Earth Science and Resource Engineering
CSIRO Earth Science & Resource Engineering had its origins in three areas:
- the Cement and Ceramic Section of the Division of Industrial Chemistry
- the Mineragraphic Investigations Section of CSIR
- the Soil Physics Section of the Division of Soils
The Cement and Ceramic Section (1958-60) of the Division of Industrial Chemistry became the Cement and Refractories Section in 1960 and then the Division of Applied Mineralogy in 1962. In 1966 the Division of Applied Mineralogy incorporated the Mineragraphic Investigations Section which had been formed in CSIR in 1927 and had operated from then on as an independent section. In 1971 the Division of Applied Mineralogy was renamed the Division of Mineralogy. In the late 1970s part of the Division of Mineralogy broke away, joining the Division of Process Technology to form the Fuel Geosciences Unit. In September 1984, the Division of Mineralogy changed its name to the Division of Mineralogy and Geochemistry. The Division of Mineralogy and Geochemistry had a short lifetime, being renamed the Division of Minerals and Geochemistry, in July 1985. Two years later, the Division changed its name again, becoming the Division of Exploration Geoscience.
The Soil Mechanics Section of the Division of Soils became an independent section in 1 July 1958. It acquired Divisional status as the Division of Soil Mechanics in 1967. It was renamed Division of Applied Geomechanics in 1970 which in turn was renamed the Division of Geomechanics in 1983.
In June 1993 the resources of the Division of Geomechanics and the Division of Exploration Geoscience were re-aligned to form the Division of Petroleum Resources and the Division of Exploration and Mining. Petroleum Resources was established from the bulk of the Division of Geomechanics and parts of the old Division of Exploration Geoscience. The Division of Exploration & Mining comprised most of the old Division of Exploration Geoscience and those parts of the Division of Geomechanics not included in the formation of the Division of Petroleum Resources.
CSIRO Earth Science & Resource Engineering was formed in 2009 by the merger of CSIRO Exploration and Mining and CSIRO Petroleum Resources. In 2014, in a major restructuring of CSIRO, the term Division was replaced by the term Flagship for the organization’s operating units and the title Chief replaced by the title Director. The Division of Earth Science & Resource Engineering was split between the new Energy Flagship (191 staff), the new Mineral Resources Flagship (106 staff) and the Land and Water Flagship (20 staff).
History of Earth Science and Resource Engineering
Chief of Division/Officer-in-Charge
| Division | Chief |
| Cement & Ceramic Section of the Division of Industrial Chemistry (1958-60) | Arthur John Gaskin (1958-60) |
| Cement & Refractories Section of the Division of Industrial Chemistry (1960-62) | Arthur John Gaskin (1960-62) |
| Applied Mineralogy (1962-71) | Arthur John Gaskin (1962-71) |
| Mineragraphic Investigations Section (1927-66) | Frank Leslie Stillwell (1927-53) Austin Burton Edwards (1953-60) Arthur John Gaskin (1961-66) |
| Mineralogy (1971-84) | Arthur John Gaskin (1971-83) Douglas R Hudson (Acting 1983-84) |
| Mineralogy and Geochemistry (1985) | Douglas R Hudson (Acting 1985) |
| Minerals and Geochemistry (1985-87) | David Francis Anthonisz Koch (1985-87) |
| Exploration Geoscience (1988-93) | Brian Jerrald Jack Embleton (1988-91) Bruce Edward Hobbs (1992-93) |
| Soil Mechanics Section (1958-67) | Gordon Douglas Aitchison (1958-67) |
| Soil Mechanics (1967-70) | Gordon Douglas Aitchison (1967-70) |
| Applied Geomechanics (1970-83) | Gordon Douglas Aitchison (1970-78) Charles Mervyn Gerrard (Acting 1978-79) Denis Fletcher Kelsall (1979-81) Kenneth Gordon McCracken (1981-83) |
| Geomechanics (1983-93) | BHG Brady (1983-86) Bruce Edward Hobbs (1987-92) |
| Exploration and Mining (1993-2009) | Bruce Edward Hobbs (1993-2000) John Russel Lee Read (Acting 2000-01) Geoffrey Neil Phillips (2001-04) Clifford William Mallett (Acting 2004-06) Peter Authur Lilly (2006-07) Stephen Harvey (Acting 2007-08) Micheal Otis McWilliams (2008-09) |
| Petroleum Resources (1993-2009) | Adrian Frederik Williams (1994-2002) Gregory Thill (Acting 2002-03) Beverley Ronalds (2003-08) David John Whitford (Acting 2009) |
| Earth Science & Resource Engineering (2009-14) | Micheal Otis McWilliams (2009-14) |
Sources
• Schedvin CB, Trace K, 1978, Historical Directory of CSIR and CSIRO 1926-1976, CSIRO Publishing.
• Encyclopedia of Australian Science
• CSIRO Annual Reports
• CSIRO Communications