Computer Science
Computing History Displays: Second Floor
The second floor lobby is the least developed in our collection. The display cabinets contain, in the main, pre-computer mechanical and electro-mechanical machines. There are also some PCs and some early PDAs such as the Apple Newton.
We hope eventually to incorporate displays on electromechanical accounting machines. In the meantime we have two permanent displays, described via the links below. The first is on the topic of totalisators. Totalisator machinery is of great interest to us because it is generally acknowledged that the first ever automatic totalisator machine was set in operation at Ellerslie racecourse here in Auckland in 1913.
There is another display on the connection between Charles Babbage and New Zealand as uncovered by Garry Tee. A centre-piece of this display is a sculpture by Leigh Christensen that has become our departmental mascot - see him to the right.
