Metric

In 1971, Australia converted from the Imperial measurement system to metric. That was 39 years ago.

The new building code measurement for door frames - the John Eales. Picture: Adam Knott

In fact, the last babies to be weighed and registered in pounds will turn 40 next year – happy birthday to you. And as far as I know anyone who started school from 1971 onwards learned metric as the only measurement system in Australia.

I didn’t ever learn Imperial at school. I only learned conversion rates when I had a child. Up until then I’d bought a kilo of fish, 500 grams of ham and 2 kilograms of potatoes.

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  • jeremie says:

    05:09am | 11/03/11

    There is kind of a perfection in the metric system and it makes perfect sense. A kilo equal a liter of water, and a liter of water is a 10cm by 10cm by 10cm cube of water (1000cm3). Those are the easiest way to calculate and convert, as long as… Read more »

  • Faul Kinell says:

    06:30am | 03/11/10

    I remember awhile ago a female newsreader in the US remarked to the weatherman about the previous nights snowfall being less than he predicted by quipping ” you promised me 8 inches last night Bob”! Read more »

 

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