Allan Bromely Collection

Brief description

A collection of over 570 objects relating to the history and development of computing and other information technology assembled by Assoc Professor Allan Bromley of Sydney University, comprising calculators, mechanical and electronic analogue computers, computer components, kit computers, education computers, and associated ephemera

Significance

Allan Bromley was a lecturer and researcher at the University of Sydney Basser Department of Computer Science from 1972 until his untimely death in August 2002. He specialised in computer architecture, computer logic and in particular the history of computing. He was regarded as the world authority on Charles Babbage's Calculating Engines (instigating the building of Difference Engine No 2 at the Science Museum London from Babbage's original drawings) and the Antikythera Mechanism and had extensive knowledge on calculators, analogue computers, logic, stereoscopy, totalisators, clocks and time keeping and mechanical engineering. Allan built an wide-ranging collection of artefacts and a library illustrating and detailing various aspects of the development of computers and computing. While some people believed that he was indiscriminate in his acquisitions, taking items (often very large) that were otherwise destined for scrap, we can now see that he was extremely perceptive about what material would ultimately be regarded as significant, unearthing important stories that might otherwise have been lost.