HP Computer Museum

30xx Melbourne, Australia (Victoria)

What:

The HP Computer Museum was a collection of old Hewlett-Packard computer hardware, software, documentation and other marketing materials from HP's early years in the computer industry (beginning in 1966). The museum was not a commercial enterprise; it was a privately funded resource for the enthusiast and for the curious. Until November 2022, the museum was housed in a 2500 square-foot building (shed, really) in Melbourne, Australia.

Scope:

The museum’s original long-term goal was to have working models of all computers and peripherals produced by Hewlett-Packard during the company’s first 25 years in the industry (1966 to 1991). The museum also contained some interesting examples of HP computer technology from the post-1991 period. The collection does not include any HP instruments.

Why:

The period of greatest innovation in any industry occurs during the birth and early growth periods. This is true of the computer industry and of HP's involvement in the industry. HP is one of only two major “survivors” of the early entrants in the computer industry, the other being IBM. It is interesting to track HP's progress in the industry and to speculate as to why HP survived into middle age when almost all others failed. From a historical perspective, HP is most notable for its pioneering company culture “The HP Way”.

The Museum Web Site:

The museum’s web site is maintained by the Hewlett Packard Company Archives as a resource for those interested in HP's early years in computing. We have reserved copyright on our photographs primarily to prevent possible misrepresentations in the “internet world”. The web has a very active market for second hand computers, and we would hate to see our pictures used to misrepresent an auction, for example.

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