Chapter 1: My Early Days in the Bureau (continued)

My starting salary was 150 pounds a year at age 19. In those days we contributed one unit of superannuation for every 50 pounds of annual salary. The price of a unit depended on our age. On a salary of 150 pounds per annum I was required to contribute for three units which cost me five pence a fortnight.

There was a salary barrier for Met Assistants which required academic qualification of three years maths and/or physics to overcome. I think the salary barrier was 452 pounds a year. Alfie Rose was smart. He did Pure Mathematics I, II, III. I was trying to get a science degree by undertaking part-time university courses with evening lectures. At that stage the Public Service provided no assistance such as time off work. I had done one year's Engineering, I had passed Pure Mathematics I, Mixed Mathematics I, Chemistry I, Graphics and Natural Philosophy (Physics). I thought Natural Philosophy was a more appropriate title as we did more than Physics. Laby was on the staff of the Physics Department at The University of Melbourne at that time.

Alfie Rose was able to overcome the barrier with Pure Maths I, II and III. I had Pure Maths I and II and Mixed Maths I and II but didn't have a Part HI subject. I found there was a Degree at the University of Melbourne where Mixed Maths II was considered equivalent to Pure Maths III. Timcke gave some very helpful advice. I wrote to the Public Service Board pointing out in Mixed Maths II I had the equivalent of Pure Maths III. The Board accepted this argument and I was able to overcome the barrier.

Bureau of Meteorology