Sidebar 12: 75th anniversary of CSIR Mk 1; 60th anniversary of CSIRO computing network

By November 18th, 2024

These pages attempt to give some of the history of CSIRO’s use of computing in its research, focussing mainly on the large shared systems and services.

Started 18 Nov 2024.
Updated 27 Nov 2024 and notified to attendees and registrants.
Updated 02 Dec 2024 to add link to The Computer History of Australia – Episode 1 CSIR MARK1
Last updated 17 Dec 2024 to add link to Canberra Times article

Robert C. Bell

Back to contents

Top

Introduction

This page is a starting point for information about the event held in Canberra on 14th November 2024, to commemorate CSIR Mk 1’s first execution of a test program in November 1949, and to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the setting up of CSIRO’s computing services and ‘network’ which became Csironet.

The Event

Here is the announcement.

Approximately 80 people attended the event.

After registering at reception, guests were able to catch up with former colleagues (and in some cases their family members), before taking a short walk to the grassy area where building 401A used to stand – the original CRS/DCR building which housed the CDC 3600 and all the early staff.  Here, Joseph Antony, IT Manager, Data, from CSIRO IMT gave an introduction before taking the tour parties into 401C.  Here, visitors could see automated tape libraries, reminiscent of the Calcomp/Braegan Automated Tape Library (ATL) which occupied the same building from 1981 onwards.  The ATL used round tapes holding up to 160 Mbyte.  Current tape cartridges hold 18 to 20 Tbyte native, but typically store more because of the compression capabilities in the tape drives themselves.

The current tape libraries feature aspects of CSIRO’s science in bold posters on their sides.

 

After the tours, participants walked to the Discovery Centre for morning tea and more talk.

I set up a display of artefacts – coding forms, punched cards, flowchart template, printed output, magnetic tape, CSIRO, DCR/Csironet and CDC publications, etc.  Many of these are pictured in Appendix 7.  Here is a list of the items.

 

The main part of the program commenced at 11:00.  Here is the full agenda presentation.

 

After the main session, many of the attendees shared lunch at Sammy’s in Kingston.

Then, many of the attendees visited Peter Heweston’s Computer Collection.

 

Links to information – the Event

Event presentation video:  https://webcast.csiro.au/#/videos/343bde34-2b65-4c0d-a14d-6c90970a0261

Here are the agenda slides together with Angus Macoustra’s presentation 75th anniversary of CSIRAC

Here are the slides from Ron Ekers presentation: The Early Development of CSIR Mk 1 in the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics

Here are the slides from Robert Bell’s presentation: Celebrating_Csironet-Service_for_Science

Peter Heweston’s collection of Terry Holden’s papers can be seen here.

Photos collected by Peter Heweston from the event can be seen here.

Peter wrote:

If anyone cares to upload their own photos or relevant documents I’d be happy to receive them – they can upload to https://www.dropbox.com/request/As11kPBN1OPyobFHTB4d  

Links to information – other

Video from 1965 of Trevor Pearcey and Frank Hirst (University of Melbourne) discussing the design of CSIRAC.  (I think it is Kay Thorne who makes a brief appearance.)

CSIRO web article: https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2024/November/Our-first-computer-turns-75-today

Cosmos magazine article https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/computing/australia-first-computer-75-years/

ABC Radio Perth – Saturday Breakfast – ABC listen – skip to about 2 hours and 33 minutes.

Social media: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/csiro_throwbackthursday-activity-7262705860869525506-7JxI?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop and Facebook and Instagram too.

Barbara Ainsworth has completed a new biography of Trevor Pearcey – see here

The ACS also held a special event Monday 18th November – see here.  Here is an article on CSIR Mk 1 featuring Peter Thorne and Helen McHugh.

Previous events were held by the Pearcey Foundation – two in 2019, and by the University of Melbourne (1996, 2016).  The Melbourne Museum has held several events.

An article in the Canberra Times is in preparation.  This appeared on-line as Canberra, a Space Odyssey. (There are some discrepancies in this article.)

State of Electronics channel: The Computer History of Australia – Episode 1 CSIR MARK1

 

Acknowledgements

Thanks to all who helped organise the event.  In particular:

Thanks to our speakers: Elanor Huntington, Ron Ekers, Rob Bell and Angus Macoustra.

Huge thanks to Jessie Staples, who behind the scenes did so much of the organising, but was unable to attend.

Thanks to others from the communications team – Alexandra Mead and Felicity Kelly.  Alexandra Mead is a Project Manager from the Launch and Careers team so was able to share the invitation with CSIRO alumni.

Thanks to those from CSIRO IMT: Erik Weckmann, Joseph Antony, Wayne Vandermeer, Daniel Robertson, Tony Pinkpank:  Joseph and Wayne for hosting the morning tours, Erik for organising the streaming, Daniel for mastering the AV, and Tony for handling the registration process.

Thanks to CSIRO Reception and in particular to Madga Fiszer and Sophie Bray.

And, a huge thanks to Peter Heweston for opening up his Computer Collection.

Finally, thanks to all who attended, or would have liked to but couldn’t.  For me, and I hope others, it was a great day to catch up with colleagues, some of whom I haven’t seen for close to 40 years!

 

Rob. Bell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to top

Back to contents