The Monash University Museum of Computing History: Ten Years On - History of Computing: Learning from the Past - page 226

visitor to explore the main points further. By clicking on a topic, the visitor is then
offered a range of sub-topics presented in different formats. They can read text or
activate presentations of original footage or still images. The preliminary multimedia
project (described earlier) has been investigating the development of imaging early
technology and activating the images in a realtime situation to recreate the technology
in a contemporaneous context. For specialized visitors, an access point is provided for
collection searches on the MMoCH physical collection. This would show the prove-
nance and physical attributes of these objects as well as images. A visitor can also
have a virtual tour of the current physical display at the museum.
This project is still in the planning stages but staff have had preliminary meetings
with academic advisers from the History Department and the IT Faculty, Monash
University. The Museum hopes to provide a portal on the history of computing which
exploits the skills of different faculties to interpret the Museum's physical collection
and research. The Internet will allow the Museum to reach a wider audience and pro-
vide a resource for different levels of students as well as the general user.
7 Conclusion
The Monash Museum of Computing History is a relatively new university museum
but, through the use of modern media, it aims to provide information and resources to
a wide community of users. The physical collection gives staff and students a base for
research in a number of areas including technological developments and historical
interpretation of the impact of these developments. Future plans will expand the
outreach of the Museum from the immediate university environs to a much larger
audience through the Internet.
References
1. Our History, achievements and milestones: 1990 - Caulfield and Peninsula campuses
established (1990),
http://www.monash.edu.au/timeline/1990-caulfield-
peninsula.html (accessed: February 25, 2010)
2. Rood, S.: From Ferranti to Faculty: Information Technology at Monash University,
pp. ix-x. 1960 to 1990 Monash University ePress, Melbourne (2008)
3. Monash Museum of Computing History,
http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/projects/museum
(accessed: February 25, 2010)
4. Ainsworth, A.B.: The Ferranti Sirius computer at Monash University (2008),
http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/projects/museum/pape
rs/first-computer-at-monash-university-v4.pdf (accessed: February
25, 2010)
5. John Wolff's Web Museum,
http://home.vicnet.net.au/~wolff/calculators/Egli/Egli.htm
(accessed: February 25, 2010)
6. The Monads Project, http://monads-security.org/ (accessed: February 25,
2010)