Museum

Electrical Engineering Education Museum

In 1997, the Department decided to begin a Departmental Collection. The mission of the Collection is to archive, preserve and document the history of the Department's teaching within the context of the University of Melbourne and, in particular, to develop a greater understanding of the development of the Electrical Engineering Department since its inception in 1947.

The Collection acts as an archive for material relevant to education in the Department which may otherwise be lost. This archive is intended to be accessible in the future to researchers as a possible historical resource. The Collection consists of approximately 120 accessioned items, including photographs, certificates and historical literature. The bulk of the items is electrical, electronic, telegraphic and radio equipment ranging from the late 19th century to the present day. This includes some rare early Galvanometers, Alternating Ammeters and Resistance Bridges.

The Collection is acknowledged as one of the Cultural Collection of the University of Melbourne.

The Electrical Engineering Education Collection currently exhibits some features in a temporary display. This consists of two sets of glass cabinets with a variety of information in the Level One Foyer of 207 Bouverie Street. The collection can be viewed by appointment only. Interested parties should contact Marija Maher on (03) 8344 6684 or . We hope eventually to present a number of items in a Virtual Museum on the web which will change periodically. In the meantime, here is a sample of some of our items:

Standard Cell. Made in London by Robert W.Paul.	Galvanometer. Made by Horation Yeates, London. Face dial measuring 0 - 60? on front.
AC/DC Millivolt meter no. 27109. Made by Elliot Bros of London in 1920. Originally from Victorian Railways.	Voltmeter. Made in London by Siemens Brothers & Co.
Standard Capacitor. Manufactured by Muirhead & Co of Westminster, England. 1/3 microfarad.	Temperature Meter. Manufactured by Short & Mason in London. Originally from the RAAF.
Direct Current Galvanometer. Manufactured in Melbourne by J L William. Coil resistance 60 OHMS. Siemens 6 v 3 w, SBC lamp.	High Voltage Transformer. Made by APPS of The Strand, London. Design patented 1881.