Great Australian World Firsts―The Things We Made, the Things We Did

Did you know that Australians were actually the first in the world to put wine in cardboard casks, explore both the Arctic and Antarctic by air, invent a portable pacemaker, manufacture and market the one-piece bathing suit, and develop the wire-guided missile? Australians are among the most outstanding innovators on the planet, leading the world in achievements across many fields such as sport, the arts, medicine, transport and exploration. Before Arthur Conan Doyle, Australia's own Mary Fortune was the first female author of detective fiction and one of the most prolific crime writers of the 19th century. The glowing fire of Australian opals would have probably remained unknown to the world gem market if it hadn't been for Tullie C. Wollaston. Kay Cottee was the first woman to complete a singlehanded nonstop circumnavigation of the world by sea, and long before the successes of Mark Webber there was Sir Jack Brabham, the first person to win a Formula One World Championship in a car that he designed himself. Great Australian World Firsts tells the stories of 30 remarkable Australians, many of whom are long overdue for recognition, and will delight and inspire with insights into unique human achievement.

Chrystopher J. Spicer teaches writing and communication at James Cook University in Queensland, and has been writing about Australian and American film and history for many years. He is the author of the acclaimed biography Clark Gable, lauded by Empire film magazine as "meticulously researched and respectful in approach." He was also a major contributor to the Encyclopedia of Melbourne.