History of Computers in Australia

Australia had some significant milestones in Australian computer history. Australian computer science made big strides in the construction of early electronic computers and in applications for research, industry and government.

Below is just some of the more important steps made at a time when all this was still very new anywhere in the world.

First Computers

1949 Australia’s first computer was the CSIR Mk1

1952 Release of the IBM 701

1956 CSIR Mk1 recommissioned as CSIRAC

1956 UTECOM valve computer (English Electric DEUCE) at University of NSW

1959 ADA transistor differential analyser by Murray Allen at CSIRO

1960 SNOCOM transistor computer by David Wong & Murray Allen at CSIRO/Sydney University

Significant Milestones

The 1966 census was first processed electronically

1974 Electronics Australia magazine Aug, Build Your Own Digital Computer! The EDUC-8 as a world first kit

1977 Release of the Apple II

1981 The internet was connected to Australia, but not strictly available to the public until 1989.

1983 The IBM PC was released

1984 First online bulletin board

1989 Pegasus Networks was established as the first public Internet Service Provider

1990 AMIGA 3000 released

1993 Intel launches Pentium commercially

1999 Australian Domain Name Administrator

Author: Paul