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Australian inventions quiz

Some world-changing ideas came from Australia. Can you match them?

10 multiple-choice questions, with the answer explained after each one.

Answer each question, see why, and beat your best score.

All 10 questions and answers

Want to check an answer or run the quiz out loud? Every question is here, with the answer hidden until you open it.

  1. Which Australian scientist invented the flight recorder 'black box'?
    • Lawrence Hargrave
    • David Warren
    • Graeme Clark
    • Howard Florey
    Show answer

    David Warren. Warren developed it at a Melbourne defence lab in the 1950s.

  2. Which Australian organisation developed technology central to fast Wi-Fi?
    • Telstra
    • Commonwealth Bank
    • CSIRO
    • ANU
    Show answer

    CSIRO. CSIRO engineers solved the problem of signals echoing indoors.

  3. Who led the development of the multi-channel cochlear implant (bionic ear)?
    • Ian Frazer
    • Fred Hollows
    • Graeme Clark
    • Fiona Wood
    Show answer

    Graeme Clark. The first implant operation was in Melbourne in 1978.

  4. What did Fiona Wood develop to treat burns?
    • Spray-on skin
    • The bionic eye
    • Hydrogel bandages
    • Plastic surgery glue
    Show answer

    Spray-on skin. It helped many victims of the 2002 Bali bombings.

  5. Which Australian shared a Nobel Prize for developing penicillin as a medicine?
    • Howard Florey
    • Macfarlane Burnet
    • John Eccles
    • Alexander Fleming
    Show answer

    Howard Florey. Florey shared the 1945 prize with Fleming and Chain.

  6. Australia was the first country to issue banknotes made of…
    • Polymer (plastic)
    • Recycled paper
    • Aluminium
    • Hemp
    Show answer

    Polymer (plastic). The first was a 1988 commemorative $10 note.

  7. Which vaccine was co-developed by Ian Frazer and Jian Zhou?
    • The flu vaccine
    • The HPV (cervical cancer) vaccine
    • The COVID-19 vaccine
    • The polio vaccine
    Show answer

    The HPV (cervical cancer) vaccine. It protects against human papillomavirus.

  8. Which famous backyard item was made popular by Lance Hill in 1945?
    • The garden gnome
    • The rotary clothesline
    • The barbecue
    • The trampoline
    Show answer

    The rotary clothesline. The Hills Hoist became a backyard icon.

  9. The technology behind Google Maps began at a company founded in which Australian city?
    • Brisbane
    • Adelaide
    • Sydney
    • Melbourne
    Show answer

    Sydney. Brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen co-founded Where 2 Technologies.

  10. In 1934, Lewis Bandt designed the first 'coupe utility' for which carmaker?
    • Toyota
    • Holden
    • Ford
    • Chrysler
    Show answer

    Ford. A farmer's wife reportedly asked for a car to go to church on Sunday and carry pigs on Monday.

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