[ Here's a postscript to my history of the Aust Internet at: http://www.rogerclarke.com/II/OzI04.html (Google Scholar says that it's earned a whole 42 citations).
[ I regret to say that I failed to mention the URL of the relevant device, writing only: "The connection was effected on 23 June 1989 in Robert Elz's laboratory at the Uni. of Melbourne". [ I well remember the name, and I think I knew it even then; but the only occurrence on my site is in a copy of Jenny Sinclair's anniversary article in The Age in 1999: http://www.rogerclarke.com/II/Anniv.html [ Anyway, the new news is that I tripped over the following, prettymuch by chance, but only a week after its publication. ] https://melbconnect.com.au/discovery/a-computer-server-and-indigenous-reconciliation?mc_cid=d8de06e98a&mc_eid=2ad0a5b54b Engineering and IT Collection 25 Jan 2023 Commencing in the early 1980s, computer staff were seeking unique names for the university’s main computer servers. This was at a time when communication between computers required spelling out lengthy network pathways to ensure files and mail reached the right destination. Staff selected a series of Aboriginal names for the computer servers, starting with ‘mu’ to denote Melbourne University (‘mulga’, ‘murdu’, ‘mullian’, etc). At the time, there was no consultation with Aboriginal communities regarding this cultural appropriation. [ Hmmm, I wonder if my device's name, Rincewind, isn't the 'allusion' or 'homage' I thought it was, but instead (or also) 'cultural appropriation'. How about Durras, an early ANU device, etc.? ] ‘Munnari’, a word meaning ‘sleepy lizard’ in the Ngarrindjeri language of South Australia, was applied to the largest computer, the VAX 11/780. [ Jenny says that Rob was using a Sun at the time. 780s were in use from the late 1970s. I'm not sure if they were still carrying the load in 1989. But someone on link will remember! ] ‘Munnari’ became a legendary name in Australian internet history. Australia’s connection to the Internet was achieved on 24 June 1989, through a permanent satellite link connecting ‘munnari’ to a computer at the University of Hawaii and hence to emerging academic computer networks in the United States. This was the birth of the internet in Australia, and all internet traffic would be directed through ‘munnari’. The network would evolve into the hub of the Australian Academic and Research Network in 1990. Given its historical significance, ‘munnari’ continued to be used for subsequent servers. In 2020, contact was made with the Ngarrindjeri community explaining the unauthorised past use of the name and requesting whether the community would permit continued use of ‘munnari’, given its significance for the University and the internet in Australia. The Miwi-inyeri Pelepi-ambi Aboriginal Corporation (MIPAAC), which deals with language matters for the Ngarrindjeri community, has endorsed the use of ‘munnari’ for a new computer server. They are pleased to have this historical association with the internet in Australia. MIPAAC has also approved the use of the name for a multifunction space at Melbourne Connect, using the correct orthography, ‘manhari’ or its dialect variation ‘mandhari’. Addressing past wrongs can enable the strengthening of connections now. -- Roger Clarke mailto:[email protected] T: +61 2 6288 6916 http://www.xamax.com.au http://www.rogerclarke.com Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd 78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law University of N.S.W. Visiting Professor in Computer Science Australian National University _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] https://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
