Thermette

Shared by
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa

The thermette, a local invention, is material culture associated with outdoor life - both work and recreation. It was also used by New Zealand soldiers during World War Two. The thermette is a cone shaped chimney surrounded by a water jacket. The chimney is open at the bottom, so a small fire can be set at the base using any type of fuel. The design of the chimney draws in air, which makes it burn more fiercely and thus boil water more rapidly. It is still being manufactured and sold today. This example was made in the 1970s. John Ashley Hart (1887-1964) - an electrical engineer - invented the thermette in 1929. First advertised for sale in November 1930, Hart patented the thermette in 1931. The 'Picnic Kettle, described as 'a billy and fireplace all in one' and marketed as a 'Wonderful Xmas Present for Dad!', could boil enough water for 12 cups (1/2 a gallon) of tea in five minutes. Potential users included motorists, campers, bach owners, farmers, sportspeople, carpenters, road workers and other outdoor workers, picnickers, and people out fishing. Eight thousand had been purchased by the late 1930s. Hart was persuaded to waive the patent in WWII, when the New Zealand army began using the thermette in the North African desert. From this usage, the thermette earned its nickname the 'Benghazi Boiler' after the town in Libya. It was also recommnded to New Zealanders on the home front when there was a shortage of gas during the war. The thermette has remained more or less unchanged since Hart designed it in 1929 and is now celebrated as an example of 'Kiwi ingenuity', originality, and 'No. 8 wire' thinking (even though it is similar to 'volcano kettles' used in Ireland in the mid-19th century). This particular thermette, still in its original packaging, was manufactured in the 1970s. The packaging declares that it is 'great for brewing up Instant Coffee, tea, soups, cereals either by the trail or road.' It also references the history of the thermette although slighlty incorrectly, as 'based on battle-field proven designs developed by ANZAC troops in the North African deserts during World War II'. References Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand. 1936-1993. Trade Mark File - John Ashley Hart - Thermette. R23395097. Archives New Zealand. No. 8 Rewired. n.d. Thermette: John Hart. http://www.no8rewired.kiwi/nz-inventions/thermette/ The Roadshow and The National ScienceTechnology Roadshow Trust. n.d. John Hart - Thermette. https://www.roadshow.org/content/resources/NZscientists/johnHart.php Smythe, Michael. 2014. Industrial design - Teaching industrial design. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/zoomify/41838/thermette