On the first Friday of every November, pioneers of Australia's technology sector gather to Capture the Past and Inspire the Future of the industry. Known as the Max Burnet Lunch, this Sydney lunch was the first time since COVID that we were able to reunite. The excited chatter of war stories re-kindled and industry relationships recounted was a joy to see.
Past speakers at the lunch have been Andrew Stevens, Ian Oppermann and David Thodey. This year we heard from industry legend, Len Rust. Len has over 60 years' experience working in and reporting on Australia's technology sector.
Len reflected on our hardware history and our software future. He then presented a slide show of the who's who of Australia's ICT industry. The familiar faces were interspersed with a pictorial timeline of the evolution of the computers and technology that many of us have worked on. A Q&A session concluded while dessert was served. The event was recorded, so contact us if you would like a presentation copy.
The Australian Computer Museum Society brought a display of Australia's hardware technology. The common phrase heard was 'I use to work on one of those'. But the event wasn't just about the past. Attendees also heard about the Women of STEM scholarship designed to support the growth of females entering Australia's IT industry.