Observer is 85—And Still on the Job

Mr. Younsem is aged 85. He has been taking records of the highest flood levels in the locality since 1910 when he selected his land, 1½ miles from the Mitchell River.

Without boasting but with, we suspect, due pride, he reported that in the last 50 years many government departments had come to him for what they called "reliable records".

"For instance", he wrote, "when the Department of Main Roads and other departments investigated the proposed Gwydir Highway 20-odd year ago, they came to me to collect the records of flood levels of the local creeks at the foot of the Gibraltar Range. On one occasion their designed 100 ft long bridge cross the Dandalvia Creek was redesigned to 285 ft when I pointed out from my records-what would happen to the originally designed bridge in time of heavy rain-fall in this part of the steep range. My record keeping also helped the Shire and other government offices in their work."

It's men like Mr. Younsem who are the backbone of the Bureau's volunteer observing force and we hope he makes the century marks irrespective of his arthritis.

Bureau of Meteorology