Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand)
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1926 |
| Preceding agencies |
|
| Dissolved | April 1, 1992 |
| Superseding agency |
|
| Employees | 2,000 in 1976[1] |
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.
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]
- 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[7]
Dissolution
Reconstituted into initially 10 semi-independent entities called Crown Research Institutes by the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992, with some further consolidation since.
See also
- Category:People associated with Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand)
Further reading
- DSIR: Making Science Work for New Zealand. Ross Galbreath. ISBN 9780864733542
References
- 1 2 Nathan, Simon (2014-10-06). "Research institutions - Developing research organisations". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
- ↑ Brewerton, Emma (2014-12-15). "Ernest Rutherford". Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
- ↑ "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 2015-08-11.
- ↑ "Sheep-raising poster from 1927 | NZHistory, New Zealand history online". Nzhistory.net.nz. 2013-12-23. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ↑ "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 2015-08-11.
- ↑ "3. DSIR research – Agricultural and horticultural research – Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand". Teara.govt.nz. 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2014-07-26.
- ↑ "Our History / About Us / Home - GNS Science". Gns.cri.nz. Retrieved 2014-07-26.