Believe it or not, many of the inventions whose usefulness are enjoyed all over the world today are actually Australian.

Here are five examples.

Cochlear Implant

Otherwise known as the bionic ears, the cochlear implants “devices that are implanted into the head to electronically stimulate the auditory nerve,” according to Australian Geographic. It was first developed under Professor Graeme Clark at the University of Melbourne in 1970, but it wasn’t until 1978 when the first patient was fitted with a cochlear implant.

Electric Drill

The first electric drill was patented in 1889 by Melbourne City Council’s first electrical engineer, Arthur James Arnot, and William Brain. The original purpose of the electric drill is to actually for drilling rocks and excavating coal.

Google Maps

In 2003, brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen developed a C++ program in Sydney that eventually became what is now Google Maps. Alongside Neil Gordon and Stephen Ma, they put up a startup called Where 2 Technologies, which was eventually bought by Google in 2004.

Plastic Spectacle Lenses

1960 saw the birth of the ever-practical plastic spectacle lenses. An Adelaide company called Sola Optical produced lenses that are 60 per cent lighter and a lot safer to use, according to CNET.

Polymer Banknotes

In 1988, the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and the University of Melbourne introduced polymer banknotes. The first polymer banknote is the $10 note.

Spray-On Skin

Plastic surgeon Professor Fiona Wood patented the spray-on skin technique in 1999, which helped reduce the chances of scarring for burn victims. It also reduced recovery time for burns.

How does spray-on skin work? A small patch of a person’s health skin is taken and used to grow new skin cells, which are then sprayed on the damaged skin.