Mr. J. Johnston—Deputy Director, Hobart

At the beginning of 1930, Mr. Johnston, a science graduate with honours in Mathematics and Physics, and with a Diploma of Education commenced a teaching career with the Victorian Education Department. At the end of 1938, he transferred to the R.A.A.F. and in May 1939 started his forecasting course.

On completion of the course, he spent a few months in Melbourne as Assistant Meteorologist, then, in October 1940, followed Mr. George Mackey as Officer in Charge, Darwin. During the war years, as a member of the R.A.A.F. Meteorological Service, he was stationed at Rathmines, Sale, Darwin, Laverton.

After discharge he returned to the Divisional Office, Melbourne, as Meteorologist where he remained until promoted to Deputy Director, Tasmania in June 1959. During the thirteen years in Melbourne, he carried out relieving duties in Adelaide, Sydney and Hobart, and acted for extended periods as Deputy Director, Victoria, thus becoming well known to the Melbourne press and public as this cutting from the Melbourne "Sun" of April 9th 1953 testifies:

WEATHER MAN. I must hand it to Jack Johnston, official forecaster of the Melbourne Weather Bureau.

Jack has been forecasting since he returned from RAAF war service to met. work and a check by anyone over any period will show that he is seldom wrong, and then not by much.

What we like about him is his keen news sense and his happy nature. You could ring him all day with odd inquiries (and the public does, you know) and he's as smiling at the end as in the morning.

In the morning, of course, he sits in the 8.4 am from Newport and listens to those libellous comments on his forecasts by the chaps who left their coats at home, although Jack warned it would rain.

He's married, with four children, and is building a new house at Broadmeadows. He works on it at weekends—wet or shine.

Bureau of Meteorology