Kinns, RogerAbell, Lesley Jean2010-07-062010-07-062009The International Journal for the History of Engineering & Technology, 2009; 79(1):59-901758-1206http://hdl.handle.net/2440/59295Maudslay, Sons & Field supplied the apparatus for the first public time ball, which became operational at Greenwich, England, in 1833 and included a chain hoist for the ball. In Australia, Maudslay's built the time ball apparatus for Sydney, NSW, but with a rack and pinion hoist. The 1877 apparatus for Newcastle, NSW was derived from the Sydney design and built in Australia. The 1875 apparatus for Semaphore, South Australia is deduced to be a development of a design by Charles Todd who was responsible at Greenwich for time ball operation before his departure for Adelaide in 1855 and who had a high regard for Maudslay's. Like that at Greenwich it used a chain hoist, but explicit statements about its designer and manufacturer have not yet been found. It is likely that Semaphore had the first heavy-duty time ball apparatus to be manufactured in Australia and that its design was rooted in Maudslay's experience.en© The Newcomen Society for the Study of the History of Engineering & Technology 2009Chain hoist; Maudslay; rack and pinion hoist; Semaphore; South Australia; Siemens Brothers; time ballJournal article002009662510.1179/175812009X407196