James Harrison & the Linde Machine Project
A Geelong invention that changed the world
Long before domestic fridges and supermarket freezers, a Geelong inventor helped change the way the world eats.
In the 1850s, journalist and engineer James Harrison began experimenting with artificial cooling at Rocky Point on the Barwon River in Geelong. His work led to one of the world’s first commercial ice-making and mechanical refrigeration systems, using a vapour-compression cycle to produce ice and cool air on demand.
Harrison’s vision was simple but revolutionary for its time: to preserve Victoria’s surplus meat by freezing it so it could be shipped safely to distant markets, including England.
Early challenges and big ambitions
He patented his machine and went to London 1856 – 58 to perfect it with precision engineers not available in the colony. Returning, he set up Australia’s first ice works in Geelong, creating a new industry – while still owner/Editor of the Geelong Advertiser.
In 1873, Harrison attempted to export frozen meat by sea. Although the voyage was a technical landmark, the cargo spoiled before it reached London, and investors’confidence in frozen exports took time to recover.
Several early experiments in refrigerated transport struggled, and it was only in the late 1880s that regular frozen meat exports became possible using properly equipped ships.
Harrison died in 1893, before he could see just how widespread his ideas would become, but his pioneering work laid the foundations for the global “cold chain” that now moves fresh food around the world every day.
The Linde machines at Corio Quay
Harrison’s technology inspired and informed many engineers, including Carl von Linde, whose company went on to build large ammonia-based refrigeration plants.
In 1909, the Corio Quay Freezing Works (later Jackson’s Meat Works) in Geelong installed three massive Linde ammonia compressors. These machines froze hundreds of thousands of tonnes of meat for export, supporting Western District farmers and strengthening the region’s economy. They remained in service until 1967, working continuously through much of the 20th century.
A new landmark for Geelong Showgrounds
Today, the Geelong Showgrounds Vintage Machinery Group is working with the Geelong Showgrounds Museum to conserve and rebuild one of those original 1909 Linde machines.
The surviving compressor is an impressive piece of industrial heritage: around 40 tonnes of cast iron and steel, with a 5.5-metre flywheel. It will be mounted on a specially engineered concrete plinth at the Geelong Showgrounds, designed to safely support the machine.
Once installed, the Linde machine will be:
- A visible landmark from the rail line and surrounding roads
- A marker for the Geelong Showgrounds
- A public tribute to James Harrison, Geelong’s role in refrigeration history, and the generations of agricultural and pastoral workers who built the region’s export industries
Why this history matters today
Refrigeration is now so ordinary that it’s easy to forget how transformative it was. Machines like Harrison’s and Linde’s have:
- Made it possible to store and ship fresh meat and produce over long distances, creating new industries
- Supported the development of modern beer and wine industries through controlled cooling
- Helped create today’s global cold-chain logistics, which keeps food safe and reduces waste
- Enabled advances in science, engineering and human health and well-being
While the technology has evolved, the basic principles used in modern refrigerators and air conditioners are the same ones Harrison pioneered in the 1850s.
In 2017, Geelong was designated Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, in recognition of its long history of innovation and manufacturing. Harrison’s commercial ice-making and refrigeration work is widely acknowledged as a key contribution to that story – and and likely Australia’s only contribution to the Industrial Revolution.
The Linde Machine Project celebrates this legacy in a tangible, public way.
Fundraising for the Linde Machine Project
The Linde Machine Project is a community-led initiative based at the Geelong Showgrounds.
- Fundraising target: $120,000
- Already raised: $74,000 (as of November 2025), thanks to generous supporters who value James Harrison’s legacy and the preservation of vintage machinery
These funds will support:
- Conservation and preparation of the surviving Linde machine
- Construction of the engineered plinth and foundations
- Transport, installation and painting
- On-site interpretation so visitors can understand the machine’s story and its connection to Geelong
Modern industries that depend on world-changing refrigeration and heat-exchange technology – freezing works, cold-chain food transport companies, refrigeration contractors, and businesses that manufacture and sell air conditioners and heat pumps – are especially encouraged to contribute, alongside individuals and community groups.
How you can help
You can support the Linde Machine Project by:
- Making a financial contribution
- Offering in-kind support such as engineering, transport, surface treatment or materials
- Sharing the story of James Harrison and the Linde machine with your networks
Funds raised above the target of $120,000 will support the further development of and public access to the Geelong Showgrounds Museum.
Contribute to the project
For further information about making a donation to the Linde Project, please email Lex Chalmers, Geelong Showgrounds Museum Vice President, at lexchalmers0@gmail.com.
Together, we can create a striking new landmark for the Geelong Showgrounds and honour a local invention that helped cool the world.
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