Connecting the Periphery: The History of Computing in New Zealand 1950 - 2000

Abstract

The focus on social and cultural interpretations of our past has led to a view of the settlement process that is heavily oriented towards political, intellectual, legal, and literary features: we know little about the impact of technology on the country. James Watson and Ruth Barton have spent their careers building the history of science and technology in New Zealand, so all is not lost for the sub-discipline as a whole, but the history of computing is almost entirely invisible. This is unfortunate, because the country can contribute a lot to the global discourse on computing. I can only assume such work would be welcome, because our understanding of the development and diffusion of computing technologies outside Europe and North America seems limited.