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Technology in Australia 1788-1988Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
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Table of Contents

Chapter 12

I The First Half Century - The Initial Struggle

II The Second Fifty Years - The Start Of Expansion

III The Third Fifty Years - Federation And The First World War

IV The Fourth Period - Second World War To The Present
i General Conditions
ii Iron and Steel Production
iii Aluminium Technology
iv Innovative Copper Refining Process
v The EDIM-4WD Load-Haul-Dump Vehicle
vi Copper Rod Production
vii Copper Wire and Cables
viii The Diecasting Industry
ix Automotive Components
x Whitegoods or Consumer Durables
xi Hardware
xii Some Recent New Industries
xiii The National Measurement System
xiv Manufacturing Industry in this Decade
xv Acknowledgements

References

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Manufacturing Industry in this Decade (continued)

In this Chapter there has been some concentration on the metal industry sector as other sectors of manufacturing have been dealt with separately. The metal and engineering industries in 1985-86 included 18,400 establishments, or 44 per cent of total manufacturing with a turnover of $42,193 million or 43 per cent of the whole and thus is the predominant sector. It has supplied 48.5 per cent of the fixed capital expenditure and over a ten-year period to 1985-86, the value of exports has increased by nearly three times while imports increased four times; imports were four times as valuable as exports.

With so many establishments in this sector of manufacturing, it has not been possible to cover every area, nor every important innovation. But it is hoped that the spread will be sufficient to indicate a good degree of optimism that progress is being made through innovation and the adoption of the best technology available. Further it has been shown that considerable consolidation and restructuring of industry has already occurred and undoubtedly more will be achieved. While the recent devaluation of the Australian dollar has aided many exporters, imported capital equipment has remained expensive. Nevertheless there is a cautious optimistic outlook throughout industry at the present time.


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© 1988 Print Edition page 915, Online Edition 2000
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