During World War 1 a planning team was set up in England to investigate munitions supply, including a group which examined scientific laboratories. One of these men, A.E. Leighton submitted a report recommending the establishment of a research laboratory to help munitions factories and contractors over initial technical difficulties in setting up a munitions industry and to ensure that production conformed with services specifications. A new building to house laboratories was commenced in 1920, and by May 1922 the Munitions Supply Board Research Laboratories Maribyrnong commenced creating files. (1)  Although the full title of the establishment was Munitions Supply Board Research Laboratories, until about November 1924 it was referred to as the Research Laboratories Maribyrnong (R.L.M.) and then as the Munitions Supply Laboratories (M.S.L.)(2)
 
The Chemical Laboratory in Victoria Barracks, Melbourne, which had been in existence under the Chemical Advisor to the Department of Defence since 1910, was merged in about 1921 into the more
comprehensive Munitions Supply Board Research Laboratories. (3)  
The functions of the laboratories in 1923 were defined as:
 
(a) to determine by experiment the procedure to be followed in adapting Australian raw material to the production of new
munitions, and the subsequent maintenance of a proper standard of manufacture;
 
(b) to promote by investigation the production of Defence supplies by the civil industries; and
 
(c) to study the problems of modern munitions production
especially in the two fields of high explosives and chemical
warfare.(4)
 
By 1938 the laboratories had seven main sections - general chemistry, explosives and ammunition, timber, metallurgy, metrology, chemical defence, and physics (including optics and electrical).(5) The functions of the grew over the years, particularly in response to the demands made on it during World War 11, and by 1948 its functions were defined as - investigation of manufacturing processes, investigations relating to service stores and equipment, maintenance of accuracy of instruments used to control the manufacture of munitions and aircraft, analysis and testing of conformity with specifications, preparation of specifications, design and construction of instruments for laboratory and service use- plus long-term and fundamental research on such subjects as the functioning of explosives, the mechanical properties of metals and design of optical systems.
 
The first superintendent of the laboratories was Marcus Bell. He was succeeded in 1934 by J.T. McCormick, who in turn was succeeded by A.E. Dawkins in 1947.
 
The agency's first correspondence system commenced in 1922 and some earlier papers from the Chemical Adviser's Laboratory, 1910-1921, were top-numbered into the system.
 
In July 1948 the agency was renamed to Defence Research and Industrial Laboratories (also known as Defence Research Laboratories,
[Maribyrnong] (CA 2555) to reflect the evolution of functions during the Second World War.
 
References:
 
1. Munitions Supply Board - First Report 13 Aug. 1921-30 June 1922 in Commonwealth Parliamentary Papers, Session 1923-24, vol. 1V, p. 238-239  
2. Archives Accession MP118/2 Munitions Supply Board Research Laboratories Correspondence files, Box 3 item 129/1/74
 
3. Archives Accession MP367/1, Department of Defence correspondence Series, item 404/17/23
 
4. Archives Accession MP891/20, Jensen papers, Box 1, items 8,  
5. Commonwealth Year Book No. 32, 1939, p. 241.
 

Historical agency address
Cordite Ave, Maribyrong, Vic

Previous agency unregistered

Chemical Adviser's Laboratory, Victoria Barracks, 1910-1921 
Subject to further research