Chapter 2: Some New Vistas (continued)

Barkley was probably the only person in the Bureau of Meteorology who showed an interest in the Scandinavian theories of the polar front in those days.

Hunt's one-man forecasting system was later replaced by a forecast board which met at lunchtime each day. A number of senior meteorologists would prepare individual forecasts. Watt would read out his forecast and invite discussion. All individual forecasts were written and filed away with the intention of analysing these to see who was a good forecaster. One difficulty was the wording and verification of the forecasts. A typical forecast was 'little or no rain' which covered a beautifully fine day or a gloomy dismal day.

Barkley had the idea that forecasts could be sold to certain clients. He first discussed the matter with Coles, a store which had a big cafeteria in Bourke Street. At one stage my job in his office was to phone Coles every day with the forecast for the next day. The most important ingredient of the forecast was temperature—to determine whether the demand would be for soup or salad or ice cream. This was important for placing the order for the cafeteria for the next day. Later he became interested in the importance of forecasts for a firm in Melbourne which had a big business importing bananas. Bananas were brought in green and ripened naturally, which depended on the weather. Barkley provided a special forecasting service by phone tailored to suit the banana ripeners. Barkley also developed sheep weather alerts and frost warnings.

Bureau of Meteorology