DSIR was founded in 1926 by Ernest Marsden after calls from Ernest Rutherford for government to support education and research and on the back of the Imperial Economic Conference in London in October and November 1923 , when various colonies discussed setting up such departments . It initially received funding from sources such as the Empire Marketing Board . The initial plans also included a new agricultural college , to be jointly founded by Auckland and Victoria University Colleges , Palmerston North was chosen as the site for this and it grew to become Massey University
Imperial Economic Conference
1923 Imperial Conference
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (New Zealand)