Weather News
Introduction
History
Personal Notes
Retirements
Obituaries
Observers and Volunteers
Media
Computers
Commissioning Ceremony of the Bureau's IBM 360/65 Computer
Computer—Important Forward Step
New Era for Meteorology
How We Got the Computer
The Computer
Processing 159 Million Rainfall Observations . . . Approx
Computing in the Bureau—The Early Years
Index
Search
Help
Contact us
How We Got the Computer
No. 145 August 1968, Item 1552At the computer commissioning, when introducing Mr. Kingsland, Mr. W. J. Gibbs, Director of the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology, said that although the modern computer age began in the 1940s and meteorology was one of the earliest fields of application the Bureau did not enter the field until 1963. In that year, in conjunction with the Public Service Board, it carried out an explanatory study of that part of the Bureau's work which a computer could handle with advantage. The results of this study were used to prepare a set of preliminary specifications of requirements for jobs to be done. In 1965, local and overseas computer firms were invited to comment on the type of computer equipment which would be able to carry out the specified tasks.
The response was very gratifying. Ten computer firms provided detailed opinions free of charge. It is estimated that in total this took 40,000 man hours. On the basis of these opinions the Bureau prepared final specifications which gave details of the computer hardware and system and these were circulated with invitations to tender in May 1966.
In the meantime, the Bureau had used CSIRO's CDC 3600 to test some of the proposed systems. By the time the computer was installed in this building, about 80,000 man-hours had been devoted. to a study of the system exclusive to 40,000 man-hours contributed by computer firms.
At the Commissioning and the cocktail party at the Commonwealth Centre, Mr. Gibbs said a great many people had co-operated to make the computer's inauguration a great success. The part played by the Commonwealth Department of Works in the design and reconstruction of the centre to satisfy the most stringent limits of the operation was really remarkable. In addition, a number of experts in the ADP field had readily made their experience and services available to the Bureau, particularly members of the Public Service Board Management Services Division, staff of computer installations such as the Bureau of Census and Statistics, Qantas, Defence, CSIRO and PMG. Also the Chief Property Officer, Stores Supply and Tender Board staff and Deputy Crown Solicitor had given valuable assistance.
People in Bright Sparcs - Kingsland, Richard
 |
Bureau of Meteorology |  |
© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
Published by Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, using the Web Academic Resource Publisher
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/1502.html