The Science and Industry Research Act 1949 which established the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) was proclaimed to come into operation on 19 May 1949 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 34A of 19 May 1949). The Act abolished the Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CA 486).

The Powers and functions of the CSIRO are:
 
 (a) the initiation and carrying out of scientific researches and
     investigations in connection with, or for the promotion of,
     primary or secondary industries in the Commonwealth or in any
     Territory of the Commonwealth or in connection with any other
     matter referred to the Organisation by the Minister;
 
 (b) the training of scientific research workers and the
     establishment and awarding of scientific research studentships
     and fellowships;  

 (c) the making of grants in aid of pure scientific research;  

 (d) the recognition or establishment of association of persons
     engaged in any industry for the purpose of carrying out
     industrial scientific research and the co-operations with and
     the making of grants to, such organisations when recognised or
     established;  

 (e) the testing and standardisation of scientific apparatus and
     instruments and the carrying out of scientific investigations
     connected with the standardisation of apparatus, machinery,
     materials and instruments used in industry;
 
 (f) the collections and dissemination of information relating to
     scientific and technical matters; and
 
 (g) the publication of scientific and technical reports, periodicals
     and papers.

The Organization acts as a liaison between the Commonwealth and other countries in matters of scientific research. It also, as far as possible, co-operates with other organizations and authorities in the co-ordination of scientific research with a view to:
 
 (a) the prevention of unnecessary overlapping; and
 
 (b) the most effective use of available facilities and staff.

The governing body of the CSIRO is the Executive which consists of the Chairman and four other members. The members of the Executive appointed on 19 May 1949 (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. 34A of 19 May 1949, p. 1306 B) were:
 
 Ian Clunies Ross - Chairman
 Frederick William George White - Chief Executive Officer
 Stewart Henry Bastow
 Herbert John Goodes 
 Donald Alfred Mountjoy

The Executive may make recommendations to the Minister with respect to 
 (a) the policy and work of the Organization;
 
 (b) the funds required to carry out the work of the Organization;
     and  
 (c) the allocation of funds made available for the carrying out of
     that work.

The Act made provisions for the establishment of an Advisory Council, the functions of which are to advise the Executive on the work of the Organization and allocation of funds. The Advisory Council was appointed in March 1950 and consisted of the Executive, Chairman of the State Committees and thirteen co-opted members.

The Act also made provision for the establishment of State Committees. The membership of these Committees was substantially the same as that of State Committees set up by the Commonwealth Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. The function of the State Committees is to advise the Executive or the Advisory Council on the work of the Organization.

By June 1950 the Organization had established 34 Committees concerned with inquiries into divers fields. These committees were:
 
Committee of Review on Agricultural and Pastoral Problems

Consultative Committee, Commonwealth Research Station

Merbein Advisory Committee, Commonwealth Research Station

Merbein Wakool Land-Use Committee

Consultative Committee, Irrigation Research Station

Griffith Irrigation Research and Extension Committee

(Murrumbidgee Irrigation Areas)

Technical Committee, Regional Pastoral Centre, Deniliquin

Technical Advisory Committee, Regional Pastoral Centre

Armidale Consultative Committee, Regional Pastoral Centre

Armidale 'Gilbruth Plains' Technical Committee

Joint Blowfly Control Committee

Joint Veterinary Parasitology Committee

Queensland Producers' Animal Industry Committee

Advisory Committee on Fruit Cool Storage Investigations in New South Wales

Committee for Co-ordination of Fruit and Vegetable Storage Research

Consultative Committee on Food Investigation and Standards

Committee for Co-ordination of Research on Fruit and Vegetable Processing

Dried Fruits Processing Committee

Advisory Committee on Fruit Storage -Investigations in Victoria

Mildura District Dried Vine Fruits Processing Committee

Advisory Committee on Red-legged Earth Mite Investigations, Western Australia

Flax Research Advisory Committee

Committee on Oenological Research

Fuel Research Advisory Committee

Melbourne Ore-dressing Sub-committee

Kalgoorlie Ore-dressing Sub-committee

Mineragraphic Committee

Tracer Element Research Committee

Electrical Research Board

Radio Research Board

Meteorological Research Consultative Committee

Aviation Radio Research Committee

Building Research Committee, and

Editorial Committee, Catalogue of Scientific and Technical Periodicals

('Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Second Annual Report, 1949/50,' p.130-134 in Parliamentary Papers No. 33 of 1950)

Although the Organization was legislatively under the control of the Prime Minister from 1949 to 1966, the following were, in fact, Ministers-in-Charge during this period (in a minister assisting the Prime Minister capacity?):

19 May 1949 - 19 December 1949: J J Dedman, Minister for Defence (CA 46) and Post War Reconstruction;

22 March 1950 - 4 February 1960: R G Casey, Minister for National Development (CA 56), and for External Affairs [II] (CA 18) and External Territories (CA 42) from 27 April 1951; then Minister for External Affairs [II] from 11 May 1956;

4 February 1960 - 22 December 1961: D A Cameron, Minister for Health (CA 17);

22 December 1961 - 16 February 1962: R G Menzies, Prime Minister (CA 12);

16 February 1962 - 18 December 1963: J G Gorton, Minister for the Navy
(CA 38) then Minister for the Interior (CA 31) from 18 December 1963, then Minister for Works (CA 61) from 4 March 1964.

In January 1996 the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism (CA 8247) handed over the secretariat functions of the Heads of Marine Agencies (HOMA) to DEST (CA 7661). In May HOMA notified that portion (Australia-France) of these files has now been transferred to CSIRO (CA 641).


Historical agency address
  1949-  1972: 314 Albert Street, East Melbourne Vic
  1972-by1994: Limestone Avenue, Campbell ACT
  1994-1995  : 407 Royal Parade, Parkville Vic
  1996-      : Limestone Avenue, Campbell ACT

Legislation administered
Creation: Commonwealth of Australia Acts No. 13 of 1949, Science and Industry Research Act 1949

Agency controlled unregistered

by 1950:   : CSIRO Minister (Scientific) Britain
by 1950    : CSIRO Counsellor (Scientific) USA
by 1972    : CSIRO Counsellor (Scientific) Japan
by 1977    : CSIRO Counsellor (Scientific) USSR