What was CSIRAC?
CSIRAC was Australia's first digital computer and one of the first stored-program computers in the world. Built in Sydney by CSIR in 1949, it is the oldest surviving first-generation electronic computer.
CSIRAC, originally called CSIR Mk 1, was designed by Trevor Pearcey and Maston Beard at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, which later became CSIRO. It ran its first program in 1949.
The computer used about 2,000 vacuum valves, weighed several tonnes and filled a large room. It stored programs on mercury delay lines and read data from punched paper tape.
First computer music
In 1950 or 1951, CSIRAC became the first computer known to play music, performing tunes such as Colonel Bogey through its loudspeaker.
In 1955 it moved to the University of Melbourne, where it was used for weather forecasting, engineering and research until 1964.
CSIRAC is now on display at Melbourne Museum, where visitors can see the room-sized machine.
Did You Know?
CSIRAC could perform about 1,000 operations per second, far slower than a modern smartphone.