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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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Fire Weather

The extensive discussion on hydrometeorology in the preceding paragraphs which arose from a discussion of flood warning will be avoided in the following discussion of the development by the Bureau of a system of fire weather warning. However this should not be taken as an indication that the study of weather conditions related to the outbreak and spread of bushfires was considered less important than the subject of hydrometeorology. Floods and bushfires can be equally destructive and devastating.

The Bureau's Divisional Offices were all heavily engaged in fire weather warning in the Warren and Timcke years. In New South Wales Keith Hannay had a close working relationship with Harry Luke of the NSW Forestry Department in studying the influence of the weather on the outbreak and spread of bushfires. In Victoria Tommy Camm and Jack Johnston also maintained a close watch on fire weather, remembering the disastrous bushfires in Victoria in January 1939.

In Western Australia 'Doc' Hogan (1912–1978) had developed a good working relationship with the Western Australian Forestry Department and when he moved to Adelaide as Deputy Director of SA his interest in the subject led the South Australian Government to give him the authority in June 1956 to declare bans on the lighting of fires in selected districts.

Every State in Australia has experienced disastrous bushfires since the war, those in NSW, Victoria, SA and Tasmania being the most destructive. Like the threat of tropical cyclones and floods, after about five years without the occurrence of the phenomenon action to prepare for the occurrence of bushfires tends to be given lower priority.

Len Dwyer gave fire weather the same priority as tropical cyclones and floods in supporting research into the meteorological aspect of the phenomenon, developing adequate Bureau warning services and promoting closer liaison with relevant Commonwealth and State authorities.


People in Bright Sparcs - Dwyer, Leonard Joseph; Hannay, Alexander Keith (Keith); Hogan, John (Doc); Johnston, John (Jack); Timcke, Edward Waldemar; Warren, Herbert Norman

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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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