Some Snippets from Noel Barrett

On the Monday I reported to the Training School at 501 Swanston Street only to find it was closed for the Labour Day holiday. I reported again on Tuesday and was pleased to find John MacDermott running the 'tech' training; I was at school with his son in Hobart and like most Tasmanians we had many common friends. You may recall that 'Mac's' son was killed in a helicopter accident while assisting with flood relief work when working for BHP. We are still in regular contact with 'Mac' and his wife, Marie, both of whom have been in a retirement village in Pakenham in Victoria for some years now.

Since all the other members of the course had the same short notice, by telegram I think, the course didn't get underway until the following week. Other members were Arthur Carter and John Spehr, both ex-Navy, Peter Lane, ex-Navy and Macquarie Island, and Graham Linnett ex-PMG/ABC. About halfway through the Observer (Radio) course I was interviewed by Don Styles of ANARE in March 1963. My other application to go south was now working. I was short-listed and then accepted to go to Macquarie Island. Bruce Retallack was not pleased having partly trained me for permanent service. However, in fact, I intended to remain with the Bureau anyway. My training was cut short and I was posted to Carnarvon for approximately 10 weeks to get some experience on the AA3 Mk VII radar. The Senior Observer (Radio) at Carnarvon was Alan Pendrich and he ran a tight ship; the books were correct and the radar was in very good condition along with the building and spares. It was the best introduction I could have had to field operations and set the standard I tried to maintain in future years.

I stayed in Wilson Tuckey's Port Hotel and got to know a bit about real life in the north-west of Western Australia, and also the problems of getting travelling allowance. The observing staff (Bernie Rowe, Sid Salt and others) were most helpful and some great times were spent catching mud crabs and drinking home brew. The OIC was Flip Phillips. Alan left after about four weeks and I had the station to myself until October when I was posted back to Melbourne for pre-Antarctic training. In December 1963 I set sail for Macquarie Island on the Nella Dan, however, as the ship was about to sail from Number 6 North Wharf on the Yarra River a fellow from Staff Section appeared on the gangway and asked me to fill in an application for permanency. They had lost the first one completed in March, and must have lost others, too, as most of the March 1963 intake were not made permanent officers until 1966 or later.

Bureau of Meteorology