The July 18 edition

Welcome to our Innovators issue, where we celebrate Australia’s long ­history of creative and entrepreneurial thinkers behind inventions that have gone on to make their mark on the world. Our innovations are as eclectic as they are iconic, from the Hills Hoist clothes line to the famous, winged keel of Australia II. Ingenious Australians are behind the wine cask, Wi-Fi, the first refrigeration system for keeping food cool and the first electric drill. We’ve contributed significantly to ­advancements in medicine, from the ­electronic pacemaker to cochlear implants and Professor Fiona Wood’s ­spray-on skin technique. We can also lay claim to important safety inventions, from the surf lifesaving reel to the inflatable aircraft-escape slide and the black box flight recorder. In today’s edition, we spotlight some of the ground-breaking work being carried out by Australians across science, the arts and health – and provide a reminder of how important it is to ­nurture new ideas, which will help create jobs, improve our quality of life and boost our economy. – Melissa Stevens, editor