Originally posted by WPRESTO That plant seed head (the plant is called teasel) once had multiple tiny flowers which would open in a wave starting at the base and working toward the top. The sturdy, stiff, very sharp & prickly dry seed head was used for combing fabric, especially wool, to pull up or fluff out the surface, a processes called "teasing' (hmmmm...). The native habitat is Europe, so it is an introduced alien in both the USA and Australia, and although I do not know whether by accident or intentionally, I suspect the latter for the purpose of using it for processing wool.
Thanks Walt. You are a font of information. That was very helpful as I couldn't put a name on it.
It looks like your suspicion is correct. I found a work on weeds in Australia which says that the history of the introduction of teasel to Australia is not known but it could have been for commercial use as it was listed in an 1871 report as having commercial potential in the wool industry. The first Australian record was in South Australia in 1870. It is now fairly common in Tasmania, NSW and Victoria (where it is declared as a noxious weed:
Wild Teasel - AgVic).