ANNUAL REVIEW 2025
2000 - 2009
The work of many
2000
The year was 2000. The Y2K bug had been averted. Dotcoms were booming and busting. Microsoft unveiled Windows 2000.
And an unincorporated joint venture known as Interactive Virtual Environments Centre (iVEC) was established in WA, with the goal of facilitating Australian research through high performance computing.
iVEC’s founding partners included CSIRO – Australia’s national science agency, the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Central TAFE, with the Government of Western Australia providing seed funding of A$1 million, matched by Commonwealth funding.
2002
With this support, iVEC opened in 2002 as home to some of Australia’s earliest supercomputers, including Carlin (a Compaq Alpha cluster) in 2001, Cognac (a 192-processor SGI Altix) in 2005, and Marron (a Cray XT3) in 2006.
Initially iVEC’s mission was to provide high-performance computing (HPC) and visualisation capacity for academia and government, and the role of universities proved critical in building the centre’s research credentials.
Years Active: 2001 - 2006
Details: Compaq SC40, 20 Alpha CPUs
Compute Power: 20 cores
CarlIn
2006
By 2006, Central TAFE had bowed out but Edith Cowan University had stepped in, with the centre supporting regionally significant projects in geoscience, engineering, and applied science.
As the decade drew to a close, CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, became the Centre Agent of the unincorporated joint venture and Murdoch University joined the other WA public universities as a joint venture partner. Sustained State Government funding helped set the stage for the centre’s next significant step forward.
2000
2010
2015
2020
2025
25 years powered by pawsey
If you have any feedback about our new interactive report, or if you or your organisation would like support from Pawsey to help you reach new frontiers, get in touch!
General / Administration
P +61 8 6436 8830
F +61 8 6436 8555
Pawsey Supercomputing
Research Centre
1 Bryce Avenue
Kensington WA 6151
Australia
Enquiries
Media Enquiries
P +61 8 6436 8920
pr@pawsey.org.au
The Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre is supported by the Australian Government through a $70 million grant made under the Industry Research and Development Act and administered by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Pawsey is also supported by the Australian Government under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) through the Department of Education. The Centre would also like to acknowledge the support provided by the Western Australian Government and its Partner organisations.
We are grateful for the support of our core partners.
Website by Purple.
ANNUAL REVIEW 2025
2000 - 2009
The work of many
2000
The year was 2000. The Y2K bug had been averted. Dotcoms were booming and busting. Microsoft unveiled Windows 2000.
And an unincorporated joint venture known as Interactive Virtual Environments Centre (iVEC) was established in WA, with the goal of facilitating Australian research through high performance computing.
iVEC’s founding partners included CSIRO – Australia’s national science agency, the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Central TAFE, with the Government of Western Australia providing seed funding of A$1 million, matched by Commonwealth funding.
2002
With this support, iVEC opened in 2002 as home to some of Australia’s earliest supercomputers, including Carlin (a Compaq Alpha cluster) in 2001, Cognac (a 192-processor SGI Altix) in 2005, and Marron (a Cray XT3) in 2006.
Initially iVEC’s mission was to provide high-performance computing (HPC) and visualisation capacity for academia and government, and the role of universities proved critical in building the centre’s research credentials.
Years Active: 2001 - 2006
Details: Compaq SC40, 20 Alpha CPUs
Compute Power: 20 cores
CarlIn
2006
By 2006, Central TAFE had bowed out but Edith Cowan University had stepped in, with the centre supporting regionally significant projects in geoscience, engineering, and applied science.
As the decade drew to a close, CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, became the Centre Agent of the unincorporated joint venture and Murdoch University joined the other WA public universities as a joint venture partner. Sustained State Government funding helped set the stage for the centre’s next significant step forward.
Andrew Rohl
Hear the story
Lyn Beazley
Hear the story
Lyn Beazley
It is seen as something that's owned by the community and in which the community has pride.
Professor Lyn Beazley was Chief Scientist of Western Australia from 2006 to 2013 advising the WA Government on science, innovation and technology. She speaks about her time supporting the case for the establishment of the Pawsey Centre.
Click to play, click again to stop
Geoffrey Harben
Hear the story
2000
2010
2015
2020
2025
Website by Purple.
If you have any feedback about our new interactive report, or if you or your organisation would like support from Pawsey to help you reach new frontiers, get in touch!
25 years powered by pawsey
General / Administration
P +61 8 6436 8830
F +61 8 6436 8555
Pawsey Supercomputing
Research Centre
1 Bryce Avenue
Kensington WA 6151
Australia
Enquiries
Media Enquiries
P +61 8 6436 8920
pr@pawsey.org.au
The Pawsey Supercomputing Research Centre is supported by the Australian Government through a $70 million grant made under the Industry Research and Development Act and administered by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Pawsey is also supported by the Australian Government under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) through the Department of Education. The Centre would also like to acknowledge the support provided by the Western Australian Government and its Partner organisations.
We are grateful for the support of our core partners.