IP in everyday life

For nearly 90 years, Vegemite has been fuelling our unique Australian spirit. Four generations of Australians have been 'raised on' this unique and humble dark spread. It is an icon of the nation and an integral part of Australia's culture, identity and personality. Invented in 1922 by Cyril Callister, VEGEMITE sells over 23 million jars every year.

In July 1963, the ABC conducted a staff competition to create a new logo. ABC graphics designer, Bill Kennard, submitted the winning waveform design. The letters A-B-C were added when it was adopted as the ABC's official logo.

Since its original introduction in 1965, it has been updated several times. In July 2002, to celebrate ABC's 70th anniversary, the corporation adopted a new logo. The ABC logo is one of the most recognisable logos in Australia.

The Blundstone brand is synonymous with elastic sided boots worldwide. Blundstone sell a wide variety of footwear for all sorts of purposes and terrains. Blundstone's proud heritage spans over three centuries and the company continues to be a 100% Australian owned company based in Hobart, Tasmania.

Before World War II several clever people, including Gilbert Toyne, had designed and promoted rotary clothes hoists but they never caught on. That was until Lance Hill came along and started manufacturing the Hills Hoist. With quality design and manufacture, as well as an innovative approach to marketing, the Hills Hoist quickly became a popular backyard feature. Today this Aussie icon is found in millions of backyards around Australia.

Pink Iceberg rose created by Prophyl Pty Ltd was granted a Plant Breeder's Right. It has soft pink flowers which fade to white with age and the clusters of flowers are open in shape with gold stamens. It is disease resistant and vigorous and the flower has a soft, light apple-rose perfume.

Although the lawn mower was not a new invention, it's technology was revolutionised in 1952 by Mervyn Victor Richardson. He invented and patented the rotary action blades which enabled his mower to cut long thick grass. Victa Mowers Pty Ltd opened for business in 1953 producing 60 Victas a week and has grown to become a household name across Australia.

Sir Walter turf was developed by Brent Redman of the Hunter Valley in the mid 1990's. Sir Walter Turf was cultivated as specifically for the harsh Australian environment. It also has the Australian lifestyle in mind - needing less watering, spraying and general lawn maintenance.

Seven's Racecam technology was first developed in the late 1970s by ATN-7 (now the Seven Network), who introduced it for the Bathurst 1000 endurance race at Mount Panorama in 1979. Seven's Racecam gives TV viewers a driver's eye view of the action and pioneered the live broadcast of car racing by using a network of car-mounted cameras, miniaturised microwave radio transmitters, and relays in helicopters.

In 1973, underneath their flat, Gordon and Rena Merchant began producing handmade board shorts for surfing – this was the origin of the Billabong brand. Today Billabong is associated with many products and its name is well recognised in the Australian and International surfing scene.

Invented in the early 1980's by Colin Michael Nagel and Robert Boyson Heath, the baby capsule consists of a basinet inside a base, which is kept in place by a car seat belt. During a collision the capsule has a release mechanism that actives and allows the bassinette to rotate, keeping an even distribution of force over the baby's body. When properly fitted, the Baby Safety Capsule is still the safest method of transporting an infant in a vehicle.

In 1973 Tony and Maureen Wheeler went on a honeymoon from Europe to Asia and ended up in Australia. They had such a great time travelling that they decided to sit down at their kitchen table and write about it. This became the first Lonely Planet travel guide. At the same table they created a name and logo for their publications. Little did they know that this logo would become one of the most recognised brands in the world.

The Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services (QANTAS) was founded in 1920. It has grown to be Australia's largest airline, and the second oldest in the world. The Flying Kangaroo symbol first appeared on Qantas aircrafts in 1944 and was adapted from the Australian one penny coin. This brand has been instrumental in creating a worldwide identity for Qantas, with more than 130 aircraft flying more than 14 million passengers annually.

Mortein was developed in Australia by J. Hagemann in the 1870s and was made from crushed chrysanthemum flowers. The name 'Mortein' is said to derive from the French word 'mort' (dead) and the German word 'ein' (one). Mortein has been the leading brand of household insecticide in Australian homes for over 100 years.

In 1851 James Harrison invented one of the world's first refrigeration machines on the banks of the Barwon River at Rocky Point, Geelong. Although he was not the first to patent this invention, he has been credited with being the first to develop a practical refrigeration system that could be used in the brewing and meat-packing industry. His patent in 1855 for an ether vapour-compression refrigeration system was the birth of the modern day air-conditioning unit now found in homes and businesses around the world.

The invention of the wine cask by Thomas Angove helped promote wine to a population accustomed to drinking beer. The 'bag in a box' took 2 years to develop and after much market research, one gallon packs of table white, table red, port, sweet sherry and muscat were launched in November 1965.

Australia issued the world's first polymer note, a $10 commemorative note in January 1988 to mark Australia's bicentenary. This note incorporated radical new technology developed in Australia that makes each note last longer and is more difficult to forge than traditional paper notes.