Kiwi (and Aussie) Innovation Celebrated

Kiwi (and Aussie) Innovation Celebrated

5 February 2015

As we celebrate Waitangi Day, a survey about innovation on both sides of the Tasman, by Australian winery Taylors Wines, celebrates the Kiwi and Aussie inventions that have made the world a better place.

The survey showed 83% of Kiwis believed the jet boat was New Zealand’s most important invention. 83% of New Zealanders believed the Black Box Flight Recorder was Australia’s greatest contribution to the world. While 79% of Kiwis said Australian Rules Football was the Australian invention which had contributed least to the world.

As well as paying tribute to world-changing inventions the survey uncovered controversy around the invention of mechanical sheep clippers1, with 53% of Kiwis believing they were developed here, when in fact they came from across the Tasman.

While Kiwis tried to claim Aussie sheep shears they were happy to ‘give’ Australians a local invention - with 62% of New Zealanders saying they would be OK if our Trans-Tasman cousins claimed Pineapple Lumps came from across the ditch.

Taylors Company Director, Asia Pacific Market Manager and third generation family member, Justin Taylor says the survey is a fun way of celebrating the Trans-Tasman relationship with Australia Day last week on Monday 26 January and Waitangi Day this week.

Taylors wines have been sold in New Zealand since the early 1990s when Justin’s father began exporting here and Justin first visited the country with his family.

Taylor says: “the willingness to take risks and the commitment to try something new is shared by New Zealanders and Australians, which collectively makes us some of the most innovative people in the world.”

He travels the world as an ambassador for Taylor Wines, usually visiting New Zealand three times a year. He says the shared sense of humour and similar heritage mean he’s always happy to join a Kiwi party when he’s travelling, except to watch the Wallabies against the All Blacks!

Taylors Wines undertook the survey of 1000 New Zealanders in January 2015.

After four decades in the Clare Valley, Taylors Wines remains proudly family-owned and run. The vision to build Australia’s most successful family owned wine company was set by Bill Taylor who, in 1969, purchased land with his brother John and father Bill Taylor Senior by the Wakefield River in Auburn.

This vision has been nurtured and expanded by the next generation, Mitchell, Justin and Clinton Taylor, who all have key roles in the organisation. Taylors Wines began distribution in New Zealand in the early 1990s. In March 2014 in partnership with Brown Brothers Taylors Wines established its own distribution company in New Zealand, Taylor Brown.

ENDS

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