What do fridges and Brisbane have in common?
Throwback to 1850. This was when the concept that became the basis for refrigeration technology was first demonstrated in Florida by physicist John Gorrie.
He developed and patented an ice machine.
However, the first Aussie to build a commercial fridge that didn’t require ice, for domestic use, was Edward Hallstrom in in 1923.
He called it the ‘Icy Ball’ absorption refrigerator and it was powered by kerosene.
He invented it mainly for outback Australia.
He and his partner married at her parent’s home in New Farm on 6 April 1912.
Cold champagne all round! Here’s to a Brisbane based innovation.
