P003026 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

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 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 1997-11-18 human Rosanne Walker; Ken McInnes updated 2026-02-19 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003026b.htm person Beard Maston AM AACR2 14 April 1917 5 January 2000 Place of Birth Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia Place of Death late of Longueville, New South Wales, Australia Computer engineer Maston Beard, with Trevor Pearcey, was involved in the development of CSIRAC, an early vacuum-tube stored-program computer for the CSIR/O 1947-1951. Maston Beard graduated in 1939 from Sydney University and was involved in radar work until joining the CSIRAC project from 1947. When the computer was moved to the University of Melbourne in 1955, he continued work on digital techniques and the application of computers in connection with navigational aids for civil aviation, the processing of data from radio telescopes, the control of Narrabri radio heliograph, and the control of the Siding Spring 3.9-metre optical telescope. He obtained a Master of Engineering from the University of Sydney in 1959. He retired from CSIRO in 1978 while assistant chief at the Division of Computing Research. Following his retirement he served as a Senior Research Fellow in the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics. In 1980, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of service to Radiophysics. 1936 1936 Career event - Student Member (StudIEAust), Institution of Engineers Australia c. 1937 c. 1937 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc), University of Sydney 1939 1939 Award - William and Jane Grahame mechanical engineering scholarship, University of Sydney 1939 1939 Education - Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical and Electrical (BE (Hons)), University of Sydney 1939 1947 Career position - Radio transmitter design and radar research, CSIRO 1947 1947 Career event - Joined the CSIRAC project c. 1955 1978 Career position - Assistant Chief, Division of Computing Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 1959 1959 Education - Master of Engineering (MEng), University of Sydney 1978 Career position - Honorary Senior Research Fellow, Division of Radiophysics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation 1978 1978 Life event - Retired 9 Jun 1980 9 Jun 1980 Award - Member of the Order of Australia (AM) - in recognition of service to radiophysics Pearcey, Trevor (1919 - 1998)

Maston Beard and Trevor Pearcey were involved together in the development of CSIRAC

 CSIRO Division of Computing Research, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (c. 1967 - 1986)

Assistant Chief of the Division when he retired in 1978

 CSIR/O Division of Radiophysics, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (1940 - 1996)

Honorary Senior Research Fellow 1978 -

 CSIRAC (1949 - )

Maston Beard and Trevor Pearcey were involved together in the development of CSIRAC

 Scientists Against Nuclear Arms (Australia) (SANA) (1982 - )

Founder 1982 -

 Beard, Maston

Trove

 'Beard, Maston', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Beard, Maston Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Book: A Textbook of Radar The Radiophysics Laboratory Council for Scientific and Industrial Research A Textbook of Radar Sydney; London Angus & Robertson 1947 Book: The Last of the First CSIRAC: Australia's First Computer McCann, Doug and Thorne, Peter The Last of the First CSIRAC: Australia's First Computer Melbourne Melbourne University Press 2000 Resource: CSIRAC: Australia's first computer in 1949 Pass, Steven CSIRAC: Australia's first computer in 1949 Computer Science and Software Engineering, The University of Melbourne 2000 Journal Article: The Genesis of an Early Stored-Program Computer: CSIRAC Beard, M.; Pearcey, T. The Genesis of an Early Stored-Program Computer: CSIRAC 1984 Annals of the History of Computing 6 2 106-115 Resource Section: Maston Beard Ward, C. Maston Beard Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) 2011 CSIROpedia Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Edited Book: Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements Engineers Australia Wonders never cease: 100 Australian engineering achievements Barton, Australian Capital Territory Institution of Engineers, Australia 2019 Journal Article: Edward George Bowen 1911-1991 Brown, R. Hanbury; Minnett, Harry C; White, Fredrick W. G. Edward George Bowen 1911-1991 1992 Historical Records of Australian Science 9 2 151-166 Resource: Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Online Melbourne Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2000