Chapter 134: The Vision of Electrification
Arthur moved quickly. By the very next day, he had assigned over a hundred indigenous workers to assist Theodor Kober and Ludwig Dürr in constructing a new laboratory and research base. He also allocated £100,000 in startup funds to purchase research equipment and cover operational expenses.
At the same time, Arthur ordered Butler Hunt to assist in acquiring and transferring a large number of books on aeronautics and aerodynamics from the Australian National University and even from Europe. These resources were intended not only for Kober and Dürr but also for future aviation experts.
If not for the current shortage of personnel, Arthur would have already established an aviation department at the Australian National University to cultivate more talent for the country's aviation industry.
There was no rush. Once more aviation specialists were drawn in from Europe, there would be enough manpower to launch the program.
To convince other nations and factions that Kober and Dürr's research institute was focused solely on airships, Arthur employed a large number of Australian workers to begin constructing new airships. Not only was the airship construction plan publicly announced, but bold claims were made about upcoming public test flights in Australia once the airships were completed.
This move piqued the curiosity of many Australians and made both the still-under-construction aviation laboratory and the airships—still in the planning stage—widely known across the country.
Of course, that was precisely what Arthur wanted. While Australia might appear calm and stable on the surface, there was no guarantee that foreign spies weren't operating within the country.
If Australia were to achieve success in airship development, it would naturally draw the attention of the major powers.
And if those powers were lured into investing heavily in airship technology, Australia would gain a head start in aircraft development.
On October 19, 1902, after more than five months of preparation, Australia's diplomatic delegation set sail for Europe.
Compared to the previous delegation, this one was smaller. It was led solely by Foreign Minister Andrew, accompanied by officials from several other departments.
This mission had two primary objectives. The first was to present samples of Australia's new automobiles to both the British and German Empires and seek cooperation in establishing joint automobile factories. The second goal was to recruit more talented individuals from Europe.
Since gaining independence, both old and new industries in Australia had struggled to break away from the current stagnation of British industry—marked by its resistance to new technology.
Despite having risen to prominence during the First Industrial Revolution, the British Empire had fallen behind in the Second, overtaken in industrial development by both the United States and Germany.
Ironically, many of the groundbreaking technologies of the Second Industrial Revolution had originated in Britain, but British entrepreneurs were unwilling to implement them in actual production.
As an old capitalist nation and the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, many British factories had existed for over a hundred years, operating with outdated equipment.
To many British capitalists, dismantling old machinery to replace it with newer models simply wasn't cost-effective, which in turn hindered industrial progress.
Moreover, due to the significant cost differences between Britain's homeland and its colonies in terms of raw materials and labor, capitalists preferred to ship their investments and equipment abroad rather than upgrade domestic production.
While this capital export generated massive profits for Britain, it also limited the growth and modernization of its domestic industry.
As a former British colony, Australia had benefited from many British investments before independence. Even now, British capitalists and industrialists continued to open factories in Australia, drawn by its cheap raw materials and labor.
In Britain, a skilled worker earned at least £50 a year, and in specialized roles, salaries could easily double.
But in Australia, the average annual income was just £10, and even with economic improvements, wages rarely exceeded £15.
This was a massive disparity. The cost difference for just one skilled worker was £35 annually. Combined with cheaper labor and materials, it was easy to see why British capital flowed overseas.
This was good news for Australia in many ways—but not without its drawbacks.
In recent years, most of the exported British capital had brought new technology. However, before independence, or during earlier waves of investment, many British factories in Australia were established using outdated methods. While Europe was already entering the age of electrification, some Australian factories were still using technologies from the First Industrial Revolution.
Arthur would not tolerate such technological gaps hindering Australia's industrial progress. Therefore, the next phase of his plan was to achieve nationwide electrification.
Although Australia currently lacked experts in electrification, the process itself was relatively straightforward to implement.
The two most common methods of generating electricity were thermal power and hydroelectric power. Thermal power had broader application since it wasn't limited by geography.
Of course, thermal power had its drawbacks. It required vast amounts of coal, which made it impractical for coal-deficient countries to expand their power grids.
But Australia had no such problem. Rich in coal reserves, the country held a natural advantage for developing its electric grid.
The talent Arthur admired most was Nikola Tesla—a great man forgotten by time.
Unfortunately, by this point, Tesla had already become a U.S. citizen and achieved considerable success in the field of electricity.
Despite repeated efforts to recruit him, Tesla only agreed to visit Australia as an American expert to advise on the installation of alternating current (AC) systems.
Still, that was more than enough. Tesla's patents for AC systems were freely available, which saved Australia a substantial amount in licensing fees for its electric infrastructure.
As for Edison's direct current (DC) systems, Arthur didn't even consider them. Never mind Edison's controversial reputation—the inherent flaws of DC power made it completely unsuitable for Arthur's plans.
Arthur's ambition to electrify all of Australia meant that the current diplomatic delegation had an additional mission: to recruit European experts in electrical engineering.
Fortunately, this wasn't particularly difficult. Britain alone had many talented individuals in the field—the problem was simply that British capitalists had never taken those technologies seriously.
(End of Chapter)
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