Defence Science and Technology Group

Locations

DSTG has its headquarters at Fairbairn in Canberra with sites in each state of Australia:

• South Australia: Edinburgh and Port Wakefield, north of Adelaide.
• Victoria: Fishermans Bend, Melbourne.
• New South Wales: Eveleigh, Sydney.
• Queensland: Pullenvale in Brisbane, and Innisfail, North Queensland.
• Western Australia: HMAS Stirling at Rockingham, south of Perth
• Tasmania: Scottsdale

It also has a presence in the Russell Offices in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.

Previous sites have included:

• Fern Hill Technology Park in Bruce, Canberra
• Pyrmont, on the shore of Sydney Harbour
• Maribyrnong, Melbourne

History

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) was created in 1974 by amalgamating the Australian Defence Scientific Service with the Science Branch of the Department of Defence. Over the next 20 years various other Australian Defence laboratories were integrated with DSTO, including what remained of the Weapons Research Establishment, responsible for the Woomera test range.

• 1907 – Defence science begins in Australia.
• 1910 – The start of explosives research at a guardhouse (called the Chemical Adviser's Laboratory) at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne.
• 1911 – Defence Explosive Factory Maribyrnong established at Maribyrnong.
• 1912 – Small Arms Factory established at Lithgow.
• 1921 – Munitions Supply Board created within Department of Defence.
• 1922 – Chemical Adviser's Laboratory became the Munitions Supply Laboratories (MSL) of the Munitions Supply Board.
• 1929 – Proof Range established at Port Wakefield.
• 1939 – Aeronautical & Engine Research Test Laboratory established at Fishermans Bend as part of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR now CSIRO) Division of Aeronautics.
• 1940 – Department of Munitions established. Salisbury Explosives Factory and Finsbury Munitions Factory built within rural environs of Adelaide.
• 1946 – Munitions Supply Laboratories (MSL) established at Finsbury, South Australia (later known as Woodville North when the suburb name was changed) as a branch of MSL at Maribyrnong.
• 1946 – Anglo-Australian Joint Project established at Woomera, with aviation support at RAAF Base Mallala.
• 1947 – Long Range Weapons Establishment (LRWE) formed in Salisbury, South Australia to support the guided weapons facility at Woomera.
• 1948 – Munitions Supply Laboratories changes its name to Defence Research Laboratories.
• 1949 – Fishermans Bend laboratory transferred from CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) to the Department of Supply & Development; renamed Aeronautical Research Laboratories (ARL). Australian Defence Scientific Service established, incorporating LRWE and the Defence Research Laboratories.
• 1949 – Laboratory established in Alexandria, NSW as part of Defence Research Laboratories to undertake research in physical metallurgy and metallurgical chemistry areas.
• 1949 – Three new laboratories formed in Salisbury – High Speed Aerodynamics Laboratory, Propulsion Research Laboratory and the Electronics Research Laboratory, collectively known as the Chemistry & Physics Research Laboratory.
• 1953 – Defence Research Laboratories changes its name to Defence Standards Laboratories.
• 1955 – LRWE and all the Salisbury laboratories amalgamated to form the Weapons Research Establishment (WRE). RAAF Base Edinburgh established near Salisbury, superseding Mallala.
• 1956 – The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Experimental Laboratory established.

• 1957 – Black Box flight recorder invented by Dr David Warren – originally named the ARL Flight Memory Unit. Its descendants are now installed in large airline aircraft and most military aircraft.
• 1958 – The Army Food Research Laboratories were formally established at Scottsdale, Tasmania under the Quartermaster General Branch, Army Headquarters. The Laboratories' role included research and development of foods for the three Services. Laboratories renamed Defence Food Research Establishment-Vegetable Dehydration Division in 1958.
• 1960 – The Defence Food Research Establishment-Vegetable Dehydration Division renamed The Army Food Science Establishment.
• 1961 – The Army Food Science Establishment renamed The Army Food Research Station.
• 1962 – Joint Tropical Research Unit (JTRU) established in Innisfail, Queensland and operated jointly with the British Ministry of Defence.
• 1967 – Built and launched WRESAT, Australia's first artificial satellite.
• 1969 – RAN Experimental Laboratory changes name to RAN Research Laboratory (RANRL).
• 1971 – The Army Food Science Establishment renamed the Armed Forces Food Science Establishment.
• 1972 – ARL transferred to the Department of Manufacturing Industry.
• 1974 – As a result of Defence restructuring, the Defence Science & Technology Organisation (DSTO) is created by integrating the Australian Defence Scientific Service, the in-house R&D units of the Armed Services and the Science Branch of the Department of Defence. Defence Standards Laboratories becomes the Materials Research Laboratories (MRL).
• 1975 – Official transfer of all Defence R&D activities to DSTO in the Department of Defence. The Armed Forces Food Science Establishment (AFFSE) became part of the Service Laboratories and Trials (SLT) division of DSTO.
• 1977 – Joint Tropical Trials and Research Establishment established (JTTRE), merging JTRU and Tropical Trials Establishment situated at Cowley Beach, Queensland.
• 1977 – MRL, Woodville North transferred to CSIRO Division of Materials Science.
• 1978 – WRE split into four smaller laboratories: Weapons Systems Research Laboratory (WSRL), Electronics Research Laboratory (ERL), Trials Research Laboratory (TRL) and Advanced Engineering Laboratory (AEL). The four laboratories were collectively known as the Defence Research Centre Salisbury (DRCS).
• 1982 – The Armed Forces Food Science Establishment became a part of Materials Research Laboratories (MRL).
• 1984 – RAN Research Laboratory transferred to WSRL.
• 1985 – Materials Research Laboratories, Alexandria, NSW transferred to Army.
• 1987 – Five year restructuring of DSTO laboratories begins. New Surveillance Research Laboratory created and WRE's Electronics Research Laboratory reorganised. RANRL transferred to MRL and renamed.
• 1989 – Control of Cowley Beach was returned to the Army and Innisfail became MRL, Qld.
• 1992 – The UK-Australia Tropical Research agreement terminated.
• 1991 – WSRL abolished to leave four laboratories in DSTO.
• 1994 – ARL and MRL merge to form the Aeronautical & Maritime Research Laboratory (AMRL) headquartered in Fishermans Bend. Surveillance Research Laboratory and Electronics Research Laboratory merge to form the Electronics & Surveillance Research Laboratory (ESRL) headquartered in Salisbury, leaving only two laboratories in DSTO.
• 1994 – The Armed Forces Food Science Establishment was renamed The Defence Food Science Centre (DFSC).
• 1997 – ESRL complex rationalised and new "Knowledge Systems Building" in Edinburgh, South Australia, (the newly renamed part of Salisbury containing DSTO), officially opened. The Defence Food Science Centre (DFSC) was renamed Defence Nutrition Research Centre (DNRC). Port Wakefield Proof Range became the Proof and Experimental Establishment.
• 2002 – DSTO restructured, resulting in three laboratories: Platforms Sciences Laboratory, Systems Sciences Laboratory and Information Sciences Laboratory.
• 2002 – DSTO, along with the Royal Australian Air Force and the Canadian Forces, wins the ICAS von Karman Award for International Cooperation in Aeronautics for its international program assessing the fatigue life of the F/A-18 A/B Hornet aircraft.
• 2003 – Maritime Operational Analysis Centre (MOAC) opened at Garden Island, Sydney
• 2004 – H A Wills Structures and Materials Test Centre officially opened at Fishermans Bend.
• 2004 – CBRN functions transferred from Maribyrnong to Fishermans Bend.
• 2004 – Torpedo Systems Centre and Maritime Experimentation Laboratory opened at DSTO Edinburgh
• 2006 – DSTO and US Air Force sign agreement on Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) Program.
• 2008 – Professor Robert Clark appointed Chief Defence Scientist, the first external appointment to the post since 1991.
• 2009 – DSTO and US Air Force complete first successful launch under the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) Program, confirming that the test vehicle turned onto the correct heading and elevation for re-entry into the atmosphere as designed.
• 2010 – DSTO organises the Multi Autonomous Ground-robotic International Challenge with US Army.
• 2012 – DSTO, along with the US Air Force Research Laboratory, Boeing Research & Technology and the University of Queensland, wins the ICAS von Karman Award for International Cooperation in Aeronautics for collaboration on the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (HIFiRE) Program.
• 2012 – Dr Alex Zelinsky appointed Chief Defence Scientist in March 2012.
• 2015 – DSTO becomes DSTG.
• 2019 – Professor Tanya Monro appointed Chief Defence Scientist in March 2019.
• 2025 – Three year collaboration between DSTG's Information Sciences Division and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to enhance undersea surveillance capabilities, with a focus on detecting and tracking submarines and autonomous underwater vehicles.

Chief Defence Scientist

The Chief Defence Scientist of Australia leads the Defence Science & Technology Group (DSTG Group). Prof. Tanya Monro is the current Chief Defence Scientist, having taken up the role in March 2019.

References

References

1. "PORTFOLIO BUDGET STATEMENTS 2023-24 BUDGET RELATED PAPER No.1.4A DEFENCE PORTFOLIO".
2. (31 July 2015). "Stop Press! Name Change".
3. The area in South Australia occupied by DSTG was renamed from [[Salisbury, South Australia. Salisbury]] to [[Edinburgh, South Australia. Edinburgh]] in 2002.
4. The DSTO Maribyrnong site was shut down in May 2007 and all remaining personnel were moved to a new facility within the existing DSTG Fishermans Bend site.
5. DSTG Pyrmont commenced moving to Redfern in 2008.
6. Personnel at the DSTG Canberra Fern Hill Park site moved to new facilities at [[Fairbairn, Canberra. Fairbairn]] during 2007 & 2008. DSTG staff are also located in [[Russell Offices]], Campbell Park Offices, Brindebella Business Park and various scientific liaison officers are located "on the south side of the lake".
7. Each country defines which aircraft are required to carry "Black Boxes". For example: Australia: [http://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012C00103 CAO 20.18, para 6.1]; USA: [http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/AB26EE24BCCACACA8625745D0072929E?OpenDocument §121.343], [http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/DABF5AC9B9936DA18625771F0069C5CD?OpenDocument §121.344] and [http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgFAR.nsf/0/E70EE8374FD1C18D8625771F0069C74F?OpenDocument §135.152] of [[Federal Aviation Regulations. Chapter 14 of the US Code of Federal Aviation Regulations]]; etc.
8. [http://www.icas.org/media/pdf/Awards/Awards%20history.pdf International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences].
9. [http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/news/3317/ DSTO wins international award for aeronautical work] {{webarchive. link. (22 March 2012 .)
10. [http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/news/5485/ Professor Robert Clark appointed as new CDS – 2008] {{webarchive. link. (19 September 2008 .)
11. [http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/news/5669/ Trialling hypersonic flight at Woomera] {{webarchive. link. (10 May 2012 .)
12. [http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/news/6816/ Dr Alex Zelinsky appointed as new CDS – 2012] {{webarchive. link. (3 May 2012 .)
13. (2019-01-24). "New Chief Defence Scientist announced".
14. "Academy Fellow appointed Chief Defence Scientist {{!}} Australian Academy of Science".
15. Trivedi, Saurabh. (2025-07-03). "India, Australia launch joint research project on undersea surveillance". [[The Hindu]].
16. (2025-07-06). "India, Australia launch research project to bolster undersea surveillance". The Times of India.
17. (2025-07-03). "Indian pact bolsters undersea surveillance". defence.gov.au.
18. [http://www.dst.defence.gov.au DSTG website], dst.defence.gov.au
19. "Our leadership". Defence Science and Technology.