World War II brought a time for change within CSIR. During the 1940s, the focus of the organisation changed, along with its name.
Effects of World War II
The best of times and the worst of times. The 1940s was a decade which produced the CSIR’s finest hour along with its darkest hour.
In rallying behind the war effort, CSIR became prominent in aeronautics and the development of radar.WWII gave CSIR the impetus and political backing to tackle the chronic technical weaknesses of pre-war Australian industry.
The metal-working industry was transformed through the work of the National Measurement Laboratory and the Lubricants and Bearings Laboratory. Divisions such as Industrial Chemistry initiated local production of many products which could no longer be imported due to the war.
Australia had responsibility for feeding the tens of thousands of Allied troops in the Asia-Pacific theatre. The Division of Food Preservation and Transport developed many innovative products, particularly canned and dehydrated foods, and even a canned butter which did not melt or spoil in hot, tropical conditions.
Entomologist Dr Doug Waterhouse became a hero for his development of a repellent to protect Allied troops from malarial mosquitoes.
The organisation
Between 1947–49, CSIR came under sustained political attack over comments by its Chairman Sir David Rivett, when he called for a free exchange of knowledge among the world’s scientists.
Sir Rivett and CSIR were viewed by some as anti-military and a security risk for sensitive defence research. There were moves to place the organisation under bureaucratic control within a government department.
The Chifley Government resisted these, but was compelled to separate military and civil research. Through the new Science and Industry Research Act of 1949, the CSIR became the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) with a focus on civil research. Responsibility for management was transferred to an Executive of three full-time and two part-time members.
Entomologist Doug Waterhouse became a hero for his development of a repellent to protect Allied troops from malarial mosquitoes.
Radar
In 1939 CSIR Radio Research Board's Dr David F Martyn was sent to Britain following an invitation to share their radar secrets. Following his return the Radiophysics Laboratory was created: around the time that war was declared.
Initial work was directed by Dr Jack H Piddington and Dr Joe Pawsey on shore defence and aircraft to surface vessel radar. Both systems were well developed by early 1941 and production, along with operator training, started.
Air warning radar work began in September 1941 but the attack on Pearl Harbour caused a novel Piddington design to be brought into operation in 5 days. Radiophysics produced six radar sets in the first weeks of 1942.
Further development for jungle operation, plus a light RAAF designed antenna, produced the first radar unit transportable in one aircraft. This was widely used throughout the Pacific and in Burma.
Radar work continued and encompassed 48 projects which led into many peacetime fields, including the newly emerging area of radio astronomy.
Timbers of south-west Pacific
During the Second World War, CSIR collated information for the armed forces on the identification, properties and uses of more than 500 timber species of the south-west Pacific.
The information was distributed on specially designed card-sorting sets, with each card devoted to a particular timber and providing information on its properties, uses and identification methods. Explanatory notes were prepared and included in each set for the use of untrained personnel.
The project was so successful it was both expanded for the SW Pacific and extended to Australian timbers in later years.
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