Andrew Birchall was a manager of Birchalls Ltd, a Tasmanian bookstore, former publisher, education supply and stationery company. Founded in 1844 by Samuel Tegg, it was the oldest book store Australia at the time of its closing.
Paper used for writing notes was no new invention, but in 1902 a Tasmanian stationary company, owned by J.A. Birchall, and known as the Birchall's of Launceston was apparently the first to bind them together and sell them as the first notepad.
For hundreds of years, paper was supplied in loose sheets, the innovativeness of the new invention was the decision to cut the sheets into smaller sizes, back them with a firm cardboard and glue them together at the top – to facilitate the writing and collating of ideas.
History tells us, that originally the concept wasn’t very well accepted. When Birchall approached his British supplier, asking them to provide paper bound in that way, they were very reluctant. However, he managed to convince them, and the rest is history.
Birchall called his notepads the ‘Silver City Writing Tablets’.
According to en.wikipedia & inventions-handbook.com
