Colonial Technology

ISBN-13: 9780521461382 / Angielski / Twarda / 1995 / 314 str.

Jan Todd

Opis

Australia has always imported overseas technology, largely out of necessity, but has this been exploitative, fostering a relationship of dependence, or used to Australia's advantage? Jan Todd explores this question in the context of nineteenth-century science. In her important study, Todd argues that the technology transfer was far more complex than has been widely acknowledged. She shows that technology systems reflect national characteristics, institutions and priorities, drawing general conclusions about Australian science and technology in an imperial context. Much of the book is devoted to two fascinating case studies: the anthrax vaccination for sheep and the cyanide process of gold extraction, both transferred from Europe. In both cases, considering a range of economic, political and cultural factors, she traces a process of creative adaptation to these technologies.

Recenzje

"...the writing is clear and never dull. The literature relating to technological change in Australia is sparse and this is a welcome addition." Lionel Frost, American Historical Review

Spis treści

Part I. Overview: 1. Dependency at the periphery: debates and questions; 2. Cross-currents of change; Part II. Microbes, Rabbits and Sheep: 3. Microbes versus poisonous plants; 4. Contagion, conflict and compromise; 5. From Paris to Narrandera; 6. From foreign to domestic capability; Part III. Rocks, Cyanide and Gold: 7. Australian gold, British chemists; 8. Transfer agents and colonial connections; 9. A challenge for technological imperialists; 10. governments, experts and institutional adjustment; 11. From Glasgow to Kalgoorlie; 12. Out of the hands of 'rule-of-thumb' men; Part IV. Linkages, Learning and Sovereignty: 13. Transfer, diffusion and learning; 14. Colonial science: an intellectual bridge; 15. Toward an Australian system; Notes; Index.