The Weapons Research Establishment was formed on 21st January 1955 with the merger of the Long Range Weapons Establishment, the Chemistry and Physical Research Laboratory and other defence research facilities. It would be based in Salisbury, South Australia, and conducted defence research along with rocketry and explosives tests. It consisted of 5 wings that were involved in weapons research and development, applied physics, engineering, trials and administration. It would continue to operate until April 1978 when it was divided into the Electronics Research Laboratory, Advanced Engineering Laboratory, Weapons Systems Research Laboratory and Trials Resource Laboratory, all of which constituted the Defence Research Centre.