David Unaipon

David Unaipon

Hidden Heroes of History

Dorktales Podcast: Episode 129

A story of big ideas and bold curiosity! David Unaipon was an Aboriginal Australian inventor, author, preacher, and lifelong learner who never stopped asking “what if?” His invention of mechanical sheep shears helped farmers go from shearing 30 to 300 sheep a day. It was life-changing! He used scientific thinking and Aboriginal knowledge to create solutions far ahead of his time, including concepts for rotary-wing flight before helicopters existed. David traveled across Australia, sharing ideas about science, storytelling, and culture, inspiring people wherever he went. Today, he appears on Australia’s 50-dollar note, a tribute to his brilliant mind and never-give-up spirit. 

BONUS! Download the free David Unaipon color pages to imagine your own big ideas!

Did You Know?

David Unaipon was an author, poet, preacher and most famously, an inventor. He is known as Australia’s Leonardo Da Vinci.

David Unaipon was born September 28, 1872 in Australia at a place called Point McLeay Mission. David and his family were Aboriginal Australians, the very first group of people to live in Australia. His ancestors had lived there for tens of thousands of years.

About 100 years before David was born, European settlers came to Australia and took over much of the land. Aboriginal Australians were often treated unfairly and were pressured to change their ways of life. David grew up during this challenging time.

David’s father James changed his last name to Unaipon to make it easier for European settlers to pronounce. He also changed his religion to Christianity. He loved his new religion so much that he became a preacher, and he still loved his Aboriginal culture. He would tell bible stories and Aboriginal stories to children. He passed down a love of learning, storytelling, and Aboriginal culture to his nine children. 

David, his fourth child, was curious, exceptionally smart, and loved to learn. He was obsessed with reading, especially books about science. He went to school on the Mission from ages 7 to 13.

When he turned 13, David was sent away to be a servant in another part of Australia called Adelaide. This unfairly took him away from school and family, but he was determined to never stop learning. He studied subjects like philosophy, literature, music, and science, and learned to speak four languages: Yaraldi, Latin, Greek, and English.

When David turned 18, he returned home. While there, he learned how to make boots and played the organ at the church. At the time, Aboriginal people were segregated, or separated, from white people so there weren’t many job opportunities for David. Because of this, he moved back to Adelaide where he found a job at a boot maker’s shop and continued to learn and explore new ideas.

He became very interested in how things work. He studied mechanics and experimented with ideas about motion and energy. One idea he explored was called perpetual motion, or the concept that a machine could run forever without stopping. Although every attempt at perpetual motion has never worked, David never stopped studying or trying to discover a solution his entire life.

David was a problem-solver and inventor. One of his most important inventions was an improved design for sheep shears. Before this, farmers used tools like large scissors that made the job slow and difficult. It took an entire day to shear 30 sheep. His design helped them shear sheep much faster, up to 300 sheep in a day, helping to create a very important industry for Australia.

His curiosity was endless. He imagined a flying machine like helicopters before they were even invented! He got this idea by combining science with his knowledge of a boomerang, a tool created by Aboriginal Australians that spins through the air and can return to the person who throws it. David used both his love of science and his deep understanding of Aboriginal culture in his inventions.

David was also a talented writer. He became the first Aboriginal writer to be published in newspapers. Inspired by the stories his father told him as a child, he traveled across Australia collecting traditional Aboriginal stories and turned them into a book called Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines. A man named William Ramsay Smith bought the rights to the book and published it under his own name. David did not get the credit he deserved at the time.

Even so, David continued to share his knowledge. He gave talks about science, literature, and Aboriginal culture. When he was 80 years old, he received a special award called the Coronation Medal from Queen Elizabeth II.

Today, David Unaipon is remembered as an important inventor, writer, and thinker. He is even featured on Australia’s 50-dollar bill. His life reminds us that curiosity, a love of learning and perseverance can help change the world.