Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand)

{{Short description|Former government science agency of New Zealand}}

{{Infobox government agency

| agency_name = Department of Scientific and Industrial Research

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| formed = {{Start date|1926}}

| preceding1 = Geological Survey

| preceding2 = Magnetic Survey

| preceding3 = Meteorological Office

| preceding4 = Hector Observatory

| preceding5 = Samoan Scientific Service

| dissolved = {{Start date|df=y|1992|04|01}}

| superseding = 10 semi-independent Crown Research Institutes

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| employees = 2,000 in 1976{{cite web |first=Simon |last=Nathan |date=6 October 2014 |title=Research institutions – Developing research organisations |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/research-institutions/page-2 |publisher=Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand}}

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| minister1_name = Minister for Scientific and Industrial Research

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

Foundation

DSIR was founded in 1926 by Ernest Marsden after calls from Ernest Rutherford for government to support education and research{{cite web |first=Emma |last=Brewerton |date=15 December 2014 |title=Ernest Rutherford |publisher=Ministry for Culture and Heritage |url=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/ernest-rutherford}} and on the back of the Imperial Economic Conference in London in October and November 1923, when various colonies discussed setting up such departments.{{cite web|url=http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1924-I.2.1.2.10 |title=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] |publisher=Atojs.natlib.govt.nz |access-date=11 August 2015}} It initially received funding from sources such as the Empire Marketing Board.{{cite web|url=http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/sheep-raising-poster-1927 |title=Sheep-raising poster from 1927 | NZHistory, New Zealand history online |publisher=Nzhistory.net.nz |date=23 December 2013 |access-date=26 July 2014}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://atojs.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/atojs?a=d&d=AJHR1926-I.2.2.6.33 |title=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] |publisher=Atojs.natlib.govt.nz |access-date=11 August 2015}}

Structure

DSIR initially had five divisions:{{cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/agricultural-and-horticultural-research/page-3 |title=3. DSIR research – Agricultural and horticultural research – Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand |publisher=Teara.govt.nz |date=13 July 2012 |access-date=26 July 2014}}

Grasslands in Palmerston North
Plant Diseases in Auckland
Entomology, attached to the Cawthron Institute in Nelson
Soil Survey (later Soil Bureau) in Taita
Agronomy (later Crop Research Division) in Lincoln
Geophysics Division from 1951{{cite web|url=http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/About-Us/Our-History |title=Our History / About Us / Home – GNS Science |publisher=Gns.cri.nz |access-date=26 July 2014}}

The later Antarctic Division became Antarctica New Zealand in 1996.{{cite web|url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/archive/national-news/206712/Giant-of-Antarctica-saved-Scott-Base |title= Giant of Antarctica saved Scott Base |publisher= Stuff (Fairfax) |date= 18 February 2009}}

The Grasslands Division originally included the New Zealand Dairy Research Institute, which became the Fonterra Research and Development Centre in 2001.{{cite journal |doi=10.1046/j.1471-0307.2003.00111.x |title=The Fonterra Research Centre |journal=International Journal of Dairy Technology |volume=56 |issue=3 |pages=127–132 |year=2003 |last1=Hill |first1=Jeremy |doi-access=free}}

List of directors-general

The following is a list of Directors-General (Chief Executive) of DSIR:{{sfn|Galbreath|1998|pp=}}

Ernest Marsden - 1926 to 1947
Frank Callaghan - 1947 to 1953
Bill Hamilton - 1953 to 1971
Eddie Robertson - 1971 to 1980
Bruce Miller - 1980 to 1984
Jim Ellis - 1984 to 1989
Mike Collins - 1989 to 1994

Dissolution

Reconstituted into initially 10 semi-independent entities called Crown Research Institutes by the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992, with some further consolidation since.{{Cite web|url=http://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1992/0047/latest/DLM264292.html|title=Crown Research Institutes Act 1992|date=15 June 1992|website=legislation.govt.nz|access-date=7 August 2018}}

References

External links

[http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/1966/science-and-government/page-2 Department of Scientific and Industrial Research] entry in the 1966 edition of the Encyclopaedia of New Zealand

Category:1926 establishments in New Zealand

Category:1992 disestablishments in New Zealand

Category:Scientific organisations based in New Zealand

Category:Defunct government agencies of New Zealand