Photographs taken of the first computer of Ballarat School of Mines / Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education Mount Helen Campus. This mainframe computer was purchased in 1969 for $116,000 and set up in the First Stage Engineering building (later F Building). It was the first operational teaching facility on the new campus. The initial computer centre staff were Arch McKinnon ad Manager and Judy Wilson as Key Punch Operator.. In 1972 Brian Dixon operated this computer for a night or two a week. He obtained an operators certificate as part of a Maths course at Ballarat College of Advanced Education, and lecturer Arch McKinnon offered Brian Dixon a night job.Four photographs relating to the ICL1911A computer. The computer was known as 'George' and called itself 'George'. .1) Two women standing behind a large ICL1901A .2) A woman in Ballarat School of Mines uniform stands behind an ICL computer item .3) & .5) Three women in a mainframe computer room .4) a woman operates a card punch machine .3 and .4 are shown in the Ballarat School of Mines Handbook, 1970, page 57computer, key punch, punch cards, icl1901a, g. durand, judith wilson, vivvian gay, jane henderson, brian dixon

Ballarat College of Education is a Predecessor or Federation University AustraliaMike Gustus sits in from of a computer in the Ballarat College of Advanced Education Computer Room, most likely selecting jobs to be printed off the print queues, for students or administration. The two people in the background are Gayle Prollius and Samantha Prollius. They are entering in student programs to be processed at the CYBER, mainframe, computer at RMIT. Back up tapes a visible in the background. ballarat college of advanced education, mike gustus, gustus, computers, ballarat college of advanced education, mike gustus, gustus, computers, prollius, samantha prollius, gayle prollius

This collection of 19 photos was most likely taken in 1979 in Air Survey Squadron. The PDP 11/70 minicomputer shown photos .2P to .3P was the operating system introduced in 1977 as the mainframe system for the control of the APC4, aerial triangulation block adjustments, SORA OP Analytical Orthophoto control, APR Analytical Terrain Profile Recorder computation, graphics, and general computing. The Zeiss (Jena) Stecometer analytic stereocomparator for air photography shown in photos .5P to .9P was introduced at Air Survey Squadron in 1963. Aerotriangulation production was expedited using computers for analytical photogrammetric processes. The technician accurately measured between pass, tie, and survey control points on aerial photographs. The OMI/Nistri AP/C-3 analytical plotter shown in photos .10P and .11P was introduced in 1972–1973. Photo .11P shows a coordinatorgraph attached to the AP/C-3. The Zeiss D2 Planimat Stereoplotter shown in photo .12P was used for analytical orthophoto control. Wild PUG4 point transfer devices shown in photos .17P to .19P were introduced in c1968 superseding the PUG2 devices. PUG4 devices were used by technicians to stereoscopically view the photography containing the survey control points and the mapping aerial photography. The Control points were transferred from the control photography to the mapping diapositives of aerial photography by drilling their locations into the photographic emulsion.This is a set of 19 photographs of Air Survey Squadron personnel operating aerotriangulation equipment at the Army Survey Regiment at Fortuna, Bendigo, c1979. Black and white photos are on photographic paper and were scanned at 300 dpi. They are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. .1) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Aerotriangulation tasks, unidentified technicians. .2) to .3) - Photo, black & white, c1979, PDP-11 minicomputers tasks, unidentified technician. .4) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Aerotriangulation tasks, unidentified technician. .5) - Photo, colour, c1979, Zeiss (Jena) Stecometer, unidentified technician. .6) to.9) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Zeiss (Jena) Stecometer, unidentified technician. .10) - Photo, black & white, c1984, OMI/Nistri APC/3-1 analytical stereoplotter, SPR Kristin (Isaac) Skidmore. .11) - Photo, colour, c1979, OMI/Nistri APC/3-1 analytical stereoplotter, unidentified technician. .12) - Photo, colour, c1979, Zeiss D2 Planimat Stereoplotter, unidentified technician. .13) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Aerotriangulation tasks, unidentified technician. .14) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Aerotriangulation tasks, unidentified technician. .15) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Aerotriangulation tasks, CPL Ken Talbot-Smith .16) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Aerotriangulation tasks, SPR David Jobe. .17) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Wild PUG4 point transfer device, WO2 Brian Mead. .18) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Wild PUG4 point transfer device, CPL Andy Wilson. .19) - Photo, black & white, c1979, Wild PUG4 point transfer device, unidentified technician..5P is annotated ‘OMI-Nistri AP/C Analytical Plotter’ and ’Topo 36’. .12P is annotated ‘Zeiss Jena Stecometer Stereocomparator’ and ’Topo 35’. There are no annotations on the other photos.royal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna, asr, aerotrig, air survey

This collection of 14 photos was most likely taken in the 1970s and 1980s in Air Survey Squadron. The PDP 11/70 minicomputer shown in photo .1P was the operating system introduced in 1977 as the mainframe system for the control of the APC4, aerial triangulation block adjustments, SORA OP Analytical Orthophoto control, APR Analytical Terrain Profile Recorder computation, graphics, and general computing. Technicians used the Wild A9 Stereocomparator shown in photo .2P to accurately measure between pass, tie, and survey control points on aerial photographs. The Zeiss D2 Planimat Stereoplotter shown in photos .3P to .4P was used for analytical orthophoto control. It was introduced in 1972-1973 The Zeiss (Jena) Stecometer analytic stereocomparator for air photography shown in photos .5P to .11P and .14P was introduced at Air Survey Squadron in 1963. Aerotriangulation production was expedited using computers for analytical photogrammetric processes. The technician accurately measured between pass, tie, and survey control points on aerial photographs. Wild PUG4 point transfer devices shown in photos .12P to .13P were introduced in c1968 superseding the PUG2 devices. PUG4 devices were used by technicians to stereoscopically view the photography containing the survey control points and the mapping aerial photography. The Control points were transferred from the control photography to the mapping diapositives of aerial photography by drilling their locations into the photographic emulsion.This is a set of 14 photographs of Air Survey Squadron personnel operating aerotriangulation equipment at the Army Survey Regiment at Fortuna, Bendigo, c1970s to 1980s. Photographs .1P to .13P were on 35mm colour slide film and scanned at 96 dpi. Photograph.14P was printed on photographic paper and was scanned at 300 dpi. They are part of the Army Survey Regiment’s Collection. .1) - Photo, colour, c1979, PDP-11 minicomputer. .2) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Unidentified technician operating a Wild A9 Stereocomparator. .3) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Zeiss D2 Planimat Stereoplotter. .4) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Zeiss D2 Planimat Stereoplotter, unidentified technicians. .5) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Zeiss D2 Planimat Stereoplotter, SGT Christopher Wardley. .6) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Zeiss D2 Planimat Stereoplotter. .7) to.9) - Photo, colour, c1970, Zeiss (Jena) Stecometer, unidentified technicians. .10) to.11) - Photo, colour, c1988, SPR Toni Wright operating a Zeiss (Jena) Stecometer. .12) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Wild PUG4 point transfer device, SPR John Shepard. .13) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Wild PUG4 point transfer device, SPR David Edwards. .13) - Photo, colour, c1970s, Wild PUG4 point transfer device, SPR David Edwards. .14) - Photo, colour, c1980, Zeiss (Jena) Stecometer, SGT Bruce Hammond.Some of the equipment is annotated on the frame of the 35mm slides.royal australian survey corps, rasvy, army survey regiment, army svy regt, fortuna, asr, aerotrig, photogrammetry

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.