The first meeting to coordinate agricultural research in Australia, 1917

This was convened in Melbourne  from 9 to 15 November 1917, chaired by Professor A.J.Perkins, Director of Agriculture, South Australia. The meeting was to have been opened by the Prime Minister, the Hon Billy Hughes, but he was unavailable at the last minute due to cabinet discussions about conscription, it being at the time of the first World War. The meeting was opened by Prof. D. Orme Masson, F.R.S., Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth’s newly formed Advisory Council of

Science and Industry, with the following exhortation:

You will consult with one another as to the past and present state of knowledge in respect of those important subjects which are on the programme. You will consult with-one anotheras to the best future scheme of work and the best method of ensuring that work shall be shared, and shared fairly, among the different workers of Australia Thirdly, you will be able to offer to the Executive Committee some advice as to ways in which the Federal Government, operating through the Advisory Council of Science and Industry, can help the progress of scientific agricultural research in Australia without producing harmful results by interference, but by helping the State activities and the work of all those who are engaged m such research.

Topics discussed included wheat, barley, oats and maize breeding and the use of statistical methods in selection; Production of Cereals for Arid Districts; Immunity and Inheritance in Plants; and the Acclimatization of Plants; Utilization of the Phosphate Deposits of Australia; The Tobacco Industry in Australia; Native Grasses and Fodder-plants of Australia; the Possibility of Cultivating Fibre-plants in Australia; The Australian Sugar Industry; and Crops for the Production of Power Alcohol.

The final day was devoted to how the Commonwealth might contribute, and a general discussion on Agricultural Research and the Prevention of Overlapping leading to agreement on 14 resolutions for the conference

The papers and discussions from the conference are at:

Agricultural Research in Australia Conference 1917 (PDF 30.8 MB)

Further details of how agricultural research and development evolved in the 20^th and early 21^st century can be found in:

Influence of Australian Agricultural Council and successors on Australian Agriculture 1980-2014. 2. Protecting and Facilitating Farm Efficiency (PDF 9.1 MB)