Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand)

The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) is a now-defunct government science agency in New Zealand, founded in 1926 and broken into Crown Research Institutes in 1992.

Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
Agency overview
Formed1926 (1926)
Preceding agencies
  • Geological Survey
  • Magnetic Survey
  • Meteorological Office
  • Hector Observatory
  • Samoan Scientific Service
Dissolved1 April 1992 (1992-04-01)
Superseding agency
Employees2,000 in 1976[1]

Foundation

DSIR was founded in 1926 by Ernest Marsden[1] after calls from Ernest Rutherford for government to support education and research[2] and on the back of the Imperial Economic Conference in London in October and November 1923, when various colonies discussed setting up such departments.[3] It initially received funding from sources such as the Empire Marketing Board.[4] The initial plans also included a new agricultural college, to be jointly founded by Auckland and Victoria University Colleges, Palmerston North was chosen as the site for this and it grew to become Massey University.[5]

Structure

DSIR initially had five divisions:[6]

The later Antarctic Division became Antarctica New Zealand in 1996.[8]

Dissolution

Reconstituted into initially 10 semi-independent entities called Crown Research Institutes by the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992, with some further consolidation since.[9]

See also
  • Category:People associated with Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand) (52)

Further reading
  • Galbreath, Ross (1998). DSIR: Making Science Work for New Zealand: Themes from the History of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, 1926–1992. Wellington [N.Z.]: Victoria University Press. ISBN 0864733542. OCLC 44633299.

References
  1. Nathan, Simon (6 October 2014). "Research institutions – Developing research organisations". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  2. Brewerton, Emma (15 December 2014). "Ernest Rutherford". Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
  3. "AtoJs Online – Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives – 1924 Session I – A-06a IMPERIAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF GREAT BRITAIN, THE DOMINIONS, INDIA, AND THE COLO... [truncated]". Atojs.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  4. "Sheep-raising poster from 1927 | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". Nzhistory.net.nz. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  5. "AtoJs Online – Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives – 1926 Session I – H-27 ORGANIZATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH IN NEW ZEALAND (STATEMENT BY THE RIGHT HON. THE P... [truncated]". Atojs.natlib.govt.nz. Retrieved 11 August 2015.
  6. "3. DSIR research – Agricultural and horticultural research – Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand". Teara.govt.nz. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  7. "Our History / About Us / Home – GNS Science". Gns.cri.nz. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  8. "Giant of Antarctica saved Scott Base". Stuff (Fairfax). 18 February 2009.
  9. "Crown Research Institutes Act 1992". legislation.govt.nz. 15 June 1992. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
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