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Australia's scientific achievements

The theme of discovery

It was a scientific expedition that brought the navigator James Cook to Australia's shores in 1770, an event which led directly to the settlement of the continent in 1788 by Europeans. The newcomers set about establishing a society and an economy, based on their own traditions, in a distinctly unfamiliar environment, linked to their former homeland only by often infrequent and unreliable shipping.

Australian scientists and scientists from many other countries continue to collaborate to extend the frontiers of human knowledge in ways that echo the scientific purposes of Cook's first voyage. The Tidbinbilla Deep Space Station near Canberra, for example, tracks the automated spacecraft that explore other planets of our solar system. The Anglo-Australian Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, New South Wales, measures the motion of neighbouring galaxies using quasars as reference points.

The story behind the first scientific Nobel Prize associated with Australia points to the possibility that distance and isolation can help scientists look at problems with a fresh eye and learn useful things about their own abilities.

British-born William Henry Bragg came to the University of Adelaide as Professor of Mathematics and Physics in 1886. He had trained as a mathematician at Cambridge and had to teach himself physics as well as the craft skills to make equipment for his Australian physics students' practical classes. Because scientific apparatus was difficult to obtain in the colony of South Australia, Bragg discovered his gift for designing instruments. This underpinned his later research.

Bragg's son, William Lawrence, was born in Adelaide in 1890. Bragg returned to England in 1909. The father and son had a constructive argument about the nature of X-rays, and the younger Bragg evidently used an instrument his father invented to win an important theoretical point. They jointly received the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1915 for their work, which resulted in techniques used to map the atomic structure of crystals. Both Braggs were knighted, and had long and distinguished careers.

Life sciences

Australians have a particularly strong record of achievement in the life sciences. Since the Braggs, all the scientific Nobel laureates associated with Australia have worked in biological sciences. Howard Florey shared a Nobel Prize in 1945 for the discovery of penicillin. Five more Australians have become laureates for Physiology and Medicine: Frank Macfarlane Burnet (1960); John Eccles (1963); Peter Doherty (1996); and Barry Marshall and Robin Warren (2005). John Cornforth shared a Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1975 for work related to the structure of living matter.

Professor Graeme Clark has developed a bionic ear that electrically reawakens the silenced hearing nerve of the profoundly deaf. Some Australian innovations are relatively low in technology but high in humanity. The late Dr Fred Hollows developed cheap corneal replacements to cure types of blindness common in developing countries. His work is being carried on through a foundation led by his widow.

Science policy

The Australian Government pursues its science and technology policy goals in three main ways: education; basic research; and, applied research. Australia has a substantial research and development (R&D) capability.

Schools, universities and public awareness activities help to make Australians scientifically literate. The goal is to build a nation of people who can think critically about problems, and who are not afraid to experiment and look for solutions.

Basic research, mostly performed in universities, adds to the general pool of knowledge. This 'pure' research can address important 'real world' problems. For example, scientists at the University of Melbourne discovered that the organism responsible for malaria has evolved from a plant-like organism, not an animal as previously believed. This may help to improve the treatment and prevention of a disease that affects millions of people.

Applied research has a focus on transforming basic scientific principles into discoveries that have economic significance. This type of research occurs in both the public and private sectors.

The Australian public sector R&D system includes six Australian Government research agencies, 40 higher education institutions and private business laboratories.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is the largest government R&D agency.

The Government also offers a 175 per cent (premium) tax concession for additional labour-related R&D expenditure, in addition to an existing 125 per cent R&D tax concession.

The Government wants to build stronger links between researchers and the business community. An example is the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) program, which involves the collaboration of industry, universities, and government agencies in long-term research projects. At June 2005 there were 69 CRCs operating in six sectors. The Australian Government has committed more than A$2 billion to the program since 1990 – and the CSIRO more than A$1 billion.

The CRCs have a strong focus on commercial and other applications. In addition to the links formed through CRCs, many universities have business arms to handle contract research and to seek out companies interested in commercialising research. Recent outcomes of the program have been the successful launch of the first all-Australian satellite for 30 years and the development of continuous-wear contact lenses.

Prime Minister's Prizes for Science

In 2000 the Prime Minister's Prizes for Science replaced the Australia Prize as Australia's pre-eminent science awards. These Prizes are awarded annually.

The A$300 000 Prime Minister's Prize for Science is awarded to an Australian individual or group who has made an outstanding contribution to science with demonstrated benefit to human welfare or society. Recipients have included Professor Donald Metcalf, Professor Frank Fenner and Professor Jacques Miller.

The A$50 000 Science Minister's Prize for Life Scientist of the Year and Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year are awarded for an outstanding achievement in science that advances, or has the potential to advance, human welfare or benefits society. Each of these Prizes is awarded only to an individual. The common objectives of these two Prizes are:

The A$50 000 Prime Minister's Prizes for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary and Secondary Schools were established in 2002. They are awarded to teachers who have made an outstanding contribution to science education in Australia.

The CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, founded in 1926, has become one of the world's largest and most diverse scientific research institutions. Its total staff of approximately 6 500 includes some 4 000 research scientists and other research staff working in laboratories and field stations in many locations in Australia. Their work covers a broad range of areas of economic or social importance, including agriculture, minerals and energy, manufacturing, communications, construction, health and the environment.

CSIRO's emphasis is on bringing together people from different scientific fields to find solutions to major national problems.

Its scientific research aims, among other things, to assist Australian industry, to further the interests of the Australian community, and to contribute to the achievement of Australian national objectives or national and international responsibilities.

Worldwide CSIRO is involved in over 750 current or recently completed research activities, working with leading scientific organisations and firms in the United States, Japan and Europe.

Some inventive Australians

Australia's Nobel laureates in science

Barry Marshall and Robin Warren won the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in identifying the role played by a bacterium in gastritis and peptic ulcers. 

Other Australian scientists numbered among the Nobel laureates include:

Australia's R&D capability

Human resources devoted to R&D in Australia is estimated to include almost 50,000 in higher education organisations, 36,000 in the business sector and 19,000 in Federal and State government agencies and laboratories. Australia's universities have about 16,000 graduates in science, and about 9,000 graduates in engineering a year. Australia also attracts scientists and engineers as immigrants - about 44,000 over the five years to 2003-04.

Among OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, Australia ranks sixth for public sector expenditure on R&D as a percentage of GDP.   In 2004-5 the Australian government will spend more than A$5.5 billion on major science and innovation programs. Universities and federal research agencies received most of this funding. The 2004-05 federal Budget allocated an estimated A$2.3 billion to support research in universities alone.

Other Achievements

A team of scientists at the Australian Membrane and Biotechnology Research Institute (AMBRI) have built a functioning nano-machine, which is a device with parts of molecular size. Initially this technology will be used to make extremely sensitive biosensors, but it has a wide range of potential applications.

Australia's tradition of inventiveness affects the everyday lives of millions of people in many countries. Techniques and processes as commonplace as industrial refrigeration, the ready-mix system of transporting concrete and the balloon-in-a-box cask for wine were devised in Australia.

Australia prints its money on polymer, not paper, and other countries are beginning to use this technology. When people around the world use the telephone or the Internet, they rely on basic research associated with scientists who work in Australia. Australians adopted the Internet early, and many Australian websites feature in international 'hot lists', particularly those associated with academic research.

Some Australian inventions are not for everyday use: gene shears for genetic engineering; the Synroc system for storing radioactive waste; the Interscan microwave aircraft landing system; smart proton probes for research into materials and living cells; and nano-machines for bio-sensing.

Further information