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Table of Contents

Memories of the Bureau, 1946 to 1962

Foreword

Terminology

Prologue

Preface

Chapter 1: The Warren Years, 1946 to 1950
Warren the Man
Warren Joins the Bureau
Wartime Perceptions and Attitudes
Return to Civvy Street
Frosterley
People in the Bureau
Re-establishing and Reorganising the Bureau
Reorganisation of Central Office
The Position of Chief Scientific Officer
Post-War Reorganisation
The Haldane Story
Public Weather Services
The New South Wales Divisional Office
The Victorian Divisional Office
The Queensland Divisional Office
The South Australian Divisional Office
The Western Australian Divisional Office
The Tasmanian Divisional Office
Pre-war Services for Civil Aviation
Post-War Meteorological Service for Aviation
Indian Ocean Survey Flight
The Aviation Field Staff
Synoptic Analysis, Prognosis and Forecasting
Antarctic and Southern Ocean Meteorology
A Wider Scientific Horizon
Research, Development and Special Investigations
Analysts' Conference, April 1950
Instruments and Observations
Radiosondes
Radar Winds and Radar Weather Watch
Telecommunications
Climate and Statistics
Training
Publications
CSIRO
The Universities
Achievements of the Warren Years

Chapter 2: International Meteorology

Chapter 3: The Timcke Years, 1950 to 1955

Chapter 4: A Year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Chapter 5: The Dwyer Years, 1955 to 1962

Chapter 6: A Springboard for the Future

Appendix 1: References

Appendix 2: Reports, Papers, Manuscripts

Appendix 3: Milestones

Appendix 4: Acknowledgements

Appendix 5: Summary by H. N. Warren of the Operation of the Meteorological Section of Allied Air Headquarters, Brisbane, 1942–45

Endnotes

Index
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Analysts' Conference, April 1950 (continued)

The 26 recommendations cover a broad range of scientific and operational matters related to synoptic analysis and prognosis and forecasting. They resulted from a wide-ranging review of the systems, techniques and scientific basis of synoptic analysis, prognosis and forecasting, the need for more research and the needs of aviators and other users of Bureau products. They are remarkable for the depth and detail of consideration given to all aspects from the network of observations needed to the form of forecasts presented to users.

Warren's pencilled notations are interesting. He was obviously concerned that many of the recommendations would require additional manpower and capital equipment to implement and his remarks were designed to carry the message that the ideas were good but getting the money to implement them would be difficult.

Some typical notations were: "These matters are and have been under constant attention and action taken for improvement when such is practicable"; "Entirely a matter for the Director who would consult D/D's to extent necessary or desirable"; and "Planned for long term but not yet practicable".

I can understand Warren's caution. He had the difficult task of convincing responsible Commonwealth Ministers and the Canberra bureaucracy that the Bureau should be given the manpower and financial resources to rebuild the Bureau. There were a host of projects needing attention. Warren's problem was to establish priorities of things to be done. Above all he had to protect the good relations he had established with the Public Service Board and Treasury. He believed that "softly, softly, catchee monkey".

The detailed record of discussions during the conference makes interesting reading. They include subjects such as definitions, frequency of radiosondes, charts for synoptic analysis, telecommunications, forecast verification and terminology, use of facsimile for transmission of analysis statements as well as techniques for synoptic analysis and prognosis and forecasting. Although Warren had concerns that available resources made it difficult to implement the recommendations he realised that they deserved serious consideration. It is interesting that most were implemented within the next 10 years.


People in Bright Sparcs - Warren, Herbert Norman

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Gibbs, W. J. 1999 'A Very Special Family: Memories of the Bureau of Meteorology 1946 to 1962', Metarch Papers, No. 13 May 1999, Bureau of Meteorology

© Online Edition Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre and Bureau of Meteorology 2001
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