ACS Heritage Project: Chapter 12
Monday, 13 Mar 2017
Preamble
The Australian Computer Society (ACS) was formed 50 years ago, when the various state computer societies joined forces.
To mark the occasion, the ACS has initiated a heritage project to honour the many individuals who have contributed to the growth of the ICT profession in Australia.
At the heart of the project is a history of computing in Australia. It is not just a history of the ACS, but the history of a profession.
Australia has the longest computing history of any country, excepting the US and the UK, and CSIRAC in the Museum of Victoria is the oldest computer still in existence.
Previously published:
Chapter 1 -The start of Australia’s computing history
Chapter 2: The first Australian Computer Conference
Chapter 3: Harry Messel and the birth of SILLIAC
Chapter 5: SILLIAC and the Snowy Mountains Scheme
Chapter 8: Australia's Computer Industry in 1962
Chapter 9: Australian made, Australian designed
Chapter 10: Five Computer Societies
Chapter 11: The Australian Computer Society
Chapter 12: Control Data Australia (Part I)
US company Control Data was a major player in the early years of computing. It was especially important in Australia.
Control Data Corporation was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1957. Its CEO was William Norris, and an early employee was Seymour Cray, one of the most influential and best known early computer designers.
The company grew out of Engineering Research Associates (ERA), a company formed after World War II to keep together the team that had worked on the US Navy’s code-breaking machines during the war.
ERA was sold to Rand in 1952 in, and after that company was acquired by Sperry in 1955, Norris -- who had been one of the founders of ERA -- and some of his associates decided to go out on their own.
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