old is new again...or at least re-discovered
Computing has an interesting and varied history over the last several decades in Tasmania, and these pages are intended to compile that history, provide a long-term repository and establish a community to share experiences and combine efforts involving classic/vintage/retro computers, both hardware, software and anything related. retroComputingTasmania
retro - "retro" derives from the Latin prefix retro, meaning "backwards" or "in past times"
Computing - the activity of using and developing computer technology, computer hardware and software
Tasmania - this site is not necessarily limited to Tasmania, however some connection with Tasmania is preferred.
Partial list of early digital computers in Tasmania
Please contribute corrections and additions to this table of early computers in Tasmania.
| Year |
Computer |
Who |
Notes |
Note: not the actual machines |
| 1962 |
ICT 1301 |
Cadbury-Fry-Pascall |
5 tonnes, 65 square metres, and 4000 circuit boards |
|
| 1964 |
Elliott 503 |
Hydro-University Computing Centre |
Operated for 14-years, June 1964 - 1977. |
|
| 1965 |
IBM 1440 |
Transport Commission |
Operated for 16-years, August 1965 until 1-Dec-1980. |
|
| 1975 |
Burroughs B6700 |
University of Tasmania |
1975 - late 1980s(?) |
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Computing connections with a Tasmanian flavour
Not a complete list and biased by the authors' experience and uncertain memory, additions and corrections welcome!
- 1964 - Hydro Electric Commission and University of Tasmania jointly operate an Elliott 503 computer programmed in Elliott ALGOL (The Hydro-University Computing Centre) - brochure for the Elliott 503
- 1969/1970 - Tasmania was an early leader in introducing computers into high-school, matriculation, technical and university education
- 1977 - Professor Arthur Sale (UTAS) and colleagues developed one of the first Pascal compilers for the Burroughs B6700 mainframe, and the PVS (Pascal Validation Suite), one of the first attempts to validate programming language implementations
- 1979 - EF Codd named one of his seminal papers on relational database theory Relational Model/Tasmania (RM/T) - a copy of Codd's RM/T paper is here
- 1980 - Tasmanian enterprises were early and enthusiastic users of the UNIX operating system (in its many forms)
- 1980s - Protel was started in Hobart and became a global vendor of computer aided printed-circuit-board design software
- 1970s onwards - Professor Phillip (Pip) Hamilton AM, followed up the discovery of the first pulsar and was later responsible for the discovery of a number of pulsars using the Parkes Telescope and its DEC PDP-9 as well as computers at UTAS and CSIRO Radiophysics Division. Professor Hamilton et al also elucidated key properties of pulsars that led to the currently-accepted rotating neutron star model of the pulsar.
Participating
If you wish to contribute, send an email to nw@retroComputingTasmania.com with details of your interests in classic computing and you will be added to the retroComputingTasmania Google Group
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