Editing CSIRO (section)

===Evolution of the organisation===
A precursor to CSIRO, the Advisory Council of Science and Industry, was established in 1916 on the initiative of prime minister [[Billy Hughes]]. However, the advisory council struggled with insufficient funding during the First World War. In 1920 the council was renamed the Commonwealth Institute of Science and Industry, and was led by [[George Handley Knibbs]] (1921–26), but continued to struggle financially.<ref>{{Cite book |first=George |last=Currie |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/925648548 |title=The origins of CSIRO : science and the Commonwealth government 1901-1926 |date=1966 |publisher=Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization |oclc=925648548}}</ref>

Implementing the [[1923 Imperial Conference]]'s call for colonies to broaden their economic base, in 1926 the [[Parliament of Australia|Australian Parliament]] modified the principal Act (the Institute of Science and Industry Act 1920<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|num_act|iosaia192022o1920403|Institute of Science and Industry Act 1920}}{{cbignore}}</ref>) for national scientific research by passing the ''Science and Industry Research Act 1926''.<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|num_act|saira192620o1926325|Science and Industry Research Act 1926}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The same conference led to the creation of the [[Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand)|Department of Scientific and Industrial Research]] in New Zealand.

The new Act replaced the institute with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). With encouragement from prime minister [[Stanley Bruce]], strengthened national science leadership and increased research funding, CSIR grew rapidly and achieved significant early successes. The council was structured to represent the federal structure of government in Australia, and had state-level committees and a central council. In addition to an improved structure, CSIR benefited from strong bureaucratic management under [[George Julius]], [[David Rivett]], and Arnold Richardson. Research focused on primary and secondary industries. Early in its existence, CSIR established divisions studying animal health and animal nutrition. After the [[Great Depression]], research was extended into manufacturing and other secondary industries.<ref name="ourhistory">{{cite web |url= http://csiropedia.csiro.au/our-history/ |title= Our history |first=Colin |last=Ward |date= 10 December 2015 |website= CSIROpedia |publisher= CSIRO |access-date= 16 April 2018 }}</ref>

In 1949 the Act was changed again,<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|saira1949279|Science and Industry Research Act 1949}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and the entity name amended to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. The amendment enlarged and reconstituted the organisation and its administrative structure. Under [[Ian Clunies Ross]] as chairman, CSIRO pursued new areas such as [[radio astronomy]] and [[Chemical industry|industrial chemistry]]. CSIRO still operates under the provisions of the 1949 Act in a wide range of scientific inquiry.<ref name="ourhistory"/>

Participation by women in CSIRO research was severely limited by the Australian government policy, in place until 1966, forcing women public servants out of their jobs when they married.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Carey |first=Jane |title=Taking to the Field |publisher=[[Monash University Publishing]] |year=2023}}</ref> Even unmarried women were considered a poor investment because they might eventually marry. Single women such as [[Helen Alma Newton Turner|Helen Newton Turner]] nevertheless made major contributions.

Since 1949, CSIRO has expanded its activities to almost every field of primary, secondary and tertiary industry, including the environment, human nutrition, conservation, urban and rural planning, and water.<ref name="ourhistory"/> It works with leading organisations around the world and maintains more than 50 sites across Australia and in France, Chile and the United States of America, employing about 5500 people.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.csiro.au/en/About/International | title=International collaboration | publisher=CSIRO | access-date=8 February 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.csiro.au/en/About/International |title=International collaboration |website=Csiro.au |date=28 January 2016 |access-date=4 January 2017}}</ref>

In 2016 CSIRO launched its "Innovation Catalyst" Strategy which focused on solving Australia's Innovation Dilemma, it generated $10,000,000,000 more social, economic, and environmental value than any prior strategy, and trained 3,500 researchers from across 32 Universities on the process of innovation, and became the first Australian entity of any kind to reach the Thomson Reuters Global Top 25 Innovators.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2023-06-19 |title=Why Larry Marshall turned down a job extension at CSIRO |url=https://www.afr.com/technology/why-larry-marshall-turned-down-a-job-extension-at-csiro-20230613-p5dgaj |access-date=2025-02-04 |website=[[Australian Financial Review]] |language=en}}</ref>

In March 2025, research from Pollster DemosAU identified the CSIRO as Australia's second most trusted national institution, behind the [[Bureau of Meteorology]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-12 |title=Australia's Most Trusted Institutions: BoM, CSIRO, AEC |url=https://demosau.com/news/australias-most-trusted-institution/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=demosau.com |language=en-US}}</ref>