Records of the CSIRO History Project (2016-2023)

Based in the Centre for Transformative Innovation at Swinburne University of Technology, the CSIRO History Project examined the evolution of CSIRO since its formation in 1949 (as the successor to CSIR) and how this evolution reflected CSIRO’s response over time to its changing external environment, including changes in the Australian economy and society, scientific disciplines around the world, and in levels of funding.

Noteworthy outputs from the project include:

• CSIRO Oral History Collection – a series of oral history interviews with key figures in CSIRO’s history
• expansion of CSIROpedia exploring CSIRO’s greatest innovations and discoveries across the decades with brief biographies of the people responsible (focusing on achievements recognised by major honours and awards or research with significant commercial outcomes or benefit to society)
• digitisation and description of selected CSIRO governance and historical records and an accompanying finding aid (PDF – 4MB).