David Unaipon, Inventor

Autor: Kym Kropinyeri, Kathy Bowrey
Přispěvatelé: Kropinyeri, Kym, Bowrey, Kathy
Rok vydání: 2023
Předmět:
Zdroj: Australian Historical Studies. :1-22
ISSN: 1940-5049
1031-461X
DOI: 10.1080/1031461x.2023.2189276
Popis: Unaipon descendant, Kym Kropinyeri, had promised to Unaipon and other Ngarrindjeri elders that he would pass on their history, including accounts of what happened to them at Point McLeay mission. This article addresses the Unaipon inventions. We provide a comprehensive account of Unaipon's patent applications and the Protection-era restrictions that impacted Aboriginal inventors. The fate of Unaipon's much celebrated 1909 shearing patent is fully explored. Exploitation of this invention is contextualised with reference to the patent activities of one of the most successful twentieth-century agricultural conglomerates that sold shearing handpieces, Cooper Engineering Ltd (Aust). Unaipon's claim he was ripped off is considered in light of the demands made on him by the Chief Protector, politicians, religious groups, museum staff, and harassment by mission superintendents and police. All these factors impacted the capacity of Unaipon to pursue his scientific interests and delivered him into poverty. Refereed/Peer-reviewed
Databáze: OpenAIRE