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CSIRAC Collection
Image: John Spencer with CSIRAC, 1999
Source: Museum Victoria
The CSIRAC Computer collection consists of over 300 objects, over 300 images and over 1000 documents relating to the CSIRAC computer.
CSIRAC, designed and built in Australia, was the first stored-memory electronic computer in Australia. Its first home was CSIR (after 1949 called CSIRO) Radiophysics Laboratory in Sydney. The first program was run in 1949 and the machine was in full operation by 1951. It embodied many features novel at the time and was able to operate more than 1000 times faster than the best mechanical calculators. In 1955 the computer was transferred to the University of Melbourne where renamed CSIRAC it continued in operation until November 1964. The machine was donated to the Applied Science Museum of Victoria by the University of Melbourne.
The CSIRAC hardware is complete. It includes cabinets, paper tape reading, writing and editing equipment, control console, test equipment, disk drive and miscellaneous components
The archival material retained when CSIRAC was decommissioned by the University in 1964 was preserved. In 1996, the University established the CSIRAC History Project which resulted in the collection and cataloguing of documents, artefacts and images relating to CSIRAC.
The CSIRAC Archive contains material documenting the computer from its conception in the late 1940s to its decommissioning in 1964. Consisting of nine folders, 18 Archive boxes and one large box of paper tapes, it contains:
* 458 paper tape reels comprising CSIRAC's complete software library
* CDs containing programs read from paper tapes
* program documentation
* programming manuals produced at various stages of CSIRAC's life
* documents relating to courses, annual reports, plans for the Laboratory, staff information, published papers and reports, and correspondence
* original photographs and footage
* oral histories
* engineering drawings, most of which have also been scanned
* miscellaneous objects, including a metal commemorative plaque.
A number of items have also been collected by the Museum.
Items per page: 10 50 (showing 1 - 50) 374 items
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Plaque - CSIRAC Computer, Heritage Council of Victoria, 18 November 2009
Plaque recognising the significance of the CSIRAC Computer, awarded by the Heritage Council of Victoria on 18 November 2009. The date, 18 November 2009, was chosen arbitrarily. CSIRAC' ...
Images: 1 -
Circuit Board - CSIRAC Computer, Transistorised Read Amplifier, Drum, circa 1962
One of two circuit boards acquired. These circuit boards were two of about 20 circuit boards connected to the read heads of the magnetic disk store of the CSIRAC computer; there were 2 ...
Images: 2 -
Paper Tape Holder - CSIRAC Computer, Program Preparation Area, Pigeon Hole Unit,1955-1964
Paper tape holder for temporarily storing small paper tape programs or routines during the preparation of a larger program. The holder was probably attached to the open-fronted timber ...
Images: 3 -
Circuit Board - CSIRAC Computer, Transistorised Read Amplifier, Drum, circa 1962
One of two circuit boards acquired. These circuit boards were two of about 20 circuit boards connected to the read heads of the magnetic disk store of the CSIRAC computer; there were 2 ...
Images: 2 -
No Image Available
Paper Tape Punch - CSIRAC Computer, Program Preparation Area, 12 Hole, 1951-1964
12 hole paper tape punch used with CSIRAC computer, probably used at program preparation area. The large inbuilt metal basket for paper tape sat at the front, closest to the user.
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Computer - CSIRAC, 1949-1964
CSIRAC computer. 768 words storage in mercury delay lines, 20 bit words. Comprises racks, printers, storage delay lines, paper tape readers and punches. CSIRAC (previously CSIR Mark ...
From: Mt Eliza, Australia Images: 22 -
Notebook - Trevor Pearcey, May- Jun 1965
Note book used by Dr Trevor Pearcey dated May-June 1965. It contains a collection of travel notes, expenses and contacts according to date. Dr Pearcey was a pioneer in the field of el ...
Images: 1 -
Notebook - Trevor Pearcey, Jul -Aug 1965
Note book owned by Dr Trevor Pearcey dated July - August 1965. It contains a collection of travel notes, expenses and contacts according to date. Dr Pearcey was a pioneer in the field ...
Images: 1 -
Notebook - Trevor Pearcey, Jan 1965
Note book owned by Dr Trevor Pearcey. It contains a collection of travel notes, expenses and contacts according to date. Dr Pearcey was a pioneer in the field of electronic computing i ...
Images: 1 -
Notes - Trevor Pearcey, 1963-1965
Notes written by Dr Trevor Pearcey dated variously 1963-1965. These travel notes appear to be preparatory notes for the tendering of a new computer for CSIRO (the tender was finally won ...
Images: 1 -
Aerogramme - Addressed to Trevor Pearcey, 16 Jul 1965
Aerogramme addressed to T. Pearcey, C/o Australian Scientific Liaison Office, Africa House Kingsway, London W1, Great Britain. Dated 16 July 1965. Dr Pearcey was a pioneer in the field ...
Images: 1 -
Invoice - From Philips Electrical Industries to Trevor Pearcey, Relating to CSIRAC, 1963
Repair invoice from Philips Electrical Industries Pty. Ltd. charged to Dr Trevor Pearcey of the Melbourne University Department of Mathematics. Dr Pearcey was a pioneer in the field of ...
Images: 1 -
Notes - Trevor Pearcey, 1965
Notes some of which were possibly not written by Dr Trevor Pearcey, dated 1965. Dr Pearcey was a pioneer in the field of electronic computing in Australia. He designed the computer CSI ...
Images: 1 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Front 1, Power Supplies, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding part of the various power supplies for CSIRAC (formerly CSIR Mk 1). CSIRAC's input power supply was three phase 415 volts, with a power rating of 30,000 watts. This was ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Front 2, Input/Output Circuits, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding the input and output control circuitry for CSIRAC (formerly CSIR Mk 1). The input devicess were 5-hole and 12-hole paper tape readers. The outputs were 5-hole and 12-hol ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Cylindrical Slide Rule - Trevor Pearcey, 1940s
Analogue slide rule belonging to Trevor Pearcey, who was one of the designers of the first digital computer in Australia, the computer CSIRAC. There is no evidence that suggests that Tr ...
From: London, United Kingdom Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Thermostatic Control Box - CSIRAC Computer, Mercury Delay Line Arithmetic Registers, 'Hot' ...
Thermostatic Control Box used to control the temperature of the arithmetic registers 'hot box'. Inside the box is a Sunvic Temperature Controller, made in England. These were very comm ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
Base Plate for Manual Editing - CSIRAC Computer, Program Preparation Area, 12 Hole Paper T ...
Prototype plate to be used for manually editing 12 hole paper tapes by making more holes if necessary. The plate is a prototype made by the workshop at CSIRO Division of Building Resea ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 1 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Front 4, Arithmetical Circuits, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding the arithmetic circuitry for CSIRAC. The arithmetic unit was the heart of CSIRAC. It controlled the input and output of data to and from the registers and the sequence o ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Front 5, Mercury Delay Line Control Circuits, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding circuitry for controlling the mercury delay lines. In Melbourne, CSIRAC's main memory consisted of a temperature controlled box containing 24 mercury delay lines and two ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Manual Editing Equipment - CSIRAC Computer, Program Preparation Area, 12 Hole Paper Tape,1 ...
Manual editing equipment for 12 hole paper tape used with the CSIRAC computer, consisting of a metal plate and a punch. The punch is attached to the metal plate by a chain. The comple ...
Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Drum - CSIR Mk 1 (later CSIRAC), Computer, Auxiliary Store, Successor to Initial Drum, 195 ...
This drum iwas intended to replace the original drum operational with CSIR Mk 1 in Sydney. The drum has 30 heads, but was most likely of the same memory capacity as the operational drum ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Paper Tape Punch - CSIRAC Computer, 12 Hole, 1955-1964
12 hole paper tape punch used with CSIRAC computer.
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Back 1, Power Supplies, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding part of the various power supplies for CSIRAC (formerly CSIR Mk 1). CSIRAC's input power supply was three phase 415 volts, with a power rating of 30,000 watts. This was ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Front 3, Clock & Control Circuits, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding the clock and control circuitry for CSIRAC (formerly CSIR Mk 1). This cabinet controlled all the operations of the computer. This circuitry provided all the timing to ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Back 2, Auxiliary Store Control, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding the control circuitry for the auxiliary store of CSIRAC (formerly CSIR Mk 1). In Melbourne, the circuitry controlled a magnetic disk. Data was initially stored on one si ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
Paper Tape Reader - CSIRAC Computer, 12 Hole, 1955-1964
12 hole paper tape reader used with CSIRAC computer and located on left hand side of console. Small metal tray at one end is the front of the reader, and faces the user. The large inb ...
Images: 1 -
Pencil - CSIRAC Computer, HB,1950s
Red Popular Drawing HB lead no. 290 grey lead pencil used by engineers working on CSIRAC. This pencil may well have been used in the preparation of programs during the period that CSIR ...
From: Carlton, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Book & Digital File - McCann & Thorne, 'The Last of the First', University of Melbourne, 2 ...
Book and compact disk telling the story of CSIRAC, the first stored program electronic computer in Australia and the fourth in the world; it is the only intact first generation computer ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 0 -
Disk Drive - CSIRAC Computer, 'Cabinet Back 3', 1956-1964
The disk drive was referred to by staff and all users, in Melbourne, as the 'drum'. The original experimental auxiliary store in Sydney was in the form of cylinder hence the continued u ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Paper Tape Winder - Manual, CSIRAC Computer. 5 Hole Paper Tape, 1959-1964
Manual 5 hole paper tape winder used for winding paper tape after it had been spewed out by a reader or punch into the receiving hopper. The end of the tape was fitted into a slot in t ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Paper Tape Reader - CSIRAC Computer, Program Preparation Area,12 Hole, 1955-1964
12 hole paper tape reader used in the off-line program preparation area of the CSIRAC computer. Positioned on right hand side of desk, opposite to where the console reader is positione ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Back 4, Auxiliary Test Power Supplies, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding the auxiliary test power supplies for CSIRAC. CSIRAC at Melbourne consisted of two rows of cabinets, a control console, input and output devices, test equipment and an ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Photodiodes - CSIRAC Computer, 12 hole Paper Tape Reader, 1955-1964
Photodiodes for 12 hole paper tape reader of the CSIRAC computer. A photodiode is a detector that converts light into either current or voltage. In a paper tape reader, light is tr ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 0 -
Pencil - CSIRAC Computer, HB,1950s
Orange Columbia copperplate 700 HB grey lead pencil used by engineers working on CSIRAC. This pencil may well have been used in the preparation of programs during the period that CSIRA ...
From: Carlton, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Valves Set - CSIRAC Computer, 1949-1964
There is no reason to group these items other than they are all related to CSIRAC. It is suggested that these items might have fallen out of a chassis when a cabinet was being moved. If ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
Cabinet - CSIRAC Computer, Back 5, Mercury Delay Line Control Circuits, 1949-1964
Cabinet holding circuitry for controlling the mercury delay lines. In Melbourne, CSIRAC's main memory consisted of a temperature controlled box containing 24 mercury delay lines and two ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 5 -
No Image Available
Rack - CSIRAC Computer, Editing Control Unit, 1949-1964
The editing control unit connected the program preparation keyboard to the 12 hole paper tape punch and reader that were allotted specifically to the off-line program preparation equipm ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Filament Transformer - CSIRAC Computer, 1949-1964
This is a step-down transformer that reduces line voltage of 230 volts to 6.3 volts, which in turn heats the filament of a valve for the production of electrons. One filament transfor ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
Hot Box - CSIRAC Computer, Mercury Delay Line Arithmetic Registers, 1954-1964
CSIRAC arithmetic registers delay line 'hot' box contains short mercury delay lines. It is called a 'hot' box, because it was temperature controlled, since a variation in the temperatur ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 2 -
No Image Available
Programming Course Material - CSIRAC Computer, University of Melbourne, 1960s
These course notes are contained in a manila folder belonging to a CSIRAC user. The folder contains a Programming Manual, Interprogram Manual and Course Notes. The Course Notes includ ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 0 -
No Image Available
Illuminated Sign - CSIRAC Computer, Computation Laboratory, 1956-1964
Illuminated sign, with 'CSIRAC' written on it. The sign was mounted outside the Computation Laboratory above the entrance door (at the University of Melbourne).
Images: 0 -
Console - CSIRAC Computer, 1955-1964
The console was like the cockpit of an aeroplane of the time. The console was mainly used to initiate, control and monitor a program being run. It could also be used to intervene in a ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 2 -
No Image Available
Punch - CSIRAC Computer, Console, 5 Hole Paper Tape, 1959-1964
Punch for producing 5 hole paper tape programs and data. It was kept in the console during use and operated by an electric motor.
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 0 -
Mercury Delay Line - CSIRAC, Mercury Delay Line Main Memory, 'Hot' Box , 1954-1964
Mercury Delay Line - CSIRAC, Mercury Delay Line Main Memory, 'Hot' Box , 1956 -1964.
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 1 -
No Image Available
Rack - CSIRAC Computer, General Purpose Test Unit, 1949-1964
The test unit was used to check CSIRAC while it was in operation. The tests were not on a micro level but more for routine maintenance and to check that the different components were wo ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 0 -
Keyboard - CSIRAC Computer, Program Preparation Area, Editing 12 Hole Paper Tape Punch,195 ...
Keyboard, part of the program preparation equipment for CSIRAC (previously CSIR Mk 1). The keyboard was used to edit 12 hole paper tape. Initially, the CSIR Mk1 used punch card techno ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 1 -
Hot Box - CSIRAC Computer, Mercury Delay Line Main Memory, 1954-1964
Temperature controlled box for housing memory delay lines for CSIRAC. It was known as the 'hot box'. CSIRAC's main memory consisted of a temperature controlled box containing 24 mercur ...
From: Sydney, Australia Images: 3 -
No Image Available
Pigeon Hole Unit - CSIRAC Computer, Program Preparation Area, Paper Tape Library, 1955-196 ...
Upright open-fronted timber unit with 96 compartments (or pigeon holes) for storing CSIRAC computer paper tapes, 66 of the holes are filled with labelled (mostly numbered) cardboard bo ...
From: Parkville, Australia Images: 0
