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

The location of staff in those days was as follows.

Downstairs, in the room to the right as you entered the main lobby, where the Climate Section was later located, Watt had his office as Assistant Director. At that stage Stan Richards ran the Climatological Section and had an office table outside Hunt's room. Walter Dwyer was a Met Assistant with that group. Freddy Weisser was an Assistant Meteorologist, which was a new position. Jack Hogan (1896–1970) was also an Assistant Meteorologist and was doing a part-time course at the university.

Some Head Office members of the Bureau of Meteorology at a social occasion in Melbourne in the late 1930s. Seated at table from left to right—Jack Nance, not identified, Allan Cornish, H. N. Warren, W. S. Watt, E. W. Timcke, H. M. Treloar, John Hogan (1896–1970).

So on the upper floor of No 2 Drummond Street were Richards, Dwyer and Weisser and perhaps Wilson. We were all in the Third Division although the Meteorological Assistants were on a lower Grade. For appointment to Meteorological Assistant the equivalent of qualification for matriculation (Year 12) was necessary. There was no specific qualification needed for appointment as Assistant Meteorologist.

On the ground floor the weather room was on the left as you entered the lobby. Ackeroyd was in charge and Alfie Rose worked with him. The bulletin was prepared in the weather room while Ackeroyd prepared the isobaric chart. Hunt would come down at lunch-time to look at the isobaric chart after he had made his forecast. Although the weather room was part of the Central Office it carried out many of the functions of the Divisional Offices in other States.

There was no official Divisional Meteorologist for Victoria. Ackeroyd, who was a fairly senior Meteorologist, prepared the isobaric charts every day.

Bureau of Meteorology