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Federation and MeteorologyBureau of Meteorology
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Weather News

Introduction

History

Personal Notes

Retirements
Mr. B. W. Newman
Retirement of Walter Dwyer
Gerry O'Mahony—Thirty Years On
The Retoubtable George Mackey, Retd.
Retirement of ADR [Neil McRae]
A Long and Fruitful Innings [John Lillywhite]
Pat Ryan Retires
Harry Ashton Retires
'Fly Boy' Retires [Bill Brann]
Our Actor Steve [Lloyd]
Our Man in the Region Retires [Keith Hannay]
ADM Retires [Allen Bath]
Regional Director Queensland Retires [Arch Shields]
ANMRC Head Retires [Reg Clarke]
Vic Bahr's Last Bow
Long Serving Officers Retire [Jack Maher and Kev Lomas]
Allan Brunt Retires, 38 Years in 'the Met'
Henry Phillpot Retires
A Stout With a Dash! [Reg Stout]
Around the Regions [Keith Stibbs]
Bill Smith Bows Out—47 Year Record
Smooth Traffic Ahead for Keith Henderson
Happy Retirement, and Happy Birthday too! [Ralph de la Lande]
Air Dispersion Specialist Calls it a Day [Bill Moriarty]
Bob Crowder Retires
Grass Looks Greener for Tony [Powell]
Farewell France [Lajoie]
Forty Four Years in Meteorology—John Burn Remembers
Des Gaffney bows out
After Only 41 Years . . . Shaw, Enough! [Peter Shaw]
Brian Bradshaw departs, 45 Years On . . .
Bill Ware Ends on a High Note
Peter Barclay Retires
Mal Kennedy Retires
'The Ice Man Goeth . . .' DDS Neil Streten Calls it a Day
Dan of the 14,016 Days [Dan Lee]
A Launceston Boy Gone Wrong: Peter Noar Bows Out
It's Official—Climate Change Confirmed [Bill Kininmonth]
Victorian Forecasting Legend Bids Us Farewell [Ian Russell]
Gentleman Doug Gauntlett Retires
Queensland Regional Director Calls it a Day [Rex Falls]
Assistant Director (Services) Retires and Tributes Flow In [Bruce Neal]
NSW Regional Director Retires [Pat Sullivan]

Obituaries

Observers and Volunteers

Media

Computers


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Around the Regions [Keith Stibbs]

No. 257 October 1981, Item 3267

A large crowd of past and present colleagues of PTO Keith Stibbs gathered on 14 October to farewell Keith after 33 years' service with the Bureau.

Those present included the Director, Regional Directors and Assistant Directors who took a break from their annual conference to join in the many tributes to Keith's outstanding service to the Bureau.

Keith joined the public service as a Clerk with the PMG in 1938, and during WW2 saw service with the AIF (1941–44) and in the latter stages of the war as a navigator-wireless operator with the RAAF.

Joining the Bureau in 1948, he completed the Weather Officer course and was posted to Mascot. In 1951 he had his first posting to Macquarie Island as leader of the ANARE party and OIC of the Met Section. His second 12-month stint in 1954, was undertaken at one week's notice.

After further service at Mascot, Keith was posted to Darwin in 1957, and then to Essendon in 1962. Promoted to Met. Officer Gr 3 in 1964, he returned to Darwin the following year as OIC, and then as PTO (Met) back to Essendon as OIC in 1969. He moved to the new Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine when it was opened in 1971, and from 1973, when the RPC was established, worked in the Vic RO.

The speakers at Keith's farewell all highlighted his great dedication and enthusiasm for his work, at the same time recounting many anecdotes of the memorable events that studded his career.

ADS Bob Crowder recalled that Keith's tours of the Antarctic were commemorated in Mt Stibbs on Macquarie Island, and Stibbs Bay, west of Mawson, being named after him. His knowledge of aviation meteorology had resulted in his attendance as Australian delegate at the 5th Session of the Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology in Geneva, 1971, and his expertise in meteorological radar interpretation led to a six-month tour of duty in Saudi Arabia in 1980 as a consultant instructor. Keith's great interest in aviation procedures was indicated by the presence of several Department of Transport staff at the function, and the high regard in which he was held throughout the Bureau was reflected in the wide cross section of those present.

Other tributes were paid by Senior Met Ian Russell and Supervising Met Colin Pierrehumbert, the latter presenting Keith with a watch as a present from his many friends in the Bureau.


People in Bright Sparcs - Stibbs, Keith

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