Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
students understand the influences of computers on society and the factors that influ-
enced the development of computer technology. The video can be explored from a
number of different aspects relevant to a broad range of computer science courses.
Further description of this resource is available elsewhere [8].
4 Publications and Research Activities
4.1 History Publications
The Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University commissioned a history
of the Faculty after the idea was discussed at the launch of the 2001 MMoCH display.
Professor John Rosenberg, Dean of the Faculty from 1997-2003, agreed that the pe-
riod of time leading up to the formation of the Faculty coincided with significant
changes in the approach to teaching information technology and the Faculty should
support a history publication. A steering committee was formed to guide the project.
Sarah Rood, as well as being Curator for the MMoCH, was given the contract to write
the history. The topic follows the development of computing at Monash University,
starting with the Monash Computer Centre and the beginnings of the teaching school
in the late 1960s to the establishment of a separate faculty in 1990. The author inter-
viewed a large number of people, including former students and staff, involved with
computing at Monash over the past thirty years. The topic From Ferranti to Faculty
was published in 2008 [9].
In 2008 the Museum was represented in inroads, SIGCSE Bulletin with a two part
article about the Museum. This was a great opportunity to raise the profile of the
Museum and highlight some of the interesting parts of the collection to a wide audi-
ence [10, 11].
4.2 Research
Internal research has been focused on material within the collection. This has been
particularly important for establishing the provenance of the Ferranti Sirius computer
in the collection. It came from the Clayton campus into the collection in 2001, but we
were aware that Monash University had donated another Sirius to Melbourne Mu-
seum in 1975. Director Judithe Sheard had also received a number of communications
from older staff members with their recollections about the Ferranti Sirius at Monash
University. These recollections proved to be quite confusing and it became apparent
that they referred to several different installations. After examining historical re-
sources, including Monash University Archives and ORICA Library and Archives,
we now understand that there were four different Sirius computers in Melbourne
during the early 1960s and all four were located at Monash University at different
points in time. We have also been fortunate to have received assistance with technical
and historical information from members of the British Computer Conservation Soci-
ety. This collaboration has led to the inclusion of an article on the Sirius at Monash
University in the magazine RESURRECTION, The Bulletin of the Computer Conser-
vation Society [12].
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