After the 1848 revolution, Eugène Dominique Nicolle (1823 – 1909) came to Australia to pursue his career as an engineer. Arriving in Sydney in 1853 with his first wife, Nicolle registered his initial patent for an ice-making machine jointly with Richard Dawson in 1861.
Nicolle eventually secured the financial backing of Thomas Sutcliffe Mort for his experiments, which were often conducted at the Nicolle family home in Burwood, NSW. Although Nicolle and Mort were ultimately unsuccessful in their attempts to ship frozen meat overseas, they were awarded a gold medal at the 1874 Metropolitan Exhibition for their refrigerating machines.
Together with the Wilkinson brothers, they bought the Sydney Ice Company (subsequently renamed the NSW Ice Company) and began making ice with Nicolle’s machine in 1863. With his partners, Nicolle designed and built a variety of cooling apparatus for both domestic and industrial use. They demonstrated that it was both possible and safe to freeze food for long periods and then thaw it for human consumption.
Permission Refused The following article was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, 20 February, 1922. The introduction of boxing into the district is objected to by the Central Concord Progress Association which has written to the local council protesting against the granting of an application for permission to hold a contest in a…
One of the prettiest islands in Port Jackson has the distinction of having given us our first bushranger, Black Caesar, whose story was in the August newsletter. The principal and almost the only policy of the Government of New South Wales during its earliest years consisted mainly of finding something to eat for the thousand…
The Gas Employees Union was one the earliest associations of organised industrial labour in Australia. The New South Wales branch, which was established in the wake of the NSW Trades Union Act, 1881, granted workers the right to be represented by a registered union. The subsequent 1885 Factories and Shops Act provided for the inspection…
Have you ever looked closely at the different notes in your wallet, or do you just glance superficially, interested only in the denomination? You all know and recognise the persons depicted on each note, but have you ever looked more closely at the rest of the decorations surrounding the portrait? I must confess that I…
The Moustach Cup The moustache cup is an unusual drinking vessel, uniquely gender-specific. that contains a semi-circular edge around its rim. This ledge has a small opening that allows liquids to pass through and functions as a guard to keep moustaches dry. British potter Harvey Adams, born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, is generally considered to be…
