Memories of the Bureau, 1946 to 1962
Foreword
Terminology
Prologue
Preface
Chapter 1: The Warren Years, 1946 to 1950
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
My Springboard
Proposal for More Staff
Efforts to Improve Scientific Status of the Bureau
Gibbs-Priestley-White Prospectus
Successes and Struggles with Ministers and Permanent Heads
Submission to Royal Commission on Government Administration
The Committee of Inquiry
Achievements 1962 to 1978
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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Submission to Royal Commission on Government Administration
Late in 1974, having been unsuccessful in my approach to Ministers Morrison and Cameron, I made a submission to the Royal Commission on Australian Government Administration which had been established with H. C. (Nugget) Coombs as chairman. I spent much time preparing a document of which I still retain a copy and which I imagine has been preserved on Bureau files.My document contained the arguments I had put to Ministers Morrison and Cameron that the force of the Meteorology Act should make me independent of detailed managerial control by the Permanent Head. When I presented the submission to the Royal Commission I was disappointed that Nugget Coombs was not present because of other commitments. I was reasonably satisfied that I had persuaded the Royal Commissioners that my arguments had some force.
I had not seen the need to inform the Minister and Permanent Head of my submission and had high hopes that my problems with Ennor could be solved by a favourable finding by the Royal Commission. As luck would have it the Governor-General dismissed the Whitlam Government before it had considered the report of the Royal Commission and the new Fraser Government pigeon-holed it. I cannot remember having seen the text and recommendations of the report of the Royal Commission but have little doubt that it would have favoured my submission.
Any who might think that I have a jaundiced view of the negative attitude to Sir Hugh's management style should refer to an article by Bruce Juddery in The Canberra Times of March 5, 1976 (Fig. 46). I have not met Bruce Juddery at any time and can only assume that he compiled his article from material obtained from the Royal Commission as he quotes in some detail the evidence I submitted to it.
The article has a full page spread, includes a not very flattering photograph of Sir Hugh, and has a banner headline "a deep depression persists over the Met. Bureau". The article refers to another in the same newspaper the previous week which dealt with the 'guerilla war' between Frank Peters of the Government Analytical Laboratory and Sir Hugh. Most of the six-column article of March 5 contains direct quotes of the material submitted to the Royal Commission, both written and oral, the latter being given when I appeared before the Commission.
People in Bright Sparcs - Ennor, Arnold Hughes
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