When compared to other economies in the Asia Pacific region, the contrast couldn't be starker. When South Korea's president Kim Dae Jung, opened this year's Soccer World Cup, he emphasised the importance of technology to that country's economy and future development. When Australia's Prime Minister John Howard opened the World Congress on IT, he emphasised the importance of a reduction in agricultural tariffs to the future of Australia's economy, and mentioned our most recent sporting successes.
And while the nation's innovators have contributed to technologies from the world's first computer to the IMAX cinematic formula, an identity which has us riding on the sheep's back and droving cattle in the dusty outback is proving hard to shake.
However, Australian innovators have managed to battle on through this apparent disinterest in the IT sector, looking for novel ways to commercialise their inventions.
In the early years of last century, George Juilus was forced to convert his automatic totaliser machine from a vote counter to a gambling odds calculator after the Commonwealth Government expressed a distinct lack of interest in the promise of an end to ballot rigging. The invention was later developed into an electromechanical totalisator by General Electric, and went on to form the basis of Universal Automatic Computers - which kicked-off commercial computing in the early 1950s.
Julius, meanwhile, returned to Australia to take up the chairmanship of the Australian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and played a central role in the creation of the first ever stored program-operated computer. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Automatic Computer became operational in 1949, beating similar developments in the US and UK and is believed to have had the first automated instruction process integrated into its operations.
Despite such early successes, Australian legislators had their attention elsewhere, and projects such as cloud seeding took precedence over computing research, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Automatic Computer became a museum novelty rather than the foundation for a major industry.
In this respect, Australian history has an unfortunate tendency to repeat itself, with Australian innovators such as Dr David Warren - the inventor of the Black Box - and more recently Mike O'Dwyer who revolutionised the development of firearms technology unable to commercialise their ideas in Australia due to a lack of political or commercial interest.
However, there remains a band of obstinate innovators and technology commercialisors who continue to defy the odds - and give credence to largely forgotten adage "the clever country".
Respected Australian IT journalist and computer history buff John Costello provided much insight into George Juilus' role in the creation of the first computer.
As an Aussie software developer and innovator, I've found nothing but sloths working in the goverment departments. Fact is, despite the push for turning Australia into a 'Smart Country' (or as Beatie would say for Queensland, 'Smart State') I think you may as well not waste your time chasing the government trail.
Even with a product which is generating over 90% of its income through exports, there's still no interest. I followed up recently to a local 'Small Business' government office which was proudly advertising on the radio... net result, nothing.
There's a lot of talk and very little action.
In summary, go at it by doing as much as you can yourself and don't hedge bets on someone else subsidizing/assisting you. Of course, if someone does all the better.
My product has found superior success in 3rd world countries, war-torn countries and infact, every country except Australia. There's just something about Australians buying Australian IT which doesn't seem to go well.
For now, I'll go back to finishing up more exports, at least the GST doesn't come off those.