User:Viewfromthebay/History

Origin

Nelson businessman and philanthropist Thomas Cawthron made substantial contributions to the Nelson community. When he died in 1915 he left the bulk of his estate, £231,000, for the creation of a "industrial and technical school institute and museum to be called The Cawthron Institute". Seven local public officials were appointed as trustees to execute his will, who in turn set up an advisory commission (four prominent scientists plus the chairman of the Board of Agriculture). The commission's report in 1916, which was adopted by the trustees, set out the principles for such an institute. In 1917 the New Zealand government insists that £40,000 in stamp duty was payable, according to current law on bequests. This decision is disputed and is subject to repeated legal challenges over the following 18 years. Thomas Easterfield, the founder and head of the Chemistry Department at VIctoria University, is appointed in 1919 as the Cawthron Institute's first director, and the first staff are hired.

Thomas Hill Easterfield c. 1926.

1920s

Fellworth House is purchased in 1920 as the Insitute's temporary premises. It remains the home of Cawthron Institute for the following fifty years. On 21 April, 1921 the official opening is performed by New Zealand's Governor General, Lord Jellicoe. The Thomas Cawthron Trust Act 1924, formally establishing the Cawthron Institute Trust Board, comes into force in early 1925. That year sees a visit by Ernest Rutherford who presents the Thomas Cawthron Memorial Lecture. In 1926 the book Insects of Australia and New Zealand by Robin Tillyard is published and becomes a reference for many decades.

Robin J. Tillyard

In 1927 Tillyard leaves Cawthron to take up the position of Chief Entomologist at the CSIRO, Australia.

Fellworth House, Nelson, home to the Cawthron Institute 1920–1970

1930s

Foundation staff member Theodore Rigg is appointed director of a DSIR survey of volcanic ash soils in central North Island. Thomas Easterfield retires in 1033 and Theodore Rigg becomes Director. Finally, in 1936, the government approves compensation for the £40,000 death duties paid in 1917: an annual subsidy of £2000 for entomological, fruit, soil and tobacco research.

In 1936 Cawthron scientists confirm cobalt deficiency as the cause of “bush sickness”  in New Zealand. The Cawthron Institute Trust Board Rating Exemption Act 1937 is enacted, granting Cawthron Institute freedom from paying local rates. In that year the Entomological Branch of the Department of Agriculture is transferred to Nelson: a joint venture between DSIR and Cawthron.

Theodore Rigg is knighted in 1937 for his services to New Zealand. In 1938 Thomas Easterfield also receives a knighthood.

1940s

The Knapp Collection of Maori taonga, comprising more than 8000 artifacts, the largest private collection in New Zealand, is bequeathed in 1940 to the Cawthron's museum. A Silver Jubilee commemorates 25 years of Cawthron's operation.

Cawthron's soil science activities, including the National Soil Survey, are relocated to the DSIR Soil Bureau, Wellington, along with staff.

1950s

This is a difficult decade for Cawthron. All entomology activities and collections are transferred to the DSIR Entomology Division, Auckland in 1956. That same year Sir Theodore Rigg retires and David Miller assumes the role of Director. Cawthron’s Department of Mycology is transferred to the DSIR Plant Diseases Division, along with reference collections and library. In 1959 David Miller retires as Director and is replaced by C. R . Barnicoat, Associate Professor of Biochemistry at Massey Agricultural College.

1960s

To address long standing concerns about a lack of scientific expertise on the Cawthron Instuture Trust Board, the Cawthron Institute Trust Act 1924 is amended to enable 3 additional trustees with scientific backgrounds to be added to the board by the Minister of Science. In 1967 Barnicoat retires as Director. and is replaced in 1968 by E B (Barrie) Cousins, Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Otago.

The Chemical Services Group is established under the leadership of Alan Cooke, for the first time offering commercial chemical and microbiological analyses. This provides an important source of revenue over the next decade.

1970s

The decade begins with the opening of new laboratories and offices (now named the Rigg building) by Governor-General Sir Arthur Porritt. Celebrations are marred by the sudden death of Director Cousins dies, a few days beforehand. Royd Thornton, manager of the DSIR's Agriculture and Biology Group, is appointed Director in 1971. In 1972 the national accreditation body TELARC is created, enabling other laboratories to gain accreditation and compete with Cawthron's highly regarded analytical laboratories. The Cawthron Museum is closed in 1976 and its contents redistributed to the Nelson Provincial Museum, other organisations, and the general public.

An Environmental and Feasibility Services group is established in 1976, offering commercial consultant services. The move from Fellworth House is completed in 1977 and the property sold.

1980s

Another difficult decade for Cawthron finances. The Environmental and Feasibility Services group is shut down in 1984 after proving unprofitable. In 1987 Royd Thornton retires. Staff numbers decline to 33, from a decade peak of 74. Graeme Robertson, a chemical engineer with a background in the pulp and paper industry, is named Chief Executive Officer in 1988. He names senior Cawthron scientist Henry Kaspar as Research Leader.

1990s

New opportunities emerge for Cawthron. A bipartisan agreement in 1990 leads to a major restructuring of NZ’s science system: separation of policy, funding and operations and the creation of MoRST and FRST. This leads to the introduction of competitive bidding for government funded research programmes. The Thomas Cawthron Memorial Lecture series is restarted that same year after a 10 year hiatus. In 1992 Government research in MAF, DSIR & Forestry is restructured, into Crown Research Institutes.

In the summer of 1992/93 the first harmful algae bloom to close marine farms and create widespread public attention sparks interest in marine biotoxins. The Glenhaven Aquaculture Centre Ltd, now known as the Cawthron Aquaculture Park, is formed in 1993 as joint venture with landowners and a small research facility built on the site of a former oyster hatchery.

Cawthron’s Culture Collection of Micro-Algae is registered in 1996 as a nationally significant living collection. That year the New Zealand aquaculture industry introduces regular phytoplankton monitoring of harvest areas as an early warning of the presence of toxic algae. In 1998 a new office building known as the Easterfield Wing is opened by the Minister of Science, Maurice Williamson. Cawthron hosts the first national workshop on marine biosecurity in 1999.

2000s

HABTech 2000, an international workshop on technology for the monitoring of harmful algal blooms and biotoxins is hosted by Cawthron. That year LC-MS chemical analysis methods developed by Cawthron are introduced for routine marine biotoxin monitoring of farmed shellfish throughout New Zealand.

Graeme Robertson resigns as CEO in 2005 and is replaced in 2006 by Gillian Wratt.

Staff numbers