Brief history
Since our beginnings, we have played a central role in advancing Australia through science and research, delivering innovation and impact that has improved the lives of people across the world.
Read more about our history in Origins of CSIRO (please note, this document may not be compatible with assistive technologies).
Our origins
The Argus, 1 January 1916
CSIRO has a history that can be traced back to the earliest days of the Australian Federation in 1901. The first concrete steps to establishing a national science organisation took place in 1916 when Prime Minister Billy Hughes established the Advisory Council of Science and Industry. This evolved to the Institute of Science and Industry in 1920. Both institutions struggled for funding and a clear mandate as the fledgling Commonwealth Government contested its role with the States and as war and economic challenges shaped the young nation.
The first research investment by the Advisory Council was 250 pounds in the 1915/16 financial year in partnership with the Queensland and New South Wales Governments to explore control measures for the prickly pear pest that was invading millions of acres of agricultural land in eastern Australia.
The primary purpose of the Advisory Council of Science and Industry, the Institute of Science and Industry and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) remained consistent and continues largely unchanged to the organisation’s purpose to day. That is, to initiate and conduct scientific research to assist in the development of the primary and secondary industries of Australia: farming, mining and manufacturing being the focus in the early years.
Find out more about our origins 1901-1926.
A national science organisation is established
The Advisory Council of Science and Industry was located here, at 314 Albert Street, East Melbourne.
In 1926, Prime Minister Stanley Bruce revised the Science and Industry Research Act, changed the leadership arrangements and started to increase the funding. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – the precursor to CSIRO – emerged from these changes and the organisation grew rapidly and accumulated early successes.
The headquarters of all three institutions were established in a commonwealth government property at 314 Albert Street East Melbourne (pictured).
During the 1930s and 1940s, research was conducted in the fields of:
- animal pests and diseases
- plant pests and diseases
- fuel problems, especially liquid fuels
- preservation of foodstuffs, especially cold storage
- forest products.
The onset of World War II (1939-45), saw the Council conducting research to assist the Australian Defence Forces, in areas such as radar.
The entrance of the building, C.S.I.R. (and later CSIRO) Division of Animal Nutrition, Kintore Avenue, Adelaide, South Australia.
After World War II ended, CSIR research expanded to include areas such as:
- building materials
- wool textiles
- coal
- atmospheric physics
- physical metallurgy
- assessment of land resources.
In 1949, the Science and Industry Research Act was changed again to form the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), which continues under this Act to this day.
Over the following decades, we’ve expanded our activities to almost every field of primary, secondary and tertiary industry, including the environment, human nutrition, conservation, urban and rural planning, and water.