The Museum of Light and Sound Technology was founded in 1980.

The Fremantle Light and Sound Discovery Centre was opened in 2003

To use these light and sound technologies in educational and entertaining environments for people of all ages. 

Significant exhibitions presented by the museum include those hosted by:

• Royal Western Australian Historical Society - Nedlands
• City of Fremantle Library - Fremantle
• Hyde Park Holiday (festival) - Perth
• Town of Waroona 
• City of Belmont Library - Belmont

• Colonial Bottle Club of W.A.
• Antique Collectors Club of W.A.
• Vintage Wireless and Gramophones Club of W.A.
• Nostalgia Unlimited - Perry Lakes
• Mandurah Collectors Club 

• Capital Community Radio 
• My Fair Lady stage production
• John Curtin's Legacy - John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library Bentley
• Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts - Edith Cowan University
• The Illuminating Engineers Society of Australia - Perth
• The Western Australian Museum - Perth and Kalgoorlie
  

• Centenary of the Cinema Exhibition - Hellenic Gallery of the Western Australian Museum. (Winner of AMEC Museum Education Award)
• Centenary of Recorded Sound Exhibition - Entertainment Centre Perth

• Western Australian Museum - Kalgoorlie Boulder branch
• University of the Third Age - Claremont
• History House - Armadale-Kelmscott Municipal Museum
• Wongan Hills Museum - Wongan Hills
• Robert Holmes à Court Collection - Perth
• Tom Fernihough Collection - Perth
• Allan Lynd Collection - Tasmania
• Wynella Museum - Denmark
• Blythewood Museum - Bridgetown
• Subiaco Historical Society - Subiaco
• Southern Cross Museum - Southern Cross
• Australian Customs Service - Western Australia
• The Australian Museum of Motion Picture Technology - Western Australian chapter
  

• Light and Sound: P.D. for the Early Year Education Society (2004).
  
• Oh! I See. Science of light and sight - workshop for primary school teachers (2003).
• It's Not My Volt! Science of electricity - workshop for primary school teachers (2002).
  
• How Changes in Technology Have Changed Teaching - Conference of the Science Teachers Association of W.A. (CONSTAWA)
• How Changes in Technology Have Changed Teaching - Institute on science communication, Curtin University of Technology
  
• Back To the Future Science - Future Science Conference (STAWA).
• Teaching Science Using Historical Artefacts - (CONSTAWA)
• Science of the Early Cinema - Conference of the Australia Science Teachers Association. (ASTA)
• Its All In The Groove - A workshop for gramophone owners and small museums.
• Dinosaurs of Film! History of the cinema - Claremont Museum.

"In the last 30 years, as technological gadgets have become more complex, the science involved in these devices has become very sophisticated and well hidden. 

It is pointless to try to teach students how a CD player works. Not only is the technology very complex, but the science involved in well hidden behind the plastic exterior. Understanding the technology is irrelevant. If a CD player breaks down it usually cannot be repaired. It is often discarded and a new one purchased.

Similarly the optical systems of the projector have been replaced by the closed technology of the DVD player.

Modern technology does not lend itself to the provision of contexts for learning.

However older technology is transparent. The scientific principles behind most old optical and audio gadgets is quite visible. These devices have the power to demonstrate the physics involved and to provide motivation for the students to explore the concepts further in the class room.

In schools, devices, such as the Zootrope are invariably met with the expression "cool". The amazement of seeing simple drawings suddenly animated provides the basis of an understanding of moving pictures that a television set does not.

Gramophone records provide the tactile relationship between vibrations and the sounds produced by those vibrations. CD's cannot even start to demonstrate this."

Programs are available for

• Pre-primary School Science
  
• Primary School Science
• Middle School Science
• Year 11 and 12 Physics
• Media Studies
• Society and Environment Studies
• Music Studies

Interactive Themes for the topic Light and Electromagnetic Waves include

• Light travels in straight lines
• Translucent, transparent and opaque materials
• Reflection of light in Plane mirrors
• Real and virtual images
• Reflection in concave and convex mirrors
• Refraction of light
• Fibre Optics
• Eyes and sight
• Stereoscopic vision
• Recording images

• The ear and hearing
• Sources of sounds
• Transmission of sound
• Recording and reproduction of sounds
• Loud speakers
• Limits of hearing
• Pitch, loudness and quality

The museum will also provide an ideal vehicle for National History Challenge projects and the Australian core units in TEE History.

• Photography, 
• Sound Recording, 
• Television, and 
• Cinema. 

In general Primary Science programs will be structured, in consultation with the teachers, to suit individual schools.

Teachers are able to borrow Zootropes, Phenakistoscopes, wind-up gramophones, etc. Suggestions will be provided for follow-up lessons.  Visits to schools by the centre can also be arranged.

A qualified Science teacher runs the school programs.

Volunteers provide some of the support.

Scope may be provided for students on work experience and casual young employees such as university students.

For the casual tourist there is a large amount of nostalgia to be drawn from the 1900's to the 1980's. The two giant EMG gramophones will stun the visitor. The hands-on approach to the history of the cinema will entertain. The children's museum will arouse the curiosity of children from 5 to 65 years old. The evolution of television will include many rare tv sets not usually seen in Australia. Everyone should find something that interests them and causes them to recall distant memories.

For the thematic tourist the museum will provide a range of special interest display. Those interested in the history of the gramophone will be very well catered for. Electronics enthusiasts will have a range of early electronics devices to explore. These include the wireless, television, magnetic recorders and some rare devices that even the dedicated collector may never have seen. 

Other themes for exhibitions include:

• the history of the typewriter
• the history of the light globe
• the history of technology used in teaching
• the history of reprographic technologies.

For small groups there is a wealth of materials and activities that will interest the senior citizens.

Re-discovering devices that were once used in their own household can provide the trigger for reminiscences. Seeing these devices in operation again will add to the visit. Being able to share their own stories with the museum will be an important part of the visit.

Senior citizens clubs can book visits to the museum and have a program of demonstrations, stories and experiences arranged that will be enjoyable and memorable. Themes for the visits can be chosen by the club or group, and the presentations will be structure in advance for each group.

Seniors are catered for with programs that such as:

1.   Story of the Gramophone in Western Australia:
The story of the phonograph and the gramophone with actual demonstrations of some of the oldest and most unusual record players in Western Australia.

2.  History of the Wireless in Western Australia:
A demonstration and working display which illustrates the evolution of the wireless from the Mulgaphone to FM tuners, with special emphasis on the wireless in W.A.

3.  Invention of the Motion Pictures:
The story of the invention of motion pictures, with demonstrations of early instruments such as the Zootrope, Phenakistoscope and  Praxinoscope.

4.  Nostalgia Program:
Sights and sound of the Big Band era with music played on original record players from the war years, or music from the 1930’s played on meticulously restored gramophones.

Examples of light and sound technology from the past will be displayed in a series of show case. Associated with each of these devices will be a modern equivalent for children to explore and use and play with.

For example:

• A display case will contain a Holmes/Bates stereoscopic viewer. In front of the display case will be several View Master stereoscopes for the children to use.

• A Polyphon music box from the 1880's will be associated with a hands-on toy Fischer Price plastic disc music box of the 1980's.

A second type of display will be used to encourage parents to demonstrate an older technology to their children. 

For example:

• There will be a typewriter on display from the museum's extensive collection of historical typewriters. Associated with this will be a mechanical typewriter of recent vintage. Rather than the children just playing with the typewriter, the parents will be encouraged to show their children how a real typewriter was used prior to the coming of computers.

Interaction between parent and child is considered by The Light and Sound Discovery Centre to be a vital part of a museum visit, and will be encouraged.

The Light and Sound Discovery Centre is committed to being involved in local community events and festivals.  This includes music festivals and films festivals.  Special exhibitions are presented where appropriate.

Other exhibitions will be presented to coincide with anniversaries, such as the anniversary of the introduction of television in Western Australia, or the invention of the cinema or of the phonograph.

Community Groups and Clubs

The Light and Sound Discovery Centre will offer space within the museum for community groups and clubs to put on their own temporary exhibitions where these exhibitions are compatible with the aims of the museum.

For example record collectors’ clubs will be offered space for exhibitions of rare records, Elvis Presley fan clubs will be able to put on exhibitions of Elvis memorabilia.

Club Meetings

The Light and Sound Discovery Centre may also offer space within the gallery for suitable clubs to hold special meetings.   Compatible clubs include the Vintage Wireless and Gramophone Club, Camera Collectors Club, Audio Society, Film History groups, etc.

Gramophone repairs and servicing

The Light and Sound Discovery Centre offers programs which provide information about the correct way to repair, restore and service antique Gramophones or Phonographs.

Free advice is given on the care, conservation and restoration of early light and sound technological artefacts.

Help and conservation advice is available for small local museums throughout Western Australia.

This program is available in the museum, or it can be presented in the school at a professional development staff meeting.

Research projects suitable for History, Media, Music and Technology students are available.  Some projects are specially relevant to Western Australia.  The museum provides a unique centre for original historical and technological research in Western Australia.