The Bureau of Mineral Resources was created on 11 June 1946 following Cabinet decisions of 11 February 1945 and 20 March 1946. On the latter date, a Cabinet committee approved a recommendation arising out of a report by the Mining Industry Advisory Panel for the setting up of a Commonwealth Bureau of Mines incorporating the Mineral Resources Survey (CA 668) and Minerals Production Directorate (CA 546). 

Eight functions including the following two, were specified in the approved recommendation:

 (a) to provide technological and technical advice to the mining 
     industry, and to undertake geological and geophysical and other
     forms of research; and
 (b) to undertake market surveys and other economic investigations 
     in relation to mining and development of the Industry.

On 27 March 1946, the Mining Industry Advisory Panel agreed that because of their cost and highly specialized nature, the States should rely on the Commonwealth to meet their requirements for geophysical surveys. On 11 June 1946 and 18 December 1946 the Public Service Board issued certificates relating to Cabinet decisions of 19 February 1945 and 20 March 1946 for:
 
 (a) 48 positions - 17 geologists, 24 geophysicists, 7 others
     including a petroleum technologist
 (b) 7 positions including a mining engineer.

The Public Service Board also approved the use of the name "Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics". The establishment of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, more or less in its present form, therefore dates from this approval.

The growth of the Bureau since 1947 has been determined by its considerable success and the desire of governments to concentrate on surveys of those areas which hold out the greatest promise of producing minerals required for security and self-sufficiency and the earning of export income. The Bureau has permanent working arrangements with all, or most of the States for:

 (a) indexing of literature on general geology and economic geology
 (b) compilation and publication of geological maps of Australia  
 (c) ground and airbourne geophysical surveys
 
By June 1962 the Bureau consisted of the following Branches:

 Petroleum Exploration Branch
 Geological Branch
 Geophysical Branch
 Operations Branch
 Mineral Resources Branch
 
On 13 August 1992, the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy and the Minister for Resources announced changes to the operational and administrative arrangements for the Bureau of Mineral Resources.  The changes were seen as necessary to ensure that scientific support for resources decisions was provided in the most efficient way.
 
BMR functions were to be divided between two agencies which would be newly created within the Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE).
 
The Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) gained all BMR functions except those dealing with petroleum and minerals resources. Although it currently operates within DPIE, this may change.  The Joint Statement of 13 August 1992 also announced that there would be an inquiry into the administrative arrangements under which the AGSO operates, including whether the AGSO will stay in the Department of Primary Industries and Energy or become a separate institution within the CSIRO. As at January 1993, the outcome is still forthcoming.
 
In relation to the functions dealing with petroleum and minerals resources, the Joint Statement of 13 August 1992 announced:
 
 The resources currently allocated to petroleum and minerals
 resources within the BMR will be merged with the current Bureau of  
 Rural Resources (BRR) in DPIE to become the Australian Bureau
 of Agriculture and Resource Sciences (ABARS).  ABARS will operate as
 a professionally independent Bureau within DPIE.  ABARS will
 include the National Resource Information Centre (NRIC), which is
 currently operated jointly by BMR and BRR.
 
However, the change in relation to petroleum and minerals did not appear to eventuate at that time and a Joint Statement of the Ministers on 21 October 1992 announced instead "... the formation of the Bureau of Resource Sciences (BRS) within the Department of Primary Industries and Energy.  The BRS is being formed by merging the Bureau of Rural Resources (BRR) and the petroleum and mineral resources assessment functions of the former Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR)".
 
 
Sources
 
Joint Statement of 13 August 1992 by the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, the Hon Simon Crean MP and the Minister for Resources, the Hon Alan Griffiths MP on "New Arrangements for Bureau of Mineral Resources" (reference PIE92/73GR)
 
Joint Statement of 21 October 1992 by the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy, the Hon Simon Crean MP and the Minister for Resources, the Hon Alan Griffiths MP on "New Scientific Bureau to Support Resource Management" (reference DPIE 92/85J)
Historical agency address
1946 - 1958: Melbourne, Vic
1958 - 1992: Canberra, ACT