A000369 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Corporate Body created 2000-04-27 human Ailie Smith updated 2025-11-05 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/A000369b.htm CA 218 corporateBody Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics Commonwealth of Australia AACR2 Bureau of Mineral Resources 11 June 1946 13 August 1992 Start Place Melbourne, Victoria, Australia End Place Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia Location 1946-1958 Melbourne, Victoria; 1958-1992 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Earth Sciences Resources The Bureau of Mineral Resources was created in June 1946 with the following mission: "(a) to provide technological and technical advice to the mining industry, and to undertake geological and geophysical and other forms of research; and (b) to undertake market surveys and other economic investigations in relation to mining and development of the Industry." [NAA CA 218] The Bureau was situated in Melbourne, Victoria, from 1946 until 1958, when it moved to its Canberra location. In 1992 it transformed into the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (later Geoscience Australia).

From National Archives Australia entry for CA 218:

"On 27 March 1946, the Mining Industry Advisory Panel agreed that because of their cost and highly specialized nature, the States should rely on the Commonwealth to meet their requirements for geophysical surveys. On 11 June 1946 and 18 December 1946 the Public Service Board issued certificates relating to Cabinet decisions of 19 February 1945 and 20 March 1946 for:
(a) 48 positions - 17 geologists, 24 geophysicists, 7 others
including a petroleum technologist
(b) 7 positions including a mining engineer.

The Public Service Board also approved the use of the name "Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics". The establishment of the Bureau of Mineral Resources, more or less in its present form, therefore dates from this approval. The growth of the Bureau since 1947 has been determined by its considerable success and the desire of governments to concentrate on surveys of those areas which hold out the greatest promise of producing minerals required for security and self-sufficiency and the earning of export income. The Bureau has permanent working arrangements with all, or most of the States for:
(a) indexing of literature on general geology and economic geology
(b) compilation and publication of geological maps of Australia
(c) ground and airbourne geophysical surveys

By June 1962 the Bureau consisted of the following Branches:
Petroleum Exploration Branch
Geological Branch
Geophysical Branch
Operations Branch
Mineral Resources Branch

On 13 August 1992, the Minister for Primary Industries and Energy and the Minister for Resources announced changes to the operational and administrative arrangements for the Bureau of Mineral Resources. The changes were seen as necessary to ensure that scientific support for resources decisions was provided in the most efficient way.

BMR functions were to be divided between two agencies which would be newly created within the Department of Primary Industries and Energy (DPIE). The Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO) gained all BMR functions except those dealing with petroleum and minerals resources." [NAA CA 218, 2022-11-23]

 Noakes, Lyndon Charles (1914 - 1990)

Director General 1974 - 1979

 Stanley, George Arthur Vickers (1904 - 1965)

Senior geologist 1962 - 1965

 Truswell, Elizabeth Marchant (1941 - )

Chief Research Scientist in Palynology 1990 - 1996; Senior Principal Research Scientist in Palynology 1985 - 1989; Research Scientist in Palynology 1973 - 1985; Geologist 1968 - 1969.

 White, Mary Elizabeth (1926 - 2018)

Consultant 1956 - 1980s

 Tingey, Robert John (Bob) (1940 - 2017)

Geologist 1966 - 1992

 Richardson, Lewis A. (1907 - 1971)

Geophysicist 1946 - 1950

 Habermehl, Maria Andre (Rien) (1943 - ) Dooley, James Creswell (Jim) (1919 - 2004)

Principal Research Scientist 1944 - 1984

 Green, David Headley (1936 - 2024)

Member, Advisory Council 1985 - 1987

 Wood, Francis Waverley (1905 - 1977)

Assistant Chief Geophysicist, 1951-1956

 Nye, Percival Bartlett (1893 - 1985)

Director-General 1951 - 1958

 Newman, John Kingsley (1925 - 2018)

Geophysicist 1948 - 1952, 1954 - 1963

 Watheroo Magnetic Observatory (1919 - 1957)

Managed the Observatory 1947 - 1957

 Veevers, John James (1930 - 2018)

Senior Geologist 1961 - 1967

 Seidel, G. E. Öpik, Armin Aleksander (1898 - 1983) 1949 1963

Armin Öpik worked for the Bureau of Mineral Resources in Melbourne (1948 - 1949) and Canberra (1949 - 1963).

 Baas Becking Geobiological Laboratory (c. 1968 - c. 1985) Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO), Commonwealth of Australia (1992 - 2001)

Trove

 'Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Conference Paper: 'The Bureau of Mineral Resources' Contribution to the Geological Mapping of Australia Fisher, H. 'The Bureau of Mineral Resources' Contribution to the Geological Mapping of Australia Sydney Edgeworth David Society 1988 Edgeworth David Day Symposium: Geological Mapping of Two Southern Continents: the Geological Mapping of Australia - From David to 1:50000; the Geology of Antarctica-Exploration to Exploitation? D. F. Branagan; G. S. Gibbons and K. S. Williams 55-59 Resource Section: Primary description of agency CA 218; Bureau of Mineral Resources. Geology and Geophysics. Registration of entity: 22 September 1987 Primary description of agency CA 218; Bureau of Mineral Resources. Geology and Geophysics. Registration of entity: 22 September 1987 National Archives of Australia 2000 RecordSearch Journal Article: Early geophysical practice: the BMR instrument collection Sydenham, P. H. Early geophysical practice: the BMR instrument collection 1978 BMR journal of Australian geology and geophysics 3 241-8 Journal Article: Dr (Doc) Norm Fisher Muhling, Peter and Collins, Bob Dr (Doc) Norm Fisher 2013 Newsletter, Earth Sciences History Group 44 6-14 Journal Article: From tunneller on the Western Front to Director of the Bureau of Mineral Resources: the war service and career of P. B. Nye Withnall, Ian From tunneller on the Western Front to Director of the Bureau of Mineral Resources: the war service and career of P. B. Nye 2018 Newsletter, Earth Sciences History Group 45 33-7 Edited Book: History and role of government geological surveys in Australia Johns, R.K. History and role of government geological surveys in Australia Adelaide South Australian Government Printer 1976 Book: Rocks to Riches: the Story of Australia's National Geological Survey Wilkinson, R. Rocks to Riches: the Story of Australia's National Geological Survey St Leonards (N.S.W.) Allen & Unwin 1996 Resource: Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering Technology in Australia 1788-1988 Online Melbourne Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre 2000 Journal Article: Ian Sweet d. 28 December 2013 Mackenzie, Doug Ian Sweet d. 28 December 2013 2014 TAG: Geological Society of Australia Newsletter 171 June 39 Book Section: Rayner, Jack Maxwell (1906-1982), geophysicist McCracken, Ken Rayner, Jack Maxwell (1906-1982), geophysicist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 2012 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 18: 1981 - 1990 L-Z Melanie Nolan 330 Book Section: Öpik, Armin Aleksander (1892-1983), palaeontologist Branagan, D. F. Öpik, Armin Aleksander (1892-1983), palaeontologist Melbourne Melbourne University Press 2012 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 18: 1981 - 1990 L-Z Melanie Nolan 247-8 Book Section: Noakes, Lyndon Charles (1914-1990), geologist, coast watcher and public servant Branagan, D. F. Noakes, Lyndon Charles (1914-1990), geologist, coast watcher and public servant Melbourne Melbourne University Press 2012 Australian dictionary of biography, volume 18: 1981 - 1990 L-Z Melanie Nolan 223-4 Journal Article: Geophysical Instruments in the National Historical Collection Shephard, Denis Geophysical Instruments in the National Historical Collection 2013 Preview 163 21-7 Journal Article: John Helsby Shergold 1938-2006 Laurie, John R. John Helsby Shergold 1938-2006 2007 Memoirs of the Association of Australasian Palaeontologists 34 1-16