From Gloria West, Wife of the Late Bob West

In March 1964 Bob commenced an Observer (Radio) course with the Bureau. He completed this in August 1964 and was posted to Giles as acting Senior Observer (Radio) for six months. Upon his return we were married in Gawler, South Australia. Bob subsequently served at Adelaide Airport and Woomera from 1965 to early in 1967. From March 1967 he was posted to Albany, Port Hedland and then back to Woomera. Sharyn, our daughter, was born at Woomera Hospital in December 1967. In January 1968 it was off to Lord Howe Island.

In 1968 Bob attained fifth position in an eligibility examination held for Bureau 'techs' throughout Australia. He subsequently undertook a WF44 radar training course in May 1969 and, on completion, was promoted as a Radio Technical Officer Grade 1. Our son, Andrew, was born at Gawler two days before the course began. After the course Bob moved to the Sydney Regional Office where he maintained and serviced a range of the Bureau's electronic and mechanical equipment.

In 1971 Bob was promoted as an Radio Technical Officer Grade 2 to the Installation Section in Head Office. Between 1971 and 1978 he supervised the installation of WF44 radars at Hoddle Street, Hobart Airport, Adelaide Airport, Gladstone, Alice Springs, Williamtown, Mount Kanigan and Broome. He also supervised the installation of the WF3 radars at Rabaul and Mount Isa, and also a temporary installation at Daly Waters for a CSIRO experimental program. He installed AWSs at Gannet Cay and Swains Reef in the Coral Sea and at Tasman Island in Tasmania. Bob also assisted with the installation of WF44 weather watching radars at Townsville and Laverton. During his time in the Installation Section, Bob was promoted to Senior Radio Technical Officer Grade 1 and, at times, acted as Senior Radio Technical Officer Grade 2 during the absence of the supervisor; for a period in 1977 he acted as RMO for Victoria in the absence of Peter Broughton.

On Bob's return to Sydney he again maintained and serviced a range of the Bureau's electronic and mechanical equipment throughout New South Wales. He successfully completed subsequent courses, on both the new WF100 radar and Aldenfax in 1985, on WF100 radar weather watching in 1987 and, in 1988, on Rapic.

In October 1992 Bob went to Saipan on Guam to inspect a vertical wind profiler being given to the Bureau by the USA.

Bob was a keen cricketer, golfer and bowler. He participated in a number of such clubs in his travels around Australia, and was responsible for the formation of the Bureau's Golf Club at Head Office where he served as Secretary and President. He proudly represented the Bureau in a number of Commonwealth golfing and bowling tournaments.

Bob West playing lawn bowls at Norfolk Island in 1982.

Bureau of Meteorology