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Introduction

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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

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'The Ice Man Goeth . . .' DDS Neil Streten Calls it a Day

No. 315 April 1997

There were tears, cheers and a few beers to mark the retirement of Deputy Director Services, Dr Neil Streten, on 31 January. A few tears were shed by Executive Branch staff losing a colleague and close friend, the beers were consumed as part of the overall festivities and the cheers came from Neil himself, who remarked that he had been to quite a few retirement functions but that this was 'the best one yet.'

Margaret and Neil Streten

Margaret and Neil Streten

At the HO Australia Day gathering on 14 January, the Director, Dr John Zillman, paid tribute to Neil's achievements over a career 'longer than some are years old'. In his 46 years with the Bureau, Neil made his mark in many areas, notably in the field of Antarctic meteorology where he did 'some remarkable work' to bring Antarctic issues onto the international scene, Dr Zillman said.

Neil joined as a Cadet Meteorologist in 1951 in Queensland. He completed his BSc at the University of Queensland in 1954 and came to Melbourne in 1955 for meteorological training under Professor Fritz Loewe.

For the decade from 1956, Neil worked on operational duties in Hobart, Mawson and the Central Analysis Section.

In 1959 he completed a Diploma of Public Administration at the University of Tasmania. At the time, it was rare for people in professional organisations to take a formal course in management.

He married Margaret in 1962. Their son Phillip was born in 1963 and daughter, Clare, arrived in 1972.

During 1967–68, Neil was Visiting Professor at the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska. In 1969 he became one of the first people, together with DDR Doug Gauntlett, to take up duty in the Commonwealth Meteorology Research Centre (CMRC).

Neil returned to Alaska in 1973–74 and was appointed President of the International Commission on Polar Meteorology in 1975. In 1983, he was awarded a DSc, Melbourne University; was named Chairman of the WMO-EC Working Group on Antarctic Meteorology, and was appointed inaugural Assistant Director (Executive). In 1988, following the retirement of Bob Crowder, Neil was named Deputy Director (Services ).

Neil was 'absolutely terrific at putting into place very short, simple, down-to-earth and practical ways of doing things', Dr Zillman recalled. There was a 'marvellous tension' between the Director's desire for detail and Neil's aspirations to brevity. He commended Neil's ability to get important things done quickly and his capacity to handle a crisis; there were numerous occasions when he saved the Bureau from a mishap, maintaining a 'wonderful calm when everything is falling apart'.


Organisations in Australian Science at Work - Commonwealth Meteorology Research Centre

People in Bright Sparcs - Streten, Neil Anthony

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