The Times Australia
The Times World News

.
The Times Real Estate

.

how Australians made the early internet their own

  • Written by Kieran Hegarty, Research Fellow (Automated Decision-Making Systems), RMIT University
how Australians made the early internet their own

The internet is growing old. While the roots of the internet date back to the 1960s[1], the popular internet – the one that 99% of Australians now use[2] – is a child of the 1990s.

In the space of a decade, the internet moved from a tool used by a handful of researchers to something most Australians[3] used – to talk to friends and family, find out tomorrow’s weather, follow a game, organise a protest, or read the news.

The popular internet grows up

This year marks 30 years since the release of Mosaic[4], the first browser that integrated text and graphics, helping to popularise the web: the global information network we know today.

Google is now 25, Wikipedia turned 21[5] last year, and Facebook will soon be 20. These anniversaries were marked with events[6], feature articles[7] and birthday cakes[8].

But a local milestone passed with little fanfare: 30 years ago, the first Australian websites started to appear.

The web made the internet intelligible to people without specialist technical knowledge. Hyperlinks made it easy to navigate from page to page and site to site, while the underlying HTML code was relatively easy for newcomers to learn.

Australia gets connected

In late 1992, the first Australian web server was installed. The Bioinformatics Hypermedia Server[9] was set up by David Green at the Australian National University in Canberra, who launched his LIFE website that October. LIFE later claimed[10] to be “Australia’s first information service on the World Wide Web”.

A screenshot of a website called LIFE as it appeared in December 1997.
‘Australia’s first information service on the World Wide Web’ was installed by David Green from the Australian National University in October 1992. Australian Web Archive

Not that many Australians would have seen it at the time. In the early 1990s, the Australian internet was a university-led research network.

The Australian Academic and Research Network[11] (AARNet) connected to the rest of the world in 1989, through a connection between the University of Hawaii and the University of Melbourne. Within a year, most Australian universities and many research facilities were connected.

Read more: How Australia connected to the internet 25 years ago[12]

The World Wide Web was invented by English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee and launched in 1991. At the time, it was just one of many communication protocols for creating, sharing and accessing information.

Researchers connected to AARNet were experimenting with tools like Gopher[13] and Internet Relay Chat[14] alongside the web.

Even as a research network, the internet was deeply social. Robert Elz[15], one of the computer scientists who connected Australia to the internet in 1989, became well-known for his online commentaries[16] on cricket matches. Science fiction fans set up mailing lists.

These uses hinted at what was to come, as everyday Australians got online.

The birth of the public internet

Throughout 1994[17], AARNet enabled private companies to buy network capacity and connect users outside research contexts. Ownership of the Australian internet was transferred to Telstra in 1995, as private consumers and small businesses began to move online.

With the release of web browsers like Mosaic and Netscape[18], and the increase in dial-up connections, the number of Australian websites grew rapidly.

At the start of 1995, there were a couple of hundred[19]. When the Australian internet went public just six months later, they numbered in the thousands[20]. By the end of the decade there were hundreds of thousands.

Everyday Australians get connected

As everyday Australians went online, students, activists, artists and fans began to create a diverse array of sites that took advantage of the web’s possibilities.

The “cyberfeminist zine” geekgirl[21], created by Rosie X. Cross from her home in inner-west Sydney, combined a “Do It Yourself” punk ethos with the global distribution the web made possible. It was part of a diverse and flourishing feminist culture online.

A screenshot of a website called 'Cyberpoetry' as it appeared in May 1997.
Artist Komninos Zervos used the features of the web to create a form of ‘cyberpoetry’. Australian Web Archive

Australia was home to the first fully online doctorate[22], Simon Pockley’s 1995 PhD thesis Flight of Ducks[23].

Art students presented poetry as animated gifs, labelling them “cyberpoetry[24]”. Aspiring science fiction writers published[25] multimedia stories on the web.

The Australian internet goes mainstream

Political parties, government and media also moved online.

The Age Online[26] was the first major newspaper website in Australia. Launched in February 1995[27], the site beat Australia’s own national broadcaster by six months and the New York Times[28] by a year.

Screenshot of The Age newspaper's website as it appeared in December 1996
The Age Online, shown here as it appeared in December 1996, was the first Australian newspaper to have an online presence. Australian Web Archive

Though The Age was first, ABC Online[29] and ninemsn[30] – linked to the Hotmail[31] email service – were the most popular.

During the 1998 federal election, ABC Online saw over two million hits[32] per week. Political parties, candidates and interest groups were quick to establish a web presence, kicking off the era of online political campaigning.

The web also became big business. By the end of the decade, Australia had its own internet entrepreneurs, including a future prime minister[33]. Established media companies[34] dominated web traffic.

Internet fever[35]” was sweeping Australian businesses, leading to an “internet stocks frenzy[36]”. The internet had gone mainstream and the “dot com bubble” was rapidly inflating[37].

Looking back on the decade the popular internet was born

The public, open, commercial internet is now a few decades old. Given current concerns about the state of the internet – from the power of large digital platforms[38] to the proliferation of disinformation[39] – it might be tempting to look at the 1990s as a “golden age” for the internet.

However, we must resist looking back with rose-coloured glasses. What is needed is critical scrutiny of the conditions that underpinned internet use and attention to how a diversity of people incorporated technology in their lives and helped transformed it in the process. This will help us understand how we got the internet we have and how we might achieve the internet we want.

Understanding online history can be particularly difficult because many sites have long-since disappeared. However, archiving efforts like those of the Internet Archive[40] and the National Library of Australia[41] make it possible to look back and see how much things have changed, what concerns are familiar, and remember the everyday people who helped transform the internet from a niche academic network to a mass medium.

Read more: How the Internet was born: from the ARPANET to the Internet[42]

References

  1. ^ the 1960s (en.wikipedia.org)
  2. ^ 99% of Australians now use (www.acma.gov.au)
  3. ^ most Australians (www.abs.gov.au)
  4. ^ Mosaic (en.wikipedia.org)
  5. ^ turned 21 (www.facebook.com)
  6. ^ events (www.admscentre.org.au)
  7. ^ feature articles (theconversation.com)
  8. ^ birthday cakes (commons.wikimedia.org)
  9. ^ Bioinformatics Hypermedia Server (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  10. ^ claimed (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  11. ^ Australian Academic and Research Network (en.wikipedia.org)
  12. ^ How Australia connected to the internet 25 years ago (theconversation.com)
  13. ^ Gopher (en.wikipedia.org)
  14. ^ Internet Relay Chat (en.wikipedia.org)
  15. ^ Robert Elz (en.wikipedia.org)
  16. ^ online commentaries (www.espncricinfo.com)
  17. ^ 1994 (www.rogerclarke.com)
  18. ^ Netscape (en.wikipedia.org)
  19. ^ couple of hundred (www.rogerclarke.com)
  20. ^ thousands (books.google.com.au)
  21. ^ geekgirl (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  22. ^ fully online doctorate (www.timeshighereducation.com)
  23. ^ Flight of Ducks (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  24. ^ cyberpoetry (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  25. ^ published (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  26. ^ The Age Online (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  27. ^ February 1995 (findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au)
  28. ^ New York Times (web.archive.org)
  29. ^ ABC Online (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  30. ^ ninemsn (web.archive.org)
  31. ^ Hotmail (en.wikipedia.org)
  32. ^ two million hits (doi.org)
  33. ^ future prime minister (en.wikipedia.org)
  34. ^ Established media companies (en.wikipedia.org)
  35. ^ Internet fever (www.proquest.com)
  36. ^ internet stocks frenzy (www.proquest.com)
  37. ^ rapidly inflating (www.smh.com.au)
  38. ^ power of large digital platforms (www.aph.gov.au)
  39. ^ proliferation of disinformation (www.infrastructure.gov.au)
  40. ^ Internet Archive (archive.org)
  41. ^ National Library of Australia (webarchive.nla.gov.au)
  42. ^ How the Internet was born: from the ARPANET to the Internet (theconversation.com)

Read more https://theconversation.com/30-years-of-the-web-down-under-how-australians-made-the-early-internet-their-own-212542

The Times Features

From Classic to Contemporary: 5 Timeless Costumes for Any Party

When it comes to dressing up for a costume party, you want to choose something that is not only fun but also memorable. Whether you're attending a Halloween event, a themed gathe...

Action Figures as Art: The Growing Trend of Custom Figures and Modding

Action figures have long been regarded as collectible items, valued by enthusiasts and fans for their connection to popular culture. However, in recent years, a growing trend has...

The Ultimate Guide to Securing Grants for Your Small Business in Australia

Running a small business in Australia comes with both opportunities and challenges. While it can be rewarding, funding your business through the early stages or periods of growth...

Men’s Guide to Styling Suits with Sweaters for the Ultimate Winter Look

Winter brings a unique set of challenges when it comes to maintaining a sharp and stylish wardrobe. While suits are a staple of a well-dressed man’s closet, staying warm during t...

Discover the Charm of a Girl's White Dress

Key Highlights Timeless elegance: White dresses feel pure and have classic charm. They are perfect for many types of events. Versatile styles: You can pick from lace, embroid...

Top Medical Grade Red Light Therapy Devices in Australia

Key Highlights Lumitter™ has advanced red light therapy devices that combine new ideas with wellness. Red light therapy helps lower pain and swelling and boosts skin health. ...

Times Magazine

The Essential Guide to Transforming Office Spaces for Maximum Efficiency

Why Office Fitouts MatterA well-designed office can make all the difference in productivity, employee satisfaction, and client impressions. Businesses of all sizes are investing in updated office spaces to create environments that foster collaborat...

The A/B Testing Revolution: How AI Optimized Landing Pages Without Human Input

A/B testing was always integral to the web-based marketing world. Was there a button that converted better? Marketing could pit one against the other and see which option worked better. This was always through human observation, and over time, as d...

Using Countdown Timers in Email: Do They Really Increase Conversions?

In a world that's always on, where marketers are attempting to entice a subscriber and get them to convert on the same screen with one email, the power of urgency is sometimes the essential element needed. One of the most popular ways to create urg...

Types of Software Consultants

In today's technology-driven world, businesses often seek the expertise of software consultants to navigate complex software needs. There are several types of software consultants, including solution architects, project managers, and user experienc...

CWU Assistive Tech Hub is Changing Lives: Win a Free Rollator Walker This Easter!

🌟 Mobility. Independence. Community. All in One. This Easter, the CWU Assistive Tech Hub is pleased to support the Banyule community by giving away a rollator walker. The giveaway will take place during the Macleod Village Easter Egg Hunt & Ma...

"Eternal Nurture" by Cara Barilla: A Timeless Collection of Wisdom and Healing

Renowned Sydney-born author and educator Cara Barilla has released her latest book, Eternal Nurture, a profound collection of inspirational quotes designed to support mindfulness, emotional healing, and personal growth. With a deep commitment to ...

LayBy Shopping