Akeroyd, was born at Shepparton, Victoria on 29 August 1890. He concluded his secondary education at University High School in Melbourne and entered the Commonwealth Public Service as a Clerk in 1911. Later, as a part-time student he graduated in Commerce at Melbourne University in 1930. He excelled at rowing winning several singles sculls titles with Melbourne Rowing Clubs.

In 1915 Akeroyd topped an Australia-wide competitive examination for appointment as a professional meteorologist. A Commonwealth Gazette in March 1915 reports his securing 1636 marks from a possible 2000, excelling in Meteorology and English. The second and only other successful candidate was on Edward W. Timcke of Adelaide University (1566 marks). Timcke was appointed Commonwealth Director of Meteorology in 1950.

Early Interests

Akeroyd's early interests were in marine meteorology and climatology. For a time he heeded the Head Office forecasting section in Melbourne. According to colleagues he felt that his prospects were hampered by the unwillingness of his superiors to promote him, the youngest professional officer of the time, and that he allowed these setbacks to temper his attitudes to senior administrators, and to tasks in hand, through much of his career.

He married Alice Smith of Melbourne on 23October 1920. Mrs Akeroyd is still living. They have one daughter.

Akeroyd had a very keen sense of individual rights and a compassionate interest in his staff. Once he paid the legal fees of a staff member in trouble, and also defended his own right, in court, to take his dog for a run on Cottesloe beach. He was a foundation member of the Commonwealth Professional Officers Association (POA) when service associations were not highly regarded by senior management.

Your reviewer met Akeroyd only once, as a student of 14 years of age seeking advice, in company of his father, on the prospects of a career in meteorology. Both men, professionals in weather and soil science respectively, talked only of gardening and the art of top-dressing. The lad little suspected that 35 years later, as the fourth occupant of the position of regional director, he would be contributing these notes on a predecessor. But on his demise he also would like to he referred to in similar vein as did the "West Australian" say of Akeroyd in 1948, "his relations with press and public were marked at all times with courtesy and cooperation and his weather forecasts had reached a remarkable degree of accuracy".

Bureau of Meteorology