CSIRO was born in the 1920s in Australia. Although the organisation is very different today, its importance was established from the beginning.
The need for an Australian national research institute was first raised in debates about nationhood in the late 1890s. However, the first serious attempt to create a national research institute began in 1916, when Prime Minister Billy Hughes’ Government established an Advisory Council of Science and Industry to advise on the establishment of an Institute of Science and Industry.
The Institute was launched in 1921 to undertake scientific research, review existing research and disseminate scientific information. The Institute had limited funds and failed to develop.
In 1925, Prime Minister Bruce convened a conference. He invited Sir Frank Heath, head of the British Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, to advise on the reorganisation of the Institute. Their reports led to the passing of new legislation in 1926 to establish the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
With an Executive Committee of George Julius, David Rivett and Arnold Richardson at the helm, CSIR was to become one of the most comprehensive scientific organisations in the world.
CSIR began with an Executive Committee of three, and was to become one of the most comprehensive scientific organisations in the world.
Research highlights
Research highlights from the 1920s include:
Control of bitter-pit in apples
CSIR saved apple producers £100 000 a year by discovering how to avoid bitter-pit, a disease that causes brown, sharply defined corky flecks in the fruit's flesh and discoloured surface depressions.
Bitter-pit in apples was a serious problem in the 1920s and was the chief reason for wastage of Australian apples on arrival at London ports.
Researchers discovered that apples needed to be picked at a certain stage of maturity to avoid bitter-pit developing. They produced a skin colour chart to help orchardists tell when apples were at the right stage to pick.
Controlling prickly pear
Although the exact origin of common prickly-pear in Australia is not known, it was introduced by early settlers and spread for use as hedges and as pot plants.
In the absence of predators and disease, by the mid-1920s it took over 24 million hectares (60 million acres) of farming and grazing country.
Research into controlling the problem was carried out under the direction of the Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board, established by the Commonwealth, New South Wales and Queensland Governments. The Commonwealth Prickly Pear Board scientists introduced many insects with varied success.
In 1926, larvae from the Argentinian moth Cactoblastis cactorum were released and within 10 years, the once-dense fields of common prickly pear lay rotting or had vanished completely.
Prevention of liver fluke in sheep
CSIRO researchers assisted in successful Australian work on control of liver fluke in sheep, which was causing losses of over £1 million a year.
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