The Colonial Geological Surveys (CGS) was established in offices of the Imperial Institute (later the Commonwealth Institute) in 1947. The CGS initially became part of the Colonial Office and its first Director was Frank Dixey. It reported to the Advisory Committee on Colonial Geology and Mineral Resources. The first ten years of the CGS were successful in encouraging countries to form their own surveys. The CGS appointed a geophysicist in February 1949 and a Photogeological Section was established soon after this based at Tolworth in London. In 1958 an Age Determination Unit was set up to investigate the age of rocks using isotope geology. The CGS became the Overseas Geological Surveys in June 1957. By 1964 the OGS consisted of a Geophysical Division, Mineral Resources Division, a Special Surveys Division and a Photogeological Division. It was also responsible for Survey Departments overseas including Bechuanaland, British Guiana, Fiji and Swaziland. In 1965 the OGS became part of the new Institute of Geological Sciences and remained a separate unit within IGS under the directorship of S.H.Shaw.

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