ChemCentre is proud to celebrate 75 years of continuous accreditation from the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA), representing a significant milestone in the organisation’s ongoing commitment to scientific excellence, quality assurance, and public trust.
Established in the late 1890s by the Western Australian Government to provide analytical services and scientific advice to government and industry, ChemCentre has grown to become Western Australia’s leading chemistry and forensic science laboratory.
In 1950, under the leadership of Director Henry Rowledge, the laboratory achieved NATA accreditation with registration number 8, placing ChemCentre among the first laboratories in Australia to be accredited under the national system.
Today, ChemCentre is recognised as the oldest NATA registered laboratory still in operation, making it the longest continuously accredited laboratory in the world. This achievement is underpinned by the expertise and dedication of more than 100 highly skilled scientists across analytical, environmental and forensic chemistry disciplines.
ChemCentre CEO, Paul Nicholls, said the milestone reflects ChemCentre’s unwavering commitment to delivering trusted, independent scientific services.
“Accreditation is far more than a regulatory requirement; it is a public declaration of our commitment to quality and trust.”
“Our NATA accreditation gives confidence to government, industry and the community that the science we deliver is reliable, robust and independently verified,” Mr Nicholls added.
ChemCentre maintains a strong and collaborative relationship with NATA, with staff contributing as volunteer technical assessors and committee members. ChemCentre also benefits from NATA’s respected training programs, which enhance technical capability and strengthen internal auditing and assurance processes.
As ChemCentre looks to the future, the continuation of its NATA accreditation ensures that every test, result and scientific decision remains grounded in accuracy, integrity and scientific rigour.
