Josland undertook post-graduate training under the direction of Hedley Marston at the Animal Nutrition Laboratory of the Commonwealth Department of Scientific and Industrial Research in Adelaide, Australia in 1935. Dr Lionel Bull was head of the Laboratory and staff conducted research into animal nutrition problems. At the time, studies were being made of coast disease, which affected sheep, and metabolism in ewes. One of the problems of drought-feeding was to find the minimum energy requirements of the animal. Josland's main purpose in going to the Laboratory was to get some application in biochemistry in the investigation of diseases in animals. He also studied cobalt deficiency. Upon his return to New Zealand, Josland commented that "seemed to be no dearth of money in Australia for research work [and an amazing amount of money was made available from sources outside the Government, particularly the pastoral trusts and the banks".