Chapter 6: The Birth of the Instrument Section (continued)

Warren was helpful in expediting this work and ensuring that there was a place for an Instruments Section in the new building. We installed a workshop and gradually began to equip it. This would have been in 1938.

There was no maintenance of instruments before that time. Nothing. Just a heap of broken, unserviceable instruments. There was no plan for acquiring new instruments. Just the good, old-fashioned dry, wet, maximum and minimum thermometers, assorted barometers, a few primitive anemometers and other assorted equipment.

In 1938 war was imminent and activity began to accelerate. About that time I accompanied Warren and the First Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior, to inspect sites for meteorological stations for aerodromes which were to be constructed for preliminary training of aircrew in what was called the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Our trip took about four weeks. We accompanied Warren in a car which he drove. We visited Deniliquin, Narrandera, Hay, Balranald, Mildura, Adelaide and Mount Gambier.

Warren's idea was that we might be able to use Postmaster-General (PMG)'s staff in these places to make surface observations and pilot balloon flights. I was asked to talk to these PMG staff to see if it would be possible to train them as observers. I also investigated the question of paying them for the extra work which would be additional to their PMG duties.

Bureau of Meteorology