The National Standards Laboratory (NSL) was established on 1 January 1939 with three sections; Electrotechnology, Metrology, and Physics. These three sections were all accorded Divisional status within the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 1945. NSL continued as a collective grouping of those divisions. The Divisions of Metrology and Electrotechnology were amalgamated to form the Division of Applied Physics on 1 July 1962. 

The National Standards Laboratory became the National Measurement Laboratory (NML) with the amalgamation of the Division of Physics and the Division of Applied Physics on 1 July 1974. The Division of Applied Physics was re-established by renaming the NML on 1 January 1979.

The Division of Applied Physics was merged with the Division of Radiophysics (CA 4374) on 20 September 1996 and was renamed CSIRO, Telecommunications and Industrial Physics.

The Division of Applied Physics was merged with the Division of
Radiophysics (CA 4374) on 20 September 1996 and was renamed CSIRO,
Telecommunications and Industrial Physics.

On 1 October 2007, CSIRO’s newest Division, CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering (CMSE)was formed to support Australia’s manufacturing industry.

The result of the amalgamation of Melbourne based Manufacturing and Materials Technology and Sydney based Industrial Physics, CMSW was created to transform segments of the Australian manufacturing sector into sustainable and globally competitive industries.

This was to be achieved by providing a coordinated approach to materials design, creation, characterization and application, particularly for the manufacturing industry.


Historical agency address
Bradfield Road, West Lindfield, NSW