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Federation and MeteorologyBureau of Meteorology
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Table of Contents

Memories of the Bureau, 1946 to 1962

Foreword

Terminology

Prologue

Preface

Chapter 1: The Warren Years, 1946 to 1950

Chapter 2: International Meteorology

Chapter 3: The Timcke Years, 1950 to 1955

Chapter 4: A Year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chapter 5: The Dwyer Years, 1955 to 1962
Leonard Joseph Dwyer—A Complex Character
Reorganising the Bureau
Public Weather Services
Forecasts for the General Public
Importance of Radio Stations
The Advent of Television
Automatic Telephone Forecast Service
Beacons
Wording and Verification of Forecasts
Warnings
Services for Aviation
Atomic Weapons Tests
Atomic Weapons Tests—Mosaic G1 and G2
Atomic Weapons Tests—Buffalo 1, 2, 3 and 4
Atomic Weapons Tests—Operations Antler, 2 and 3
Atomic Weapons Tests—Minor Trials
Instruments and Observations
Radiosondes
Radar/Radio Winds and Radar Weather Watch
Automatic Weather Stations
Sferics
Meteorological Satellites
Telecommunications
Tropical Cyclones
Bureau Conference on Tropical Cyclones
International Symposium on Tropical Cyclones, Brisbane
Hydrometeorology
Design of Water Storages, Etc
Flood Forecasting
Cloud Seeding
Reduction of Evaporation
Rain Seminar
Cloud Physics
Fire Weather
Research and Special Investigations
International Activities
The International Geophysical Year
The Antarctic and Southern Ocean
International Symposium on Antarctic Meteorology
International Antarctic Analysis Centre
ADP, EDP and Computers
Training
Publications
Management Conference
Services Conference
CSIRO and the Universities
Achievements of the Dwyer Years

Chapter 6: A Springboard for the Future

Appendix 1: References

Appendix 2: Reports, Papers, Manuscripts

Appendix 3: Milestones

Appendix 4: Acknowledgements

Appendix 5: Summary by H. N. Warren of the Operation of the Meteorological Section of Allied Air Headquarters, Brisbane, 1942–45

Endnotes

Index
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Rain Seminar

One of the most ambitious initiatives of the Dwyer years was the organisation of a rain seminar which, through the cooperation of Professor Harry Messel of the Physics Department of the University of Sydney, was held in his Department from 15 to 23 August 1960. Gerry O'Mahony had returned from the ANU and Allan Rainbird was about to be attached to SMHEA for twelve months so it was an ideal opportunity for Len Dwyer to stage the rain seminar and he took an intense personal interest, despite a busy program of national and international activity.

Fifty papers were presented by members of the Bureau, CSIRO, water authorities and universities. Participants numbered 55. Twelve were from the Bureau's Central Office, 15 from the Bureau's Divisional Offices and one from the Bureau's Mascot aerodrome office. Nine came from water authorities, seven from the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics and three from the Division of Meteorological Physics. Six came from universities and one each from a soil conservation authority and the Hunter Valley Research Foundation.

Three volumes containing synoptic case histories, tables of rainfall data and a precipitation notebook were distributed to participants prior to the seminar. Two more volumes published after the seminar provided the text of papers and a record of discussions. In all the five volumes contain over 1000 pages. The Bureau provided many man-hours in organising the seminar, producing the publication in addition to the time spent by those individuals who prepared papers.

The seminar had twelve sessions each focussing on special aspects of rainfall including cloud dynamics, formation of rain, condensation and freezing nuclei, rainfall statistics, artificial stimulation, instruments and observations, temporal and spatial distribution, the rain process, forecasting (including numerical and statistical methods), synoptic aspects and finally a panel discussion summarising the outcome of the seminar.


People in Bright Sparcs - Dwyer, Leonard Joseph; O'Mahony, Gerard (Gerry)

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Gibbs, W. J. 1999 'A Very Special Family: Memories of the Bureau of Meteorology 1946 to 1962', Metarch Papers, No. 13 May 1999, Bureau of Meteorology

© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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