Summary

Paper tape holder for temporarily storing small paper tape programs or routines during the preparation of a larger program. The holder was probably attached to the open-fronted timber pigeon hole unit used to store the library of CSIRAC computer paper tapes. It was most probably used in Melbourne only.

While preparing a program tape, a programmer might want to paste a small program or routine from the library into the larger program being prepared. The small paper tape program would be hung temporarily from the paper tape holder until the programmer was ready to copy the library tape using a reader associated with the program preparation desk. The copy of the library tape would then be punched out, in-line, into the programmers own program tape, via the associated tape punch.

Physical Description

Rectangular brown block of wood, polished on one of the larger faces, with three screw holes in another unpolished face. A paper clip is screwed on one of the smaller faces. The clip has one of its handles missing.

Significance

The paper tape holder might be anachronistically described as CSIRAC's desktop. It was used to temporarily store a program or routine until it was ready to be copied and pasted into another program. The holder might well be the oldest computer desktop existing in the world, if not the first!

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