At home the Australian Government developed the concept of a Commonwealth Arsenal, [7] to be set up at Tuggeranong, near Canberra, the site having been chosen as being safe from the attentions of marauding war ships. The idea had its origins immediately after Federation, but received scant attention until the munitions crisis of 1915 and, when revived by the Minister for Defence, Senator George Pearce, lapsed for want of Allied support and in response to advice from Major S. H. Barraclough,[8] Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Sydney University. After inspecting the munitions industry in the United Kingdom on the Government's behalf, he advised that the best contribution Australia could make would be to send workers to the main centre of manufacture. The Arsenal project remained alive, however, and Leighton was appointed its Controller.

Technical support for the existing munitions industry in Australia continued to be provided by Bell's small laboratory in Melbourne.[9] They investigated ways of overcoming a shortage of tinplate and applications of the new plastic material, Bakelite. They issued specifications for steel for high explosive shell and investigated a German technique for manufacture of tri-nitro-toluene (TNT). The Prime Minister, W. M. Hughes, became aware of the need for scientific enquiry into areas formerly covered by German science, no longer available, and set up an Advisory Council for Science and Industry, with Professor David Masson as Chairman. This body, however, directed its enquiries towards civil, rather than military problems.

Barraclough's report to the Government had noted the need to provide a firm scientific support to the Commonwealth Arsenal when it was eventually established. J. K. Jensen, who had moved into defence administration from the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, took up this matter and arranged for Bell to become Superintendent of Laboratories in 1916, incorporating his area in Melbourne with those at the Cordite Factory and Small Arms Factory. Bell was sent to England to investigate all phases of the munitions production effort and assist Leighton with the planning of the Arsenal. Bell, on his return to Australia, enunciated his ideas upon the role of a defence scientific support organisation. Technological innovation was not in his mind; he envisaged that the establishment of manufacturing standards would be important, as would be investigation of the suitability of local materials for Australian manufacture of standard British items and the study of new production methods before their introduction into defence factories, and the collection and dissemination of information about new techniques and technology.

Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering