Victorian Telecommunications Museum
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The Victorian Telecommunications Museum is a small museum located in Burwood Road, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia.
It houses historical telecommunications equipment that had been used by what originally was called the Postmaster-General's Department which in 1975 split into Telecom Australia and Australia Post. In 1993 Telcom Australia was renamed Telstra.
There are a number of items that the visitor can use of which the best example is a working mini telephone exchange with four old phones that can call each other. The visitor can watch the exchange manually step up and click around as the numbers are dialled. The phones have all the original dial tones and rings that were used prior to the 1980s.
Currently the most significant exhibit is the original mechanical Speaking clock made with rotating glass discs. The discs were originally read using an exciter and a detector made with valve technology. These devices are no longer available and since all the originals had failed, replacements had to fashioned using digital technology adapted to plug in to the original valve sockets. This development has enabled the speaking clock to be restored to full operation.
The site is managed by volunteers and at present is not open to the public but tours may be arranged by appointment. The WWW site of the group is currently undergoing reconstruction, the URL will be posted here when complete.
