Lexi Webster
Before the turn of the 20th century, ice was a luxury product, reserved for the upper classes. In the mid-19th century, ice began to be harvested and shipped from New England to far-flung places like India, Australia, and China. In 1851, James Harrison, a Scottish-born Australian, installed a steam-powered ice-making machine in the Geelong Brewery. By 1855, he had received an icemaker patent in Australia, and his invention could produce 3,000 kilograms of ice per day. In 1864, an ice works was constructed in Sydney, and ice began to be manufactured in Melbourne and shipped around the Australian colonies. By the 1890s, urban homes relied on the 'ice man' for deliveries to keep their food cold.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of first ice-making in Australia | 1851 |
| Inventor of the first ice-making machine in Australia | James Harrison |
| Location of the first ice-making machine | Geelong Brewery |
| Year of the first electric ice machine | 1927 |
| Year of the first automatic ice machine | 1935 |
| How was ice made before refrigeration? | Harvested from bodies of water and stored in underground rooms, cellars, or ice houses |
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What You'll Learn
James Harrison's refrigeration machine
James Harrison, a Scottish-Australian, was a pioneer in the field of mechanical refrigeration. He is often called the "father of refrigeration". Born in 1816, Harrison was a journalist, inventor, politician, and newspaper owner. He founded the Geelong Advertiser newspaper and was a member of the Victorian Legislative Council.
Before Harrison's invention, making ice was a difficult task. There was no mechanical method to produce ice, and people relied on ice boxes and ice harvesting. In 1854, Harrison invented a mechanical ice-making machine, which he developed into a vapour-compression refrigeration system. He noticed that when he cleaned metal with sulphuric ether, the metal felt cold to the touch as the ether evaporated. This led him to create a machine that forced ether vapour into a condenser, where it turned into liquid and then back into vapour, cooling the surrounding machine. His machine could produce 3,000 kilograms of ice per day.
Harrison's refrigeration system revolutionised the way meat, produce, and beer were stored and cooled. He patented the vapour-compressing system in 1855 in Victoria and the following year in the United Kingdom. In 1851, he installed his system in the Geelong Brewery, and within a few years, there were over 60 Harrison machines operating in Australia, New Zealand, and India. Harrison's refrigeration system became the blueprint for today's refrigerators, although modern refrigerators no longer use ether as a refrigerant.
In 1860, Harrison established a second ice company in Sydney, and in 1873, he won a gold medal at the Melbourne Exhibition by proving that meat kept frozen for months remained edible. However, he encountered financial disaster when he attempted to ship frozen meat to the United Kingdom, as he opted for a cold room approach instead of using his refrigeration system, underestimating how quickly the ice would melt. Despite this setback, Harrison's innovation altered the course of history, making cold drinks and food accessible to people worldwide.
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Ice works in Sydney
In the early 1900s, ice was still being imported to Sydney from the northern hemisphere, with shipments of ice arriving in Sydney from Boston as early as 1839. However, the ice trade was not without its challenges, as often large amounts of ice would melt en route to Sydney. For example, 150 tons of a 400-ton shipment from Boston in 1854 melted before it reached the city.
In 1851, James Harrison, a Scottish-born Australian, invented and patented a mechanical system to create ice for refrigeration. He installed his steam-powered ice-making machine in the Geelong Brewery, and within a few years, there were more than 60 Harrison machines operating throughout Australia, New Zealand, and India. In 1868, businessmen in Sydney formed the Sydney Ice Company and began construction of an ice works at Blackwattle Bay. The company had access to cheap coal and pure water from the nearby Botany Swamps, giving it an advantage over Harrison's operation. The Sydney Ice Company quickly became successful, supplying ships travelling to England and the growing number of hotels and restaurants in Sydney.
In 1874, Harrison sold his ice-making business to the Sydney Ice Company, which began mass-producing ice for domestic use. It wasn't until the early 1900s that other companies began to produce ice machines in Australia. The introduction of commercial ice machines revolutionized the way Australians lived, worked, and played, as ice became widely available and affordable. It allowed people to enjoy cold drinks and food all year round and enabled businesses such as restaurants and hotels to store and transport perishable goods more easily.
The development of the ice trade and the emergence of artificial ice production in Sydney played a significant role in the creation of today's refrigerators and freezers, as well as improving food hygiene and enabling the export of frozen meat.
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Ice importation from America
In the early 1900s, ice was being produced by several companies in Australia, and the first electric ice machine was introduced in 1927, followed by the first automatic ice machine in 1935. However, before ice could be produced locally, it had to be imported from other countries, including the United States.
The ice trade was conducted by American and Norwegian entrepreneurs, who harvested ice from North American lakes and shipped it to other parts of the world. In 1839, ice harvested from North American lakes was carried on a heavily insulated sailing ship called the Tartar and reached Sydney, Australia. The ice was initially sold at three pence (£0.70) per pound (0.5 kg), and later the price rose to six pence (£1.40).
The journey to Australia in the 19th century was long and dangerous, often taking up to four months for a sailing ship. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, an alternative route to Australia became available, reducing the travel time to 35-40 days. By the early 1900s, steamships had become the preferred mode of transport, offering greater comfort and reliability.
The ice trade played a significant role in food preservation and cooling drinks, especially in tropical climates. It also had applications in the fishing industry, medicine, and the British Royal Navy, which used ice to cool the interiors of its ships' gun turrets.
However, as the trend towards artificial ice production grew, the importation of ice from the US declined. By 1910, annual imports of ice had fallen to less than 15,000 tons (13 million kg). The development of commercial ice machines in Australia further reduced the reliance on imported ice, making ice widely available and affordable for domestic use.
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Ice chests and iceboxes
In the early 1900s, iceboxes or ice chests, also called refrigerators, were used in Australia to keep food cool. These ice chests were used commercially from the mid-1800s, with ice cut from lakes and shipped to Australia. By the 1890s, with the establishment of local ice works, ice was produced synthetically, and domestic ice chests were sold and used until the 1950s when electric refrigerators became common.
The ice chests were insulated with charcoal and required large blocks of ice, about 30 cm, to be placed inside and delivered regularly. The ice was sourced from an 'ice house', a factory where ice was made. The ice chest had an insulated top section on a corrugated iron stand where the ice block was placed. The ice cooled the air, which then flowed downwards through an oval hole under the stand and into the refrigerator compartment below. The water from the melted ice drained through a sloping floor in the top compartment and into a hooded pipe that ended in a metal bowl, which was emptied at regular intervals.
The Freezesi range of ice chests, manufactured in Australia in the first half of the 20th century, was advertised as early as 1914 and sold as late as the early 1950s. They were marketed as a way to keep perishable foods cool and fresh for longer, with a focus on health and hygiene.
Before the widespread use of ice chests and electric refrigerators, Australians used meat safes in conjunction with ice chests to keep food cool. These were metal boxes with a rectangular base and a semi-circular top, with all sides except the top and bottom made of fine metal mesh to keep insects out.
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Electric and automatic ice machines
In the early 1900s, companies in Australia began to produce ice machines. However, the first electric ice machine was not introduced until 1927, and the first automatic ice machine did not appear until 1935.
The introduction of these machines changed the way Australians lived, worked, and played. Ice became widely available and affordable, and people could enjoy cold drinks and food all year round. The machines also had a significant impact on businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets, which could now store and transport perishable goods more easily.
The development of electric and automatic ice machines in Australia can be traced back to the pioneering work of James Harrison, a Scottish-born Australian. In 1851, he installed the first mechanical system to create ice for refrigeration in the Geelong Brewery. The steam-driven ice-making machine was a huge success, and within a few years, there were more than 60 Harrison machines operating throughout Australia, New Zealand, and India.
In 1854, Harrison successfully built a refrigeration machine capable of producing 3,000 kilograms of ice per day. He received an icemaker patent in Australia in 1855, following in the footsteps of Jacob Perkins, who obtained the first patent for a vapor-compression refrigeration system in 1834, and John Gorrie, who patented a mechanical refrigeration system machine in 1851. Harrison's machine revolutionized the refrigerator and contributed to the development of the air conditioner.
Today, there are many different types and brands of ice machines available on the market, and their purpose remains the same: to provide us with cold drinks and food.
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Frequently asked questions
In 1900, ice was harvested from natural bodies of water and stored in underground rooms, cellars, and ice houses. This was the classic method of ice production before the invention of modern refrigeration. In the 1850s, James Harrison, a Scottish-born Australian, invented a refrigeration machine capable of producing 3,000 kilograms of ice per day. This machine was installed in the Geelong Brewery in 1851 and, by 1855, Harrison had received an icemaker patent in Australia. In 1864, an ice works was constructed in Sydney, and ice began to be manufactured in Melbourne and shipped around the Australian colonies. By the 1890s, urban homes relied on the 'ice man' for ice deliveries.
Harvested ice could be stored for months without completely melting. This was achieved by storing the ice underground, where it was naturally colder, and insulating it with straw, sawdust, or wood shavings.
In 1900, ice was primarily used for keeping food cold. This was especially important for perishable goods in restaurants, hotels, and supermarkets. Ice was also used to make cold drinks, which was a luxury only available in the summer when ice was harvested and stored.
