Corporate Body

CSIRO Division of Coal Research (1959 - 1967)

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

From
May 1959
Australia
To
1967
Functions
Industrial or scientific research and Energy

Summary

The Division of Coal Research replaced the Coal Research Section in May 1959. In 1967 it was incorporated into the Division of Mineral Chemistry.

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Details

From "CSIRO research for Australia" (1962) pdf pages 40-41:
"During the second world war it became obvious to the Federal Government that there was a notable shortage of information about Australia's coal resources, and how these
resources might best be utilized. Just after the war, an inter-departmental committee was asked to advise the Government on what steps it should take to remedy this situation . The Committee recommended that C.S.I.R.O.
should make a physical and chemical survey of the coal resources of Australia, and in 1947 an expert Coal Utilization
Research Committee proposed a research programme for the guidance of the Executive.

In 1948 Mr. H. R. Brown, from the University of Leeds, took up duty in AustraUa as the first Officer-in-Charge. In the following year a site was acquired at the Sydney suburb of North Ryde, and in 1950 laboratory investigations
commenced.

The Division's main continuing project is an assessment of the physical and chemical characteristics of Australian
coals. Already all the major seams in New South Wales have been examined. Brown coal from Victoria, lignite from
South Australia, and sub-bituminous coal from Western Australia have been studied, and attention is now being
directed to the Queensland mines."

"The Division has turned its attention to a number of other industrial problems. Work on coal cleaning provided
the information on which was based the design of numerous industrial plants washing coal for export-for example,
to Japan. A microscopic study of spores in coal strata has been of interest to firms concerned in oil exploration.

Coal research, in C.S.I.R.O. and elsewhere, is showing how desired results can be obtained from a variety of raw materials. It is becoming possible to use poor quality coals for purposes which had previously seemed impossible. Industry, realizing the value of research, is currently subsidising C.S.I.R.O.'s coal research work by grants of £17,000 per annum, and is also financing complementary coal research through a co-operative venture called Australian
Coal Association (Research) Ltd."

Timeline

 1948 - 1960 CSIR/O Coal Research Section
       1959 - 1967 CSIRO Division of Coal Research
             1959 - 1988 CSIRO Division of Mineral Chemistry
                   1975 - c. 1980 CSIRO Division of Process Technology
                   1988 - 1995 CSIRO Division of Mineral Products
                         1977 - 1980 CSIRO Fuel Geoscience Unit
                         c. 1995 - CSIRO Minerals Division
                               1980 - 1987 CSIRO Division of Fossil Fuels
                                     1988 - 1990 CSIRO Division of Coal Technology
                                           1990 - c. 1995 CSIRO Division of Coal and Energy Technology
                                                 c. 1995 - CSIRO Energy Technology

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Ailie Smith

Created: 13 July 2000, Last modified: 9 April 2025

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