This series contains correspondence, memos and minutes. The series comprises material related to the transfer to the University of Melbourne of the CSIRO computer and to the establishment of the University's computer project. The greater part of the material in the Series is correspondence either to or from Professor Cherry, Head of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Melbourne. Subjects covered by this correspondence include arrangements for the setting-up of the computer project and its staffing. Funding and the likely future role of the CSIRO in the project are also discussed.

No documentation found.

This series contains correspondence mainly from Dr. Frank Hirst, Officer in Charge of the Computation Laboratory, University of Melbourne and Professor Cherry, Head of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Melbourne with clients seeking solutions to various calculation program specifications. There are also notes on suggestions for the solution of these programming problems.

This series contains 12 hole paper tapes used for input to CSIRAC. They comprise the original program library tapes, tapes of work in progress by Computation Laboratory staff and tapes from outside users. The total number of these tapes is approximately 450.

All CSIRAC 12-hole tapes which could be located have been read by an apparatus developed by the Melbourne University Computer Science and Software Engineering
Department. As read, the original files produced were in a Hex format and have been converted to a form readable by the CSIRAC emulators CSIRACEM (for DOS) and EM2/3 (for Windows), and given an extension of CVT. These are text files, in the following format, where each tape row is represented as: columns
1234567
mm nnXY where mm and nn are the most and least significant 32-scale numbers, X = X if there is an X punch, else space, Y = Y if there is a Y punch, else space.
Columns beyond 7 are ignored by the emulator programs, and may be used for comments.

As well as the .CVT files, Symbol Print files with an extension of TSP have also been produced. These are also text files, somewhat similar to those originally produced by the CSIRAC TSP program, but able to list the primary and control as well. Their format is:
cols Content
1- 2 High part of location in memory (32 scale)
3 Blank
4- 5 Low part of location in memory (32 scale)
6 Blank
7- 8 number n for nA control character ) if nA control character present,
9 A ) otherwise blank
10 Blank
11-12 High part of command address or T address (32 scale)
13 Blank
14-15 Low part of command address or T address (32 scale) or number n
for nS control character (if present)
16 T,S,R,D or Y control designation (if present, otherwise blank)
17-18 Source mnemonic
19 Blank
20-21 Destination mnemonic
Note: The A control character, if present, is always in column 9.
The T,S,R,D,Y control characters, if present, are always in column 16.
The Y control character is used by the Primary to indicate a transfer.
Both the .CVT and .TSP files are preceded by one or more heading lines, terminated by a line with 0 0 for .CVT files or a blank line for .TSP files.

Files of all tapes marked with T numbers have been retained with their original numbers, except that a full stop in a tape number has been replaced by an underscore. These constitute the official "CSIRAC Library" and have numbers below T700.
Because the tape boxes were also used by the staff and others to hold tapes currently in use or under development, they contained many such tapes without tape numbers. Such tapes were arbitrarily allotted numbers from T700-T799 and T900 onwards. Other stray tapes from various sources were also allotted numbers in these ranges. In most cases, information typed or written at the head of tapes has been transcribed to the headers of the .CVT and .TSP files representing them.
Tapes held by J. Spencer were allotted numbers from T800-T893.
Box no. 0 or blank is used for files with no corresponding physical tape or where the location of the tape is not definitely known.
Box no. 300 is a wooden box of tapes donated to the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney; Boxes 301 - 303 are currently held by J. Spencer.
In general, there is a .TSP file for each .CVT file, except for tapes such as reader test tapes and data tapes for which a Symbol Print would be meaningless. Some data tapes not identified as such may have corresponding .TSP files.
Interprogram Tapes
All Interprogram tapes located were in poor condition, with many corrections and alterations. Tape T754 was found to agree with the listing in G.W. Hill's Ph.D thesis and is operational with the emulators. Tape T755 had many errors and was corrected as far as possible by J. Spencer and R. Bowles, aided by a working program from F. Hirst. It has the ability to create a 5-hole program tape, and is also operational with the emulators. Complete annotated Symbol Prints of both these programs are included in the .TSP files. Other
Interprogram tapes could not be made operational, but the above two are the main ones of interest.

This series contains program descriptions and Symbol Prints of most of the programs in the CSIRAC library. Each of about 30 categories of programs are stored in separate folders. This material was used by programmers to assist in planning and assembling their programs.

This series contains copies of the CSIRAC Programming Manual and various versions of G.W. Hill's INTERPROGRAM manual.

This series contains mainly University of Melbourne CSIRAC Programming Course notices and correspondence requesting enrolment and fee payments.

This title not used.

This series contains correspondence and reports related to computational developments in Australia during the 1950s. The greater part of the material in this Series comprises University of Melbourne Computation Laboratory Annual Reports. These Reports detail the work done on the CSIRAC computer during the reporting period, including the nature of the project, the organisation for which the project was conducted and the time spent completing the work.

This series contains correspondence relating to personnel requirements and appointments for the Computation Department, University of Melbourne.

This series contains correspondence and reports relating to computer uses and future computer needs.

This series contains newpaper clippings, published papers and reports. The majority of the material is written by T. Pearcey, M. Beard and G.W. Hill and published by various sources including CSIRO Division of Radiophysics, Sydney. The papers cover design and operational aspects of CSIRAC.

This series contains drawings in both hard copy and digital form.
The majority of items in this series originated in the Division of Radiophysics of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), located in Sydney; during 1949 CSIR became the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
After CSIRAC moved to Melbourne during 1955 further items were produced by members of the engineering staff of the Computation Laboratory of the University of Melbourne, and there were several copies of drawings produced by the Division of Building Research, CSIRO located at Highett.
When CSIRAC was decommissioned in November 1964 it was carefully dismantled, and along with all the associated drawings and engineering log books was donated by Dr Frank Hirst to the National Science Museum of Victoria.
In 1996 a team, which included some members who had maintained CSIRAC, were successful in locating all the dismantled CSIRAC which were then being held in storage at Scienceworks. The computer was reassembled as a static display in the Computer Science Department of the University of Melbourne during the 'CSIRAC Celebration' held in June 1996.
The detailed search through all of the relevant storage area when locating and identifying the CSIRAC items failed to locate any of the computer drawings or log books. The fact (that) these important items were missing was emphasised during the two-day seminar associated with the 'CSIRAC Celebration', in the hope someone may have some information on their whereabouts. CSIRAC had been shifted several times since 1964 and for some years from 1980 had been on static display at the Caulfield Institute of Technology, as arranged by the School of Computing and Information Services, with the co-operation of the Science Museum of Victoria.

This series contains file and booklet relating to Test equipment.

This series contains correspondence, documentation and various manufacturers brochures. Topics covered concern the transfer of CSIRAC from Sydney to Melbourne, enquiries and orders for the purchase of various hardware items and paper tape from suppliers, machine speed up and other design notes.

This series contains diagrams relating to the layout, controls and operation of the CSIRAC computer.

This series contains correspondence, reports, papers, publications, manuals, mainly either to or from Professor Cherry, Head of Department of Mathematics at the University of Melbourne or Dr. Frank Hirst, Officer in Charge of the Computation Laboratory, University of Melbourne, concerning matters such as computing developments, conferences, committees.

This series contains photographic material in print, negative and/or digital formats covering CSIRAC machine and the people associated with it.

This series contains correspondence mainly from the files of Dr. Frank Hirst, Officer in Charge, Computation Laboratory, University of Melbourne, answering enquiries concerning computer and programming courses, visiting personnel, lectures and conferences, invitations, journals.

This series contains working sketches, drawing, notes made and used by staff for constructions of components for CSIRAC. Also Trevor Pearcey's personal copy of some CSIRAC plans.

This series contains

This series contains