Mr. B. W. Newman

Though he worked as a meteorologist in several States, it was in Sydney that Mr. Newman made what he likes to call "the biggest rise in my career"—the move from Observatory Hill, 138-ft. above sea level, to new offices 302-ft. above sea level in the new Commonwealth Centre.

One of his last duties as chief of the Sydney Bureau was to attend the Regional Directors' conference in Melbourne last week before he hands over the reins of office to Mr. Jack Johnston. Mr. Newman also attended the Bureau's productivity conference in Melbourne which commenced on August 31.

The son of a Murray River paddle steamer captain, Bernie Newman was educated at Mildura Agricultural High School, joined the Commonwealth Public Service in 1917 was posted as a clerk to the Adelaide Weather Bureau.

On the advice of his chief, he decided to concentrate on the professional side of Meteorology. As there was then no course in meteorology, he fitted in with his duties a course of studies at the Adelaide University and graduated with a B.Sc. degree. 1927 he was appointed to the research section at Central Office where he remained until his transfer to Sydney in 1935. Mr. Newman was later promoted to Assistant Divisional Meteorologist and given charge of the Rose Bay meteorological office which had been established to provide weather information for flying boats on the New Zealand route.

At the outbreak of the last war, Mr. Newman enlisted in the RAAF, becoming chief operations officer of the weather service for the Sydney area. After the war he returned to the Sydney Bureau and became acting divisional meteorologist.

Bureau of Meteorology