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Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Radio set, STC Star Radio Telephone
After the 1939 bushfires, the Forests Commission invested heavily in a radically new communications network. After suffering some inevitable delays due to the War, radio VL3AA switched into full operation in October 1945 proudly beaming out 200 watts across the State. The communication systems were regarded at the time to be more technically advanced than the police and the military. These pioneering efforts were directed by Geoff Weste, and later technical experts like Rex Philpot, John Whitehead, Charlie Reisinger and many others who designed, built and repaired most of the radio equipment. There was a dedicated radio laboratory at Surrey Hills in Melbourne.Radio setSTC Star Radio Telephone Type FR5.1.25-STradios, forests commission victoria (fcv) -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Book, Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB), "Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways /Electric System /Instructions to Drivers in Electric Car Operation", 1966
Forty Eight page, side staple book within blue Rexene covers. Titled "Melbourne and Metropolitan Tramways /Electric System /Instructions to Drivers in Electric Car Operation" Dated 1966. Printed by Regent Press Pty Ltd, 457 Plenty Road, Preston. Provides in a Q & A format, instructions to drivers in electric car operation, photos of various types of controllers, an A.B.C. for tramways drivers - "always" points to remember and has a reference index. Copy 1 - has telephone numbers of Training School and specific pointers re Regulations 106 and 107 and some of the Q&A have been circled in blue. This copy was imaged. The May 1974 instructions of "Tram car Braking on Greasy Rails", has adhesive tape remnants. Copy 2 - 1/5/1975 instructions loose inside the book. Copy 3 - added 29/5/2014 from the collection of R. Wearne. Copy 4 - added 15-6-2015 - from Ron Scholten donation of 11-4-2015. Copy 5 - added 14-12-2015 from donation of Norm Cross 11-10-2009. Had the instructions for Tram car braking on Greasy Rails appended inside front cover - loose, with adhesive tape remnants. Relocated to Reg Item 2913.copy 3 has 7 numbers in ink inside the front cover, a number of questions in the book have been circled., copy 4 - has numerous changes to issue on page 1, ink crosses on specific questions., copy 5 - has "K.T. Hall Works Manager" in ink on inside of front cover, and notes on pages 15, 16, 17, 19, regarding the use of the motor cut out switches.trams, tramways, mmtb, drivers, training, instructions, motormen -
Vision Australia
Equipment - Object, Telesensory Systems, Optacon, 1974
The Optacon OPtical-to-TActile-CONverter is a compact, portable reading aid for the blind. It is about the size of a textbook, and weighs less than 2kg. It works by converting a printed image into a tactile image that a blind person can feel with one finger. After a period of training and practice, a blind person can use the Optacon to read ordinary books, magazines, newspapers, and other printed materials. The Optacon was developed after intensive research at Standford University, California, USA and was trialed by clients of the Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (now part of Vision Australia) in 1973. It has three main sections: 1 a miniature camera, 2 an electronics section, and 3 a tactile stimulator array. The miniature camera, about the size of a pocket knife, is mounted in a housing that has rollers for easy movement along a line of print. The camera is connected to the electronics section by a lightweight cable. The electronics section and the tactile stimulator array are in the main chassis. The array consists of 144 tiny metal rods arranged in six vertical columns and 24 horizontal rows. Each of the rods can vibrate independently. The tips of these rods protrude through holes in a concave finger plate where the index finger is placed flat in order to read. These three components act together to convert the image of a printed letter or other shape into a pattern of vibrating rods, a tactile image of the letter or shape. The letter shape is tactually perceived as an image that moves from right to left on the finger, showing the left or leading edge of the letter first. Letters are felt sequentially rather than all at once, and the image should be kept moving. The Optacon converts a printed O into a tactile form that resembles a crater with a vibrating rim -- a completed circle. C would have a gap or opening on the right side of the curve. The letter F would be felt, sequentially, as a vertical line with two trailing horizontal lines. Because it can convert any ordinary printed image into a corresponding tactile image, the Optacon is not restricted to any special typestyle or language. The camera has a zoom lens that compensates for differences in the size of type. The standard Optacon lens can accommodate type sizes from 6 point to 20 point. With the optional F4A magnifier lens, type sizes as small as 4 point can be read. Powered by a rechargeable battery, and comes with its own battery charger. The battery is contained within the main chassis, and is not removable by the user. There are four basic controls on the Optacon: the Magnification Adjustment zoom button located on the camera section on the side opposite the rollers; and the On-Off switch, the Stimulator Intensity Adjustment knob, and the Threshold Adjustment knob located on the right side of the front panel. The Circuit Breaker protrudes from the right-hand wall inside the chassis compartment. From left to right when the back panel is facing you, are located: the jack for connecting the battery charger; the Battery Check button; the Normal-Invert switch; and the Input/Output I/O connector for use with the Visual Display, when using the Repeater Cable to connect two Optacons to one another or with other accessories. Designed not be removed from the leather case during normal operation, the On-Off switch is a slide switch located on the right side of the front panel. It slides up and snaps into place in the on position. 1 black with orange front, rectangular device in leather case assistive devices, audio equipment -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Slide - 35mm slide/s - set of 3, Dave Simpson, trams in Sturt St near Hospital Corner, late 1960's early 1970's
.1 -No. 35, outbound to Sebastopol with the Southern Cross Hotel in the background. Has signs for Fosters Larger, Carlton Draught and Victoria Bitter. Has a number of passengers boarding the tram. .2 - at Hospital corner with the signal system control box for the Forest City signals in the foreground on a pole. Has marking for Sebastopol, Sturt St West and Drummond St North? written on the box. Above this is a sign advising passengers that trams depart this point for The Gardens, View Point and Sebastopol. In the background is J. A. Malpass Hairdresser shop. See item 8900 for the actual switch. .3 - No. 35 turning into Drummond St south with the bottle shop on the south east corner in the background.Yields information about Hospital corner and the switch for the Forest City signalling system controls.Set of three 35mm slides - AGFA dark blue / white plastic mounts of trams in Sturt St near Hospital Corner. tramways, trams, sturt st, hotels, hospital corner, forest city signals, signs, tram 35 -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
FCV testing meter
After the 1939 bushfires, the Forests Commission invested heavily in a radically new communications network. After suffering some inevitable delays due to the War, radio VL3AA switched into full operation in October 1945 proudly beaming out 200 watts across the State. The communication systems were regarded at the time to be more technically advanced than the police and the military. These pioneering efforts were directed by Geoff Weste, and later technical experts like Rex Philpot, John Whitehead, Charlie Reisinger and many others who designed, built and repaired most of the radio equipment. There was a dedicated radio laboratory at Surrey Hills in Melbourne. The purpose and operation of this particular instrument is unknown.FCV testing meterMade in the radio laboratory of the Forests Commission Victoriaradio, forests commission victoria (fcv) -
Orbost & District Historical Society
cake mixer, circa 1948
The Mixmaster 9B in 1948 was the first Sunbeam appliance to be made in Australia. It was designed in the USA.After years of rationing and shortages, the 1950s were a period of economic prosperity, high employment and great technological development. During this period, Australians enthusiastically adorned their homes with a dazzling range of new domestic appliances. Hire-purchase schemes allowed people to take products home and pay for them in instalments. The American-designed Mixmaster 9B was the first Sunbeam appliance manufactured and sold in Australia in 1948. An early Sunbeam Mixmaster. It is an electronic stand mixer with a black metal base in the shape of a rounded teardrop with two holes for the turntable. It has a cream enameled metal arm, cream coloured metal motor housing with a black plastic handle on the top. On the back of the motor housing is a black plastic knob with ten speed options for the mixer, and the "OFF" position. a black electric cord is attached under the motor housing with a black switch beneath the cord. The motor housing is able to tilt backwards on a hinge which is attached to the top of the stand arm. It is worked on AC or Dc power 240 On the bottom are the words "MODEL 9B". mixmaster sunbeam kitchen-appliance food-technology -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Photograph - Black & White Photograph/s, The Courier Ballarat, 19/03/1965 12:00:00 AM
Yields information about the storage of trams in the City area during peak periods, and the buildings on the south side of Sturt St. A copy of the newspaper cutting would add to the significance.Black and White copy photograph of a newspaper photograph taken by The Courier of No. 35 parked at Sturt St loop or City Loop, following motorists complaining it was a traffic hazard). Photo taken - 19/3/1965, published 20/3/1965. In the background are Hartley's Sports Center, The Ballaarat Gas Company buildings'. The tram, side on view, has a "Switch to Electric Cooking" Roof advertisement. Collected by Alan Bradley from the Ballarat Courier early 1980's. See Excel file "Record of Ballarat Courier Photos SEC era" (Archive Documents) for source of details.On rear stamped "Copyright, The Ballarat Courier Proprietary Limited."tramways, trams, sturt st, city loop, tram 35 -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Photograph - Black and White photograph/s - mounted, State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV), 1939
Yields information about the tram decorated for the Ballarat Floral Festival of 1939. Original print of this photograph.Mounted photograph on black light weight card, of the Ballarat (SEC 1st) No. 29 decorated for the 1939 Floral festival. Paper flowers made by the wives of the tramway staff members. Photographed at depot junction. See also Reg. item 1369 for another photograph of the tram at the Depot. Tram showing "SPECIAL". On lower edge white label in ink "Decorated Tram Car. Ballarat Floral Festival. 1939". On rear of sheet has label "Official Switching on - Learmonth". Photo glued to sheet. See Reg Items 1363 for larger prints of these photographs for further details of this photograph.trams, tramways, secv, illuminated trams, decorated trams, floral tram, tram 29 -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Photograph - Black & White Photograph/s - set of 2, State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV), 1950's
Black and white print of bogie tram No. 22 and another single trucker at the City terminus, Sturt St, with the Town Hall in the background. A large number of passengers board and leaving the trams. Has a bus in the distance crossing Sturt St.. Tram has the destination of Sturt St. West. In the photograph are Anderson Paper Merchants, Terminus Cafe and Penfolds Wine shop. In the bottom right hand corner is an ESCo/SEC cable termination/switch box. 3217.1 - original photo ex SEC? 3217.2 - different crop - added 21/3/2021 - has more of the original image on the right side. On rear of photograph is a white dot with "5" in red ink, and in pencil "Car 22, renumbered as 37 in 1951 in order to consolidate the bogies cars from No. 34 onwards. This was the first bogie car to run in Ballarat and ran from 1945. The car was withdrawn in 1955, following severe accident damage SECV"tramways, trams, sturt st, city terminus, bogie trams, esco, tram 22 -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Radio Telephone with handset
After the 1939 bushfires, the Forests Commission invested heavily in a radically new communications network. After suffering some inevitable delays due to the War, radio VL3AA switched into full operation in October 1945 proudly beaming out 200 watts across the State. The communication systems were regarded at the time to be more technically advanced than the police and the military. These pioneering efforts were directed by Geoff Weste, and later technical experts like Rex Philpot, John Whitehead, Charlie Reisinger and many others who designed, built and repaired most of the radio equipment. There was a dedicated radio laboratory at Surrey Hills in Melbourne. Little is known about this particular radio handsetField radio telephone with handset.radios, forests commission victoria (fcv) -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Projector - 'Pictoral' Bogong State School, 1925 - 1935
As Bogong State School was located in a remote area especially in winter when the weather and therefore the road isolated the school for an indefinite time, the school was provided with up to date equipment with a comprehensive library and educational films that wouldn't disadvantage the students. Educational films covered all subjects and areas of the curriculum. The projector was very modern at the time. The Society for Visual Education Inc was founded in 1919 as a for-profit educational publisher dedicated to the use of new technologies in teaching.This projector was used at the Bogong State School which opened in 1941 for the children of the employees of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria who were working on the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme. The school was outstanding as reported by the school inspectors regarding the education of the pupils which was also supported by new and modern equipment. The nearest school was 14 km away over a dirt road that wound around the Victorian mountains and often closed due to bad weather. Bakelite box holding a globe and a small black tin projector on brown rectangular bakelite base with 4 round rubber stands at each corner. It is able to be moved upwards from the front to adjust the height within a cm. The back is a tall irregular box shape with ventilation on 2 sides of the bottom and at the top. There is a brass plaque attached above 1 vent and an electric cord, with switch, below it. Attached at each side of the front of this box is a cylinder fitted horizontally facing the front where the lense is fitted. At right angles above there is another cylinder, hollow, with a rod for the film to be placed. Globe also in Bakelite boxPlaque: Pictorial Projector / Model Q / 120 Volts. 100 Watts / No. 23736 / Manufactured / Society of Visual Education Inc. / Chicago U.S.Aprojector, bogong primary school, education, educational films, visual education, kiewa hydro electric scheme -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Meter Multi General Purpose, circa mid to late 1900's
This general purpose Multi-meter was manufactured after 1950 and used by the SEC Vic (Kiewa Hydro Electricity Scheme) from that date until late 1900's. It was used to measure very small voltages associated with the operation of the various Hydro Generators. The readings were able to be shown by the resistor in use in the current circuit. During this time period, high quality testing instruments were either sourced from Europe or England. This particular meter was manufactured in the Netherlands. This type of "old" analogue meter was replaced by digital meters whose electronic components are a fraction of the size of the older analogue ones.This analog General Purpose multi-meter is quite a large (for handheld mobile) apparatus which permits the easy monitoring of electrical variations within the large SEC Victoria Hydro Scheme's electrical generators. These generators are powered by the hydro force of "stored" water at a higher altitude. The establishment of both the NSW and Victorian Hydro schemes was achieved from the mid 1900's to the 1960's. At this point in time the need for additional power sources to quench both an industrial and domestic demand for electricity was purely an economic and not and environmental (carbon reduction) factor. This hydro scheme was instigated by "the Government of the day" as a bold move and was the major force of the World War II refugee and "technical" workforce inclusion of skilled and unskilled migration into the Australian environment. Although this mass "invasion" of workers with families was thought of in some circles as intrusive, the expansion of population post war years and its integration into the Australian rural sector, produced the multi- lingual multi-cultural diversity of later years.This General Purpose Multimeter is an analogue meter i.e. it has a needle arm that moves across a scale of divisions. This is a large(hand held) device due to the mechanical movement system within and the large size of its electronic components of its circuitry.There are two black bake-lite push buttons operating the wire inserts Positive/negative leads at the top. The meter (protected with a glass window) has clearly marked graduations (top - volts, bottom amperes). Below this are two bake-lite dials (left "potentiometer the right one measuring range selector). Below this is a "dial" switch to input the desired resistance measuring range "V" Front "H&B ELIMA" and to the right Elavi 15n. 0n the front side is a label "STATE ELECTRICITY COMMISSION OF VICTORIA TRANSMISSION DEPT E.C.No." On the bottom of the base is a stenciled layout of the battery "layout" including the fuse . The information notice is presented in five languages starting with German, English,French, Italian, Spanish and Dutchsec vic kiewa hydro scheme, alternate energy supplies, alpine population growth -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Book, Melbourne & Metropolitan Tramways Board (MMTB), "MMTB Air Raid Precautions", Jan. 1942
Olive green heavy paper covered book + 28 pages, centre stapled titled "MMTB Air Raid Precautions", dated January 1942. Gives instructions what to do if an air raid siren, the signals, shelters, traffic department, notes re dimming switches in trams, buses, depots, operations under air raid conditions, damage, duties of staff, Preston Workshops, types of bombs, what to do. Has a coloured printed sketch of how to stop severe bleeding. 2nd copy added 5/5/2019 from donation of Barry Brooks ex Bob Prentice Collection.trams, tramways, world war 2, depots, air raids, tramcars, buses -
Melbourne Tram Museum
Newspaper, The Herald, “Driver Thrown From Cabin”, 23/01/1978 12:00:00 AM
Newspaper clipping titled: “Driver Thrown From Cabin” The Herald, Mon January 23, 1978 Photos and text Tram crash with tanker, Danks St and Wright St, Albert Park at 6:45 am. Tram driver thrown from cabin after collision with 8 tonne tanker in Middle Park. Tanker loaded with flammable liquid. Tram careered down Danks St for about 100 metres. Tram did not have a dead-man’s switch. Tram driver and tanker driver both taken to Prince Henry’s Hospital. Board Chairman, Mr FD Snell said there would be an inquiry into the accident.trams, tramways, accidents, collision, trucks, albert park -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This photograph depicts Camp st in Beechworth looking east. This postcard is part of the Rose Series produced by Victorian photographer George Rose’s business, the Rose Stereograph Company. George Rose (1861-1942), is considered one of Australia's best photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Rose Stereograph Company was founded in 1880 and became famous for producing stereographs, or stereoviews, which gave the illusion of being in 3D when seen through a hand-held viewer, a big craze of the era. As stereographs lost popularity in the 1920s, Rose switched to production of postcards and decorative cards, and he and the photographers who followed took thousands of scenes around Victoria as well as interstate that became iconic images of Australian life.Black and white rectangular photograph (copy) printed on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: The Rose Series P.3469 Copyright FORD STREET Reverse: BMM7744 PH150 1998.00059 beechworth, ford street, rose series, photograph, post card, black and white -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1940
This copy of a postcard depicts Ford Street in Beechworth looking North. This postcard is part of the Rose Series produced by Victorian photographer George Rose’s business, the Rose Stereograph Company. George Rose (1861-1942), is considered one of Australia's best photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Rose Stereograph Company was founded in 1880 and became famous for producing stereographs, or stereoviews, which gave the illusion of being in 3D when seen through a hand-held viewer, a big craze of the era. As stereographs lost popularity in the 1920s, Rose switched to production of postcards and decorative cards, and he and the photographers who followed took thousands of scenes around Victoria as well as interstate that became iconic images of Australian life.Black and white photograph (copy) on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: THE ROSE SERIES P.3481 COPYRIGHT FORD STREET, LOOKING NORTH, BEECHWORTH, VIC Reverse: BMM7743 PH 149 1998.00059beechworth, ford street, rose series, postcard, photograph, black and white, burke museum -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This copy of a postcard from the Rose series depicts Camp Street looking East. This postcard is part of the Rose Series produced by Victorian photographer George Rose’s business, the Rose Stereograph Company. George Rose (1861-1942), is considered one of Australia's best photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Rose Stereograph Company was founded in 1880 and became famous for producing stereographs, or stereoviews, which gave the illusion of being in 3D when seen through a hand-held viewer, a big craze of the era. As stereographs lost popularity in the 1920s, Rose switched to production of postcards and decorative cards, and he and the photographers who followed took thousands of scenes around Victoria as well as interstate that became iconic images of Australian life.Black and white photograph (copy) on gloss photographic paper.Obverse: THE ROSE SERIES P.3459 COPYRIGHT CAMP STREET, LOOKING EAST, BEECHWORTH, VIC Reverse: BMM7743 PH 149 1998.00059beechworth, rose series, camp street, burke museum, black and white -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph
This copy of a postcard from the Rose series depicts Ford Street looking South. This postcard is part of the Rose Series produced by Victorian photographer George Rose’s business, the Rose Stereograph Company. George Rose (1861-1942), is considered one of Australia's best photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Rose Stereograph Company was founded in 1880 and became famous for producing stereographs, or stereoviews, which gave the illusion of being in 3D when seen through a hand-held viewer, a big craze of the era. As stereographs lost popularity in the 1920s, Rose switched to production of postcards and decorative cards, and he and the photographers who followed took thousands of scenes around Victoria as well as interstate that became iconic images of Australian life.Black and White photograph (copy) on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: THE ROSE SERIES P.10544 COPYRIGHT FORD STREET, BEECHWORTH, VIC Reverse: BMM7746 PH 147 1998.00059beechworth, rose series, ford street, burke museum, postcard -
The Beechworth Burke Museum
Photograph, c1940
Taken in Beechworth, this photograph depicts Ford Street looking North. This postcard is part of the Rose Series produced by Victorian photographer George Rose’s business, the Rose Stereograph Company. George Rose (1861-1942), is considered one of Australia's best photographers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Rose Stereograph Company was founded in 1880 and became famous for producing stereographs, or stereoviews, which gave the illusion of being in 3D when seen through a hand-held viewer, a big craze of the era. As stereographs lost popularity in the 1920s, Rose switched to production of postcards and decorative cards, and he and the photographers who followed took thousands of scenes around Victoria as well as interstate that became iconic images of Australian life. Black and White photograph on gloss photographic paper. Obverse: THE ROSE SERIES P.2749 COPYRIGHT FORD STREET, LOOKING NORTH, BEECHWORTH, VIC Reverse: 7739 PH 152 1998.00059beechworth, rose series, ford street, george rose, burke museum -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Programme - Order of Service, Commonwealth of Australia, State Funeral [for] The Late The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Kent Hughes K.B.E. M.V.O. M.C. E.D. M.P., 1970, 1970
A resident, and parliamentary representative of Kew, Wilfred Kent Hughes was elected to the Victorian Parliament in 1927. He switched to federal politics in 1949 and remained an MP until his death in 1970. This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.Handout - "State Funeral. The Late The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Kent Hughes K.B.E. M.V.O. M.C. E.D. M.P. Order of Service at St John's Anglican Church, Burke Road, Camberwell. Monday, 3rd August 1970, at 11.00 a.m."wilfred kent hughes, funeral services, federal politicians -- kew (vic) -
Kew Historical Society Inc
Programme - Order of Service, Commonwealth of Australia, State Funeral [for] The Late The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Kent Hughes K.B.E. M.V.O. M.C. E.D. M.P., 1970, 1970
A resident, and parliamentary representative of Kew, Wilfred Kent Hughes was elected to the Victorian Parliament in 1927. He switched to federal politics in 1949 and remained an MP until his death in 1970. This work forms part of the collection assembled by the historian Dorothy Rogers, that was donated to the Kew Historical Society by her son John Rogers in 2015. The manuscripts, photographs, maps, and documents were sourced by her from both family and local collections or produced as references for her print publications. Many were directly used by Rogers in writing ‘Lovely Old Homes of Kew’ (1961) and 'A History of Kew' (1973), or the numerous articles on local history that she produced for suburban newspapers. Most of the photographs in the collection include detailed annotations in her hand. The Rogers Collection provides a comprehensive insight into the working habits of a historian in the 1960s and 1970s. Together it forms the largest privately-donated collection within the archives of the Kew Historical Society.Handout - "State Funeral. The Late The Honourable Sir Wilfrid Kent Hughes K.B.E. M.V.O. M.C. E.D. M.P. Order of Service at St John's Anglican Church, Burke Road, Camberwell. Monday, 3rd August 1970, at 11.00 a.m."wilfred kent hughes, federal politicians -- kew (vic.), funeral services, state funerals -
Monash University Museum of Computing History
Ferranti Sirius mainframe computer, 1961
The Ferranti Sirius is an electronic second-generation transistor computer and is one of three remaining examples of this machine left in the world. It was an important addition to the computing facilities at Monash University in the early 1960s and provided access for computer programming and research for many early computer professionals, academics and teachers. The Ferranti Sirius computer was built in a period of rapid growth in computing technology. The first stored program computers appeared in the late 1940s and used individual designs with valve technology. By the mid-1950s valve technology was replaced by transistors and the first mass produced commercial computers became available. The Ferranti Sirius was announced in 1959 and offered a “small” academic computer. It was designed and built by the English company Ferranti Ltd and sold through a local office of the company in Melbourne. The Sirius was manufactured at the Ferranti Ltd.’s West Gorton, England factory from 1959 to 1963 and, in all, the company produced probably 22 installations although only 16 were actually recorded as sold; this included one at Ferranti’s Bureau in London and one at Ferranti’s Melbourne Bureau. Only 7 were exported and 4 of these 7 were located in Melbourne, Australia. All four were associated with computing at Monash University – the Sirius in the MMoCH collection was purchased by Monash University in 1962, a smaller Ferranti Sirius was used on the Caulfield campus (prior to amalgamation with Monash University) from 1963, the Ferranti company had its own Ferranti Sirius initially temporarily installed at Clayton campus in 1962 and then placed in their office in Queens Road, Melbourne. A fourth computer was purchased by ICIANZ (now Orica) in 1962 and was transferred to Clayton campus in 1967. Only two of these Melbourne examples have survived; one in the MMoCH collection and one at Museums Victoria. There is an example of the Ferranti Sirius in the Science Museum Group collection in the UK as well. The Ferranti Sirius in the MMoCH collection was the first computer purchased by Monash University and it was shipped to Australia to be installed by November 1962. The University had a similar model computer on loan from Ferranti Ltd during the first part of the year and it was returned to the office of the company in Queens Road, Melbourne once the University’s own machine was installed. The computer was placed on site at Clayton campus, Monash University. The computer operated from 1962 until 1972 when it was officially decommissioned. The Ferranti Sirius was sold to Mr Paul Stewart in late 1974 and removed from Monash University. Mr Stewart later donated the computer back to the University in 1988 and it was transferred to the collection of the Monash Museum of Computing History after 2001. The Ferranti Sirius is an electronic second-generation transistor computer and is one of three remaining examples of this machine left in the world. It was an important addition to the computing facilities at Monash University in the early 1960s and provided access for computer programming and research for many early computer professionals, academics and teachers. The Ferranti Sirius is of scientific (technological) significance as one of the early transistor digital computers that transitioned computing from first-generation valve computers to second generation commercial installations. This example of the Sirius is of historical significance in its role as a part of the Computer Centre, Clayton campus, Monash University which provided computing facilities in Melbourne in the early 1960s when there were few installations available for academic, administrative and commercial users. Staff and students were able to undertake investigative research and learn programming techniques. The Computer Centre encouraged the use of the computer across all disciplines and this provided the base to establish computer science as a subject offering and, later, a new department in the University. This growth in computer education eventually culminated in the establishment of the Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University. The Ferranti Sirius in the collection at Monash Museum of Computing History has a main unit with a CPU and memory combined with input/output equipment and one extra cabinet of memory. The Central Processing Unit is a floor-standing unit which contains the computer circuits, power supplies and has a decimal digit display panel and a normal clock. A moveable control panel is placed in front of the Unit (Currently set on a recreated desk/filing cabinet support in the display). The Sirius base unit uses acoustic delay line memory with 1000 word store. An additional 3000 word memory cabinet is set adjacent to the CPU and can be connected to increase the memory. The computer is supported by a range of input/output devices. There is a Ferranti Paper tape reader, located on desk in front of CPU. Red label on front “Ferranti tape reader. Type TR 5. Serial No. 477”. Adjacent to the CPU is a set of Simplified tape editing equipment in three pieces which includes a (1) Table unit with switches on front face. Metal tag on reverse reads “Creed & Co. Model No. S4060. Serial No. 1457. Original Customers Marking GRP7 V706”. The table has a numbered internal tag “Table Serial No. 198579. (2)Creed teletype set on table unit. Metal tag on reverse “Creed & Co. Model No. 75RPR K4M4. Serial No. 5897 Made in England”. (3)Creed paper tape reader set on table unit. This set of equipment could read paper tape and print it, or copy paper tape while allowing it to be edited, or allow a programmer or data preparation person to type and punch a new program or data. It has no electrical connection to the computer. Paper tapes were usually torn off and carried across to the computer. There is also another table unit with switches on front face and changeable setting switch on front right side which holds a Ferranti Westrex paper tape punch set. Label on reverse “Teletype Code BRPE11” This was the Computer’s only output device. BRPE-11 is a teletype model number. -
Orbost & District Historical Society
black and white postards, Rose Stereograph Company, 1940s -1950s
These postcards are part of the Rose series of photograph / postcards taken around Victoria. Rose was born in Clunes in 1861 and later worked in his father’s boot-making business in Prahran while studying photography. In 1880 he founded the Rose Stereograph Company and became famous for producing stereographs, or stereoviews, which gave the illusion of being in 3D when seen through a hand-held viewer, a big craze of the era. Rose produced stereoviews of the Western Front during the First World War. In all, he took about 9000 images in about 38 countries. As stereographs lost popularity in the 1920s, Rose switched to production of postcards and decorative cards, and he and the photographers who followed took thousands of scenes around Victoria as well as interstate that became iconic images of Australian life.These postcards are pictorial records of Orbost in the mid 20th century.Postcards such as these were a way of showing the scenic attractions of Orbost to potential tourists.Three black / white postcards of views over the Orbost flats and railway viaduct. 3183.1 is of a railway viaduct in the foreground and farming flats. 3183.2 is a view over the Orbost flats taken from Grandview Lookout. 3183.3 is a view from the Grandview Lookout showing the back of a woman looking across a rail fence. 3183.1 - bottom front - Rose Series P 478 SNOWY RIVER FLATS, ORBOST VIC 3183.2 - bottom front - Rose Series P 49 ORBOST, FROM GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS,VIC 3183.3 - bottom front - Rose Series P 14443 A VIEW FROM THE LOOKOUT, ORBOST, VICpostcards-orbost rose-series orbost-railway-viaduct grandview-lookout-orbost -
Forests Commission Retired Personnel Association (FCRPA)
Pye TRP-1, Transmitter-Receiver-Portable Radio, Pye Industries in Melbourne, circa 1950
After the 1939 bushfires, the Forests Commission invested heavily in a radically new communications network. After suffering some inevitable delays due to the War, radio VL3AA switched into full operation in October 1945 proudly beaming out 200 watts across the State. The communication systems were regarded at the time to be more technically advanced than the police and the military. Pye-Electronic Pty Ltd (which had taken over Radio Corporation after the war) decided to design a transceiver to replace the RC16B. Designated the TRP-1, it was considerably lighter and used less power than the earlier RC16B while offering similar or better performance. This radio was used in the Mt Wombat fire tower which overlooks the Strathbogie Ranges and surrounding farmland.Portable Radio PYE TRP-1. radios, forests commission victoria (fcv) -
Kiewa Valley Historical Society
Photos: Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme x 12
K.H.E.S.Photos 4 coloured and 8 black and white with the Title printed below each one. 1. S.E.C.V. Telephone Switch Board (See also KVHS 0847) 2.West Kiewa Tunnel 3. Construction of Underground Power Station 4. Pretty Vally Camp 5.Outside Kiewa House, Bogong 6. S.E.C.V. Saucer (See also KVHS 0128) 7.Insulator Disk Struck by Lightning 8. S.E.C.V. Map of the Kiewa Hydro Scheme 9.Howman's Gap Camp 10.Tunnel Excavation Face 11. Mt Beauty Townhship 1948, looking north east 12. Mt Beauty Township - no labelkiewa hydro electric scheme photos -
Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RANZCOG)
Incubator, neonatal, Australia/ tVictor Watson/Limited/ New Zealand”, late 1950s- early 1960s
This item was purchased at Leski's, Melbourne, Medical collection auction, 8 May 2013. The incubator was part of a rare collection of medical, dental and pharmaceutical objects belonging to a tourism business, Kryal Castle, near Ballarat, Victoria from 1974. At some point,apparently, an officer manager discarded the museum records, so the provenance of the neonatal incubator, and many other items in the Leski auction, has been lost.Neonatal incubator, "Glenleigh", made and used, late 1950s- early 1960s. The four side laminated panels as well as bottom panel are possibly made of asbestos fibreboard,. Each panel is sealed with polished aluminium strips, and has a metal handrail.The incubator is mounted on four castors made by "Shepherd USA'. On the front panel is a bakerlite dial and a bakerlite switch. The item is incomplete: the cover, probably glass, is missing. Inside the unit is an old calico infant's mattress.There are two name plates on the front panel; “Australia/ Victor Watson/Limited/ New Zealand” and "Glenleigh/ Baby Incubator/ Aeronautical & Industrial Lighting Co/ 677-9 North Road Carnegie”. Australia/ Victor Watson/Limited/ New Zealand” "Glenleigh/ Baby Incubator/ Aeronautical & Industrial Lighting Co/ 677-9 North Road Carnegie”. Castors::"Shepherd USA' -
Whitehorse Historical Society Inc.
Equipment - Otiscope, Slide Projector
In one place in records Pat Faggetter is credited with the donation of this item. It would appear that Pat picked it up from Mrs Coldrey so I have credited Mrs Coldrey as the donor. See also page 10 of green folder. (Ted Arrowsmith)OTICISCOPE An early slide projector. Large, black square unit with chrome parts. Bellows to assist in focus can be slid up to 26cm. On the end of the bellows is screwed a further adjustable lens (8.5cm diam by 11cm long). The body of the unit can be tilted to focus on the screen. This lens is endorsed '8 inch (26cm) high focus Aldus UNO Projector Lens'.This lens and a lamp is stored inside the projector. The projection lamp is an Osram (balloon shaped) patent registered 260 volt Gas Filled 500 watt 51. Made in England. Screw fitting .Power supply is by early English type two pin plug with a toggle switch on left side.Ensign Optiscope No. 6 - Made in Britain - Ensign Ltd - London.photography, projectors -
Ballarat Tramway Museum
Negative - Black and white print from negative, Travis Jeffrey, 30/09/1961 12:00:00 AM
Negative No. N383 and black and white print made by a laser printer (stored in folder) of Ballarat No. 35 at the City Terminus in Sturt St, south side with the conductor (appears to be No. 17) standing by the front of the tram. Part of tram obscured by pole with SEC painted tram stop sign, enamel stop sign and end of section sign. Tram has an SEC roof advertisement, "Switch to Electric Cooking" and destination of Gardens via Sturt St. West. In the background is the Commonwealth Bank building, Prouds jewellers and the Odeon Theatre. Date of photo on folder - 30/9/1961. Original negative rescanned 24/5/2020 and image file updated. Paper folder that contained the negative had "NR57A" in red ink, "BA11" in pencil, date stamp of "20 Sep 1961" on front, and on rear date stamps "26 Sep 1962" and "6 Oct 1962".trams, tramways, sturt st, city terminus, odeon theatre, tram 35 -
Royal District Nursing Service (now known as Bolton Clarke)
Photograph - Photograph, black and white, c.1975
The Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS), Sister has sterilized an autoclave pack for use by the RDNS Sisters when attending their patients in their homes who are requiring specific treatments for e.g. catheterization. This photograph is taken in the sterilizing room at a RDNS Centre. The Sister is wearing the RDNS Summer uniform of a short sleeve white blouse under a royal blue V neck tunic style frock with the RDNS logo on its upper left.Royal District Nursing Service (RDNS) supplied sterilized equipment, such as ready set up catheter trays and dressing trays, as well as dressing packs for their Sisters to take to the home when attending to specific patient care. Patients bought their own future dressings, if these had not been given to them when discharged from Hospital. Following their day in the community the Sisters returned to the RDNS Centre and washed and set up the trays again ready for re-sterilization. Black and white photograph showing a Royal District Nursing Service, (RDNS), Sister who has blonde short hair; is wearing a short sleeved white blouse and dark tunic style frock, standing in the Autoclave room in an RDNS centre. She is emptying the Autoclave chamber after sterilizing a wrapped, 'gown and towel', which is written on the wrapping. Her right arm is extended with her hand on the metal wire basket which has a protective floral cloth covering the edge of the basket. The photograph shows a tall vertical Autoclave, which is made of metal. To the left above the chamber is a dark rectangular section with several switches, and to right of it are three white faced dials. royal district nursing service, rdns, rdns equipment, sterilizing -
Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum and Village
Timer, 1940s
Australia's first telephone exchange was opened in Melbourne in August 1880. It was operated by the Melbourne Telephone Exchange Company. Owned by W. H. Masters and T. T. Draper, the Manager of the Company was H. Byron Moore. This was only two years after the world's first exchange in the United States, and just four years after Bell first spoke on a telephone. The exchange was located in the old Stock Exchange building at 367 Collins Street, a site now occupied by the Commonwealth Bank. In 1884, the operations of the Company, by then known as the Victorian Telephone Exchange Company, had grown considerably and were transferred to Wills Street, Melbourne. Private ownership of this company continued until 1887 when it was bought out by the Victorian Colonial Government. Other colonial governments followed this example. By 1910, the growth in telephone services made additional accommodation necessary. This could not be provided in the existing building in Wills Street and arrangements were made for a new exchange in Lonsdale Street. Alexander Graham Bell visited Australia in 1910 to advise the Federal Government's Postal Commission. Telephone exchanges were established in Adelaide with (48 subscribers), Hobart (10 subscribers) and Launceston (35 subscribers). The first exchange in Western Australia was established in 1887 and located in a small three-room cottage in Wellington Street, Perth with 17 subscribers. The year 1888 marked the opening of the Fremantle exchange in a small room at the rear of the Town Hall. There were nine subscribers. Australia's first automatic exchange was installed in the GPO in Sydney, in 1911, for internal use. But the first automatic exchange for public use was opened at Geelong in Victoria in the next year July 1912 with 800 subscribers. Melbourne's first automatic exchange was opened in the suburb of Brighton in 1914; the first public automatic exchange in NSW began operating at Newtown, Sydney in 1915; and Queensland's first was installed at South Brisbane in 1925. 1929 saw the opening of Tasmania's first automatic exchange in Hobart. an automatic telephone service. In June 1977, the manual telephone exchange at Swansea was replaced with an automatic service and made Tasmania the first State in Australia to have a fully automatic network. The half-century following Federation saw the growth of the automatic operation; a great extension of trunk line services; The automatic telephone contributed greatly to the early popularity of telephones in Australia. It was a quicker and more convenient way of communicating with another person on the same exchange — instead of having to go through tedious processes with the operator. From its introduction, the number of automatic telephones in operation grew to a remarkable extent. In 1886, the first trunk link of 16 km was connected to the exchanges of Adelaide and Port Adelaide in South Australia. Then, in 1907, the first inter-capital telephone trunk line was opened between Sydney and Melbourne. It was followed by a line between Melbourne and Adelaide in 1914. Sydney and Brisbane were linked in 1923, and Perth and Adelaide in 1930. In 1930, the first overseas calls from Australia came possible with the introduction of a radiotelephone service to England, and through there to Europe and America. A similar service opened to New Zealand in the same year. Initially, trunk channels linked different manual trunk exchanges. It was necessary for a succession of trunk operators to connect the appropriate channels, one after the other until the connection was made. As trunk traffic grew. the system became increasingly unsuitable. More trunk operators had to be employed and so labour costs increased. It was a tedious and slow way of making a long-distance call, and it was sometimes hard to hear, particularly when several exchanges were linked With technical advances, trunk switching moved from manual operation through a partly automatic phase. Automatic transit switching equipment was used and only a single operator was required to connect a trunk call to a wanted automatic subscriber. Until well beyond the middle of this century, the majority of trunk traffic went through this single telephonist control. In 1953, the number of telephones in use in Australia passed the one million mark. By then, the need for improvement in the automatic exchanges was becoming well recognised. The need was for a telephone switching system which would do a better job more economically than the conventional step-by-step ex-change. This led to the adoption of the Crossbar system as the standard in automatic telephone exchanges in 1960. The introduction of Crossbar switching was a big step forward in the automation of trunk calls. It substituted automatic switching and charging equipment for the originating trunk operator, and improved the quality of the system radically. Before the introduction of the Crossbar system there were often very long delays in obtaining a booked trunk call, and the quality of sound was often very poor. With Crossbar, Subscriber Trunk Dialing (STD) became a reality. A trunk call by STD was as easy to make and almost as fast to connect as a local call.The item was made around the 1940s and used up until the 1970s in manual cord telephone exchanges as a way to time and charge users for trunk calls made over the telecom system of the time. Post Master General dept. - Trunk Call Timer.Inscribed PMG, C. of A, 37. Bell chimes at 3 min increments.flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, timer, trunk call, telephone, cord exchange