What if the CSIRO kept its Defence Research?

[Caryina2642]

In real history, the 1948/49 "Spy Scare" and pressure from the US Venona project forced the Australian government to completely strip defense research out of the CSIR to keep it a pure, open-access civilian entity (forming the CSIRO we know today), while moving the Long Range Weapons Establishment (LRWE) into the closed-door Department of Supply/Defence.
In this timeline, Prime Minister Ben Chifley and Sir David Rivett strike a midnight compromise to satisfy MI5 and the Pentagon without destroying Australian scientific synergy. They pass the Science and Industry Security Act 1948, creating a Tri-City Hybrid CSIRO:

1. CSIRO HQ (Canberra): Strict administrative & ASIO vetting buffer.
2. CSIR Division (Sydney): Completely unclassified, open academic research (Radiophysics, Agriculture).
3. LRWE Division (Adelaide/Salisbury): Heavily classified, military-grade aerospace, radar, and guided weapons.

CSIR Questions

• Does the CSIR build the CSIRAC & CSIRAC Mk II Digital Computer?
• How does this effect the CSIR Radio Astronomy?
• How does this effect the Parkes Radio Telescope?
• Does the CSIR begin purfying germanium cystrals earlier than 1953 in this scenaroio?
• Is the snowy hydro sceme completed earlier if Australia has digital computers in the 50s?
• Has the CSIR invented Cochlear implants and the pacemaker in this scenario?
• How does Australia Wireless communicatio & Telecommunications look in this Scenario?

LRWE Questions

• Does whe LRWE build the WREDAC digtial computer earlier?
• How does this effect the development of the Malkara ATGM & Ikara ASM?
• How does this effect Australias space program?
• Historically Australia was the third nation to put a satelite into space in 1967, is this brought forward?
• Does Australia start building Naval radars and sonars decades earlier in this scernario?
• Does Australia develop Over the Horizon Radar earlier in this scenario?
• Does the CA-23 Fighter Jet get developed in this scenario?

Joint CSIR & LRWE Questions

• How does this advance australian metallurgy?

Overall how much more advance is Australia in 1960 and going forward into the 60s and whats the effect on the Australian Economy and Military?

 

[GTX]

Would it really have made any difference? The Australian Defence Scientific Service and the Science Branch of the Department of Defence with the associated Long Range Weapons Establishment (LRWE), Defence Research Laboratories, High Speed Aerodynamics Laboratory, Propulsion Research Laboratory and the Electronics Research Laboratory were still there conducting much the same roles/research. I fail to understand your premise.

 

[Pioneer]

Thanks Caryina2642, the information in your "In real history...." was interesting in itself, which I'll now have to pursue....

Regards
Pioneer

 

[Caryina2642]

Would it really have made any difference? The Australian Defence Scientific Service and the Science Branch of the Department of Defence with the associated Long Range Weapons Establishment (LRWE), Defence Research Laboratories, High Speed Aerodynamics Laboratory, Propulsion Research Laboratory and the Electronics Research Laboratory were still there conducting much the same roles/research. I fail to understand your premise.

Im trying to get all the scientific research departments compartmentalised into one big organisations with different divisions. The Military research divsion LRWE in adelaide and the civilian research division CSIR in sydney. Hopefully this could lead to more streamlined tech breakthroughs like the CSIR developed the CSIRAC digital computer in 1949, if the CSIR and LRWE are under one organisation the CSIRO foes that mean the LRWE are able to build the WREDAC digital computer earlier on allow for data processing for telemetry? Or in 1953 CSIR perfect purfying germaniun crystals allowing the creation of germanium transistors if the CSIR and LRWE are apart of the same organistion does this allow the LRWE to create a better Malkara ATGM and earlier Ikara ASM? Im trying to create a scenario where australia invests in more tech/builds the tech it created it the 50s, like the blackbox being inveted in melbourne in 53 and being built in australia instead of the UK on 58.

 

[GTX]

I doubt that the changes you propose would make much difference. I suspect the limitations on developing things are outside of the organisations/organisational structure.

 

[Caryina2642]

I suspect the main limitations would be funding and political will but with this organisational template i think would help in terms of getting more funding and political will.

 

[Rule of cool]

I'm not all over what the CSIRO did or might do, but in the Australian Cold War context lines on an org chart can make a real difference. The failure of Menzies to act fully on the Moreshead review of 1958 is a good example of this.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Im trying to get all the scientific research departments compartmentalised into one big organisations with different divisions.

Why?

Hopefully this could lead to more streamlined tech breakthroughs like the CSIR developed the CSIRAC digital computer in 1949, if the CSIR and LRWE are under one organisation the CSIRO foes that mean the LRWE are able to build the WREDAC digital computer earlier on allow for data processing for telemetry? Or in 1953 CSIR perfect purfying germaniun crystals allowing the creation of germanium transistors if the CSIR and LRWE are apart of the same organistion does this allow the LRWE to create a better Malkara ATGM and earlier Ikara ASM? Im trying to create a scenario where australia invests in more tech/builds the tech it created it the 50s, like the blackbox being inveted in melbourne in 53 and being built in australia instead of the UK on 58.

That only works if the various parts are permitted to talk to each other.

I can see the defense side grabbing whatever open-publication ideas happen to grab their fancy, but I struggle to see things developed by the defense side being picked up by the civilian side, simply because of classification.