Cracking the Code: An afternoon of Espionage History

About

From Bletchley Park to the SMSA: See the machine that changed history.

To locate a functioning Enigma machine these days, one would have to scour the planet with a magnifying glass. There are mere three hundred left in captivity, and the average Joe has about as much chance of spotting one as a tortoise has of winning the Grand National.

Enter Mike Pritchard, a Sydney fellow who has spent decades collecting a jaw-dropping assortment of spygear that would give Whitehall a severe attack of the vapours. He doesn't just talk the talk, he posesses concealed cameras, covert radios, original items from famous Cold War spy cases as well as original letters from Mata Hari and Ian Fleming.

12.00 PM - The Imitation Game

This ripping afternoon kicks off with The Imititation Game. The film follows the saga of Alan Turing, the brilliant but prickly mathematician, who overcame immense bureaucratic obstacles at Bletchley Park to smash the German naval code and shorten the war.

🍪 2:10 PM – Intermission

🎤 2:30 PM – The Talk & Enigma Live Demo

After a short intermission, Mike will take the ahem mic to share stories of the secret war. He will demonstrate a genuine, clinking Enigma machine right before your eyes and showcase a curated selection of rare spy objects that will bring the history you just witnessed roaring to life.

Who is Mike?

Mike worked for thirty years in IT and cybersecurity before going ten toes in on his dream of building a Spy Museum in Sydney. He’s rocked conferences and…