awards.

Sport

See Seven Great Moments in Australian Sport

Light entertainment & popular culture

Although the nature of pop and commercial entertainment may mean that a show or band will fade and possibly disappear over time, we shouldn't be too ready to dismiss it. A person who gave pleasure to millions of people while the fashion for their style of entertainment lasted has still achieved far more than the average person in the street. Thus performers and bands such as Peter Allen, Kylie Minogue, ACDC, Men at Work have all proved popular in their time.

In the world of radio and television, Reg Grundy and his organisation created shows like Wheel of Fortune, Sale of the Century, Neighbours and many more which were exported (either as shows or concepts) to the rest of the world. Entertainers such as Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna Everage), Rolf Harris, and  Clive James have become well known.

Why do Australians often know so little of their own country's contribution to the world?

Exploration - Sid

Architecture

Politics / govt

War

Wine & food

fashion

design