The Forestry and Timber Bureau was established in 1946 and the office of Director-General was created on 17 January 1946. The first Director-General was Geoffrey James Rodger, appointed on 14 February and taking up duties on 1 April 1946. (Annual Report of the Forestry and Timber Bureau for 1946 p.18, 19). 

On 1 April 1946, the Commonwealth Forestry Bureau was brought under the administration of the Director-General, Forestry and Timber Bureau. Statutory recognition of this was given by the Forestry and Timber Bureau Act 1946 (No.46 of 1946) which commenced on 12 September 1946.

This act was designed to extend the functions of the Commonwealth Forestry Bureau to enable it to advise on matters affecting the supply of timber. The war and its aftermath had decisively demonstrated Australia's inability to meet all its essential timber requirements from its own resources and had given prominence to well-founded doubts as to how long the existing standards of timber production could be maintained. 

A planning and co-ordinating authority was required to investigate the position, and advise the Commonwealth Government with regard to forest resources, timber production, imports and exports for Australia as a whole.

Under the National Security (Timber Control) Regulations, the Commonwealth Timber Controller (CA 1536) had wide and necessary powers in relation to timber which was always in short supply. As the war position eased, it was possible to relax many restrictions on the use of timber. The planning and co-ordinating side of the work of timber control however had to be continued to provide for the requirements of the many activities sponsored by the Commonwealth Government in connection with housing, public works programmes, etc. The co-ordinating and planning role was also important in arranging, as far as possible, the equitable distribution of available supplies between the States.

The Director-General of the Commonwealth Forestry Bureau (CA 221) had for some time held the appointment of Controller of Timber under the National Security (Timber Control) Regulations. The planning and co-ordinating service developed during the war had the confidence and the co-operation of State forest authorities and local sawmilling and timber importing interests throughout the Commonwealth, and it was felt that the logical development to meet peace-time requirements was the inclusion of advisory functions with regard to these matters in a Commonwealth Forestry and Timber Bureau.

The powers and functions of the Forestry and Timber Bureau, as set out in the amended Act, are:

(a) advising the Administrations of the Territories on all matters
    pertaining to the managements of forests;

(b) the management of forests placed under its control by the
    Governor-General;

(c) the establishment of experimental stations for the study of
    sylviculture, forest management and forest protection;

(d) the provision of educational facilities for the training of
    professional foresters;

(e) the establishment and awarding of forestry scholarships;

(f) the collection and distribution of forestry information;

(g) the publication of reports and bulletins dealing with forestry;

(g.a) collecting statistics and information regarding timber supplies
      and requirements in Australia, and formulating programmes in
      respect of the supply, production and distribution of timber 
      in Australia, and the importation into, and exportation from
      Australia of timber;

(g.b) advising the Government of the Commonwealth or any
      instrumentality of that Government, or, when so requested, the
      Government of any State, or any instrumentality of the
      Government of any State, or anybody or person, on matters
      relating to supply, production and distribution of timber in
      Australia and the importation into, and exportation from,
      Australia of timber;

(g.c) carrying out investigations and research relating to the
      supply, production, distribution and use of timber; and

(h) such other functions as are prescribed.

In July 1946, the Bureau set up the Division of Imports, Exports, Statistics and Programming (see CA 611), which took over a number of the concerns formerly under Commonwealth Timber Control and which was to provide a background of statistical data on timber production, consumption and trade. The Division was located in Melbourne. Its title was changed in 1957 to Division of Timber Supply Economics (see CA 1538) reflecting the increasing scope of the investigations undertaken. The Division was transferred to Canberra in 1968, but continued to maintain its own records.

In November 1946, the Division of Forest Resources and Timber Production (see CA 612) was established in Sydney. The Division continued a number of the functions of the Commonwealth Timber Bureau and took on some of the functions of Commonwealth Timber Control. The Division was transferred to Canberra in 1952, after which it functioned mainly as an integral part of the Bureau. The title of 
the Division was changed in 1957 to Division of Forest Management Research.

In 1963, the Divisions of Silvicultural Research and of Forest Management Research, the Experimental Stations and the Northern Territory Section were formed into the Forest Research Institute. In 1972 the Forest Management Research Section of the Institute was merged with the Division of Timber Supply Economics to form the Forest Resources Development Branch (see CA 1539) of the Bureau.

On 1 July 1975, the Forest Research Institute and the Harvesting Research and the Resources Sections of the Forest Resources Development Branch was absorbed into the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). 

The remaining functions of the Bureau implemented by the Executive and Policy Section and the Statistics Section of the Forest Resources Development Branch were taken over by CA 1960, Department of Primary Industry [II], Central Office in 1978. In the index of the 1978 Commonwealth Government Directory, the entry for the Forestry and Timber Bureau refers the reader to the Forestry Branch of the Department of Primary Industry.
Historical agency address
1946-? 1978: Banks Street, Yarralumla, ACT (Formerly known as
             Westridge, FCT) 
1946-  1953: MLC Building, 303-309 Collins Street, Melbourne (Office
             of Director-General)
Legislation administered
Commonwealth Acts, No. 16 of 1930 - Forestry and Timber Bureau Act 1930-1953