New Zealand is a tiny nation with just over 5 million people, yet some of the brightest scientists and engineers on the planet hail from there. In fact, New Zealand invented some of the most common household items we use daily.
Furthermore, life-saving medical devices and several inventions for adrenaline junkies also come from the land of the little white cloud.
Get ready to be surprised at the New Zealand inventions the world should be thankful for.
First up, a couple of sports inventions.
Everyday Sports Inventions
Some well-known sports items and techniques were invented in New Zealand; here are two:
The Referee’s Whistle
In 1884, football referee William Harrington Atack lost his voice as he refereed a game at Canterbury in New Zealand. He reached into his pocket for a handkerchief and discovered he’d left his dog whistle there. He reached for it, put it to his lips and blew into it.
The players ceased what they were doing, and a new way of controlling the game was introduced. It was quickly picked up worldwide and is still in constant use today.
Jogging
In the late 1950s, coach Arthur Lydiard developed a technique based on endurance and periodisation to help people train better. He called it jogging, and two of his protégés, Peter Snell and Murray Halberg, served it up to the world at the Rome Olympics in 1960, winning gold for their team.
Today, it’s one of the most widely used ways of keeping fit and burning fat.
Technological Inventions
Some everyday technology-based items were invented in New Zealand, including the three mentioned below:
The Electric Fence
While not something everybody installs in their backyards, electric fences are used worldwide to protect buildings and livestock.
When Bill Gallagher designed the electric fence in 1936 in Hamilton, NZ, it was cruder than what we see today. A car ignition trembler coil set powered it, but it effectively kept his horse away from his car.
Fellow New Zealander Dough Phillips patented the device in 1962, and by 1964, Plastic Products, an NZ company, manufactured them.
The Disposable Hypodermic Syringe
The excitement a scientist must feel when they’ve created a life-saving device must be akin to the rush of winning a significant jackpot at casinos.com. Colin Murdoch of Timaru, New Zealand, knows that feeling.
In 1956, as a pharmacist and veterinarian, he was concerned with how glass syringes could spread bacteria and increase the chance of infection. He devised the concept of using plastic instead of glass, and the much cheaper disposable syringe was born.
He struggled for several years to find anyone to fund his dream, but eventually, he was successful, changing the medical industry forever.
Nuclear Physics
Now, this is a biggie. For centuries, scientists believed the atom was the smallest particle in the universe. However, in 1902, New Zealand experimentalist Ernest Rutherford decided to prove to the world that this particle could be split even further.
He was successful, and he has the 1908 Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the title ‘the father of nuclear physics’ to prove it.
Action Inventions
Adrenaline junkies flock to New Zealand in droves to participate in some of the most heart-racing activities of all time, most of which were created there. Here are a few:
Bungee Jumping
Strap a piece of elastic around your ankle, jump from a platform towards a raging river and pray that the band snaps back in time, hoisting you safely from plummeting into the water. That’s the premise of bungee jumping, an activity created by AJ Hackett of Auckland, NZ, in the early 1980s.
It’s not as flimsy as it sounds. Mr Hackett and his partner Henry van Asch spent years studying the resistance of bungee ropes before coming up with the ideal one to support a person while keeping them safe.
McLaren Cars
Formula 1 racing enthusiasts are all too familiar with the name McLaren. However, not everyone knows that Bruce McLaren, the inventor, was from Auckland, NZ. He developed a passion for cars from an early age, helping his dad in his shop.
In 1963, he designed and built the first McLaren MIA. His car was entered in the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix two years later.
Ironically, Bruce McLaren passed away in a car accident in 1970; however, he left behind a legacy that still wins races around the world.
The Mountain Buggy
Keeping with the car theme, the mountain buggy is loved by off-road adventure seekers. In 1992, inspired by pictures he’d seen in a magazine of three-wheeled buggies, Allan Croad of Wainuiomata, NZ, came up with the idea of a vehicle that could be taken on many different terrains.
While his prototype was made with a child car seat and an old golf trundler, with the help of a team of engineers, he was able to realise his dream, now shared with people worldwide.
The New Zealand Inventions Keep Coming
New Zealand scientists and engineers have given the world many incredible inventions. Active people will be very familiar with the referee’s whistle and the sport of jogging.
Where would the world be without electric fences, disposable syringes and nuclear physics?
Finally, adrenaline junkies have New Zealand engineers AJ Hackett and Bruce McLaren to thank for bungee jumping and McLaren cars.
What’s next to come out of New Zealand? Stick with NERDBOT to find out.
