On Friday, January 16, 2004 at 2:07:01=E2=80=AFAM UTC+11, Rob Storey wrote:

"PDP-9 supplied by {some company specialising in supplying older computers/replicas as props}"

=20
The PDP-9 was provided by Max Burnett who worked for DEC in Australia
for many years (for some of these he was the regional head)
and now runs a company providing Classic Computers for films/TV/etc.

Max now provides the PDP-9 to the Monash Universty historical computing exhibit.
It is on display in the foyer of the fourth(?) floor of one of the
buildings at the Caulfield campus (Melbourne), along with numerous other items.
Rob Storey

Some foot notes ...

A PDP-9 was used with the Dish in 1969. Max Burnet has a video which was m= ade for the ABC Collectors TV show. In this video he describes how he was a= sked by the movie producers if he could provide a PDP-9 for making the movi=
e The Dish and he says he was able to provide the original one from the Dis=
h at Parkes.

Max also co-produced a booklet in 2011, titled "A History of Digital in Aus= tralia and New Zealand". I am reading it at the moment. Here are some quo= tes from the book regarding The Dish and its computer.

Page 19
"PDP-9 serial number 161, CSIRO Division of Radio Physics, Parkes NSW (at T=
he Dish)"

=E2=80=9CThe PDP=E2=80=939 at Parkes became a film star 20 years later when=
it featured in the movie The Dish. Max Burnet was able to provide the PDP= =E2=80=939 for the film set from his museum collection. (Watch the credits =
at the end of the movie.) In the movie the PDP=E2=80=939 was accused of los= ing data due to a power outage. Not so, it had core memory in real life. = =E2=80=9C

Sadly, Max passed away a few days ago. He leaves a rich legacy of material=
on computing history as well as many other achievements. I worked at DEC = Australia for 17 years and Max 31 years. He was very highly respected by e= veryone. =20

Tony Gallagher


--- MBSE BBS v1.0.8 (Linux-x86_64)
* Origin: ---:- FTN<->UseNet Gate -:--- (3:633/280.2@fidonet)