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Weather News

Introduction

History

Personal Notes

Retirements
Mr. B. W. Newman
Retirement of Walter Dwyer
Gerry O'Mahony—Thirty Years On
The Retoubtable George Mackey, Retd.
Retirement of ADR [Neil McRae]
A Long and Fruitful Innings [John Lillywhite]
Pat Ryan Retires
Harry Ashton Retires
'Fly Boy' Retires [Bill Brann]
Our Actor Steve [Lloyd]
Our Man in the Region Retires [Keith Hannay]
ADM Retires [Allen Bath]
Regional Director Queensland Retires [Arch Shields]
ANMRC Head Retires [Reg Clarke]
Vic Bahr's Last Bow
Long Serving Officers Retire [Jack Maher and Kev Lomas]
Allan Brunt Retires, 38 Years in 'the Met'
Henry Phillpot Retires
A Stout With a Dash! [Reg Stout]
Around the Regions [Keith Stibbs]
Bill Smith Bows Out—47 Year Record
Smooth Traffic Ahead for Keith Henderson
Happy Retirement, and Happy Birthday too! [Ralph de la Lande]
Air Dispersion Specialist Calls it a Day [Bill Moriarty]
Bob Crowder Retires
Grass Looks Greener for Tony [Powell]
Farewell France [Lajoie]
Forty Four Years in Meteorology—John Burn Remembers
Des Gaffney bows out
After Only 41 Years . . . Shaw, Enough! [Peter Shaw]
Brian Bradshaw departs, 45 Years On . . .
Bill Ware Ends on a High Note
Peter Barclay Retires
Mal Kennedy Retires
'The Ice Man Goeth . . .' DDS Neil Streten Calls it a Day
Dan of the 14,016 Days [Dan Lee]
A Launceston Boy Gone Wrong: Peter Noar Bows Out
It's Official—Climate Change Confirmed [Bill Kininmonth]
Victorian Forecasting Legend Bids Us Farewell [Ian Russell]
Gentleman Doug Gauntlett Retires
Queensland Regional Director Calls it a Day [Rex Falls]
Assistant Director (Services) Retires and Tributes Flow In [Bruce Neal]
NSW Regional Director Retires [Pat Sullivan]

Obituaries

Observers and Volunteers

Media

Computers


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Long Serving Officers Retire [Jack Maher and Kev Lomas]

No. 245 August 1979, Item 3080

Two of the best known members of the Bureau, Jack Maher and Kev Lomas, with a combined total of more than 80 years' service to meteorology, retired from Head Office last month.

Both were given well-attended farewells by colleagues, past and present, who paid tribute to the contribution by both men to the Bureau.

Jack Maher's Record Service

Jack had the distinction of being the longest serving member of the Bureau, having joined 45 years ago as a Junior Meteorological Assistant. He gained a Bachelor of Science degree from Melbourne University in 1939 and was promoted to Met. 1 the following year. For the next two years he worked in the NSW RO, providing public weather forecasts and aviation forecasts for the Rose Bay flying boat service.

In 1942 Jack began his long association with Head Office, first in Research and Training (9 years), then Central Analysis (4 years), followed by Climatological (3 years) and finally in Weather Records and Statistics, where he worked for 21 years until his retirement. In all these areas he held positions of responsibility, either as a Senior or Supervising Meteorologist. At the time of his retirement he was Acting Assistant Director (services).

Over the years Jack became a leading expert in the study and analysis of meteorological statistics. particularly those relating to drought conditions. This led to the development of the Bureau's Drought Watch System , which plays an important role in the Federal and State drought mitigation and relief schemes.

Jack also was the Bureau's representative on the WMO's Commission for Climatology, and in this capacity he attended meetings of the Commission in London (1960), Stockholm (1965) and Geneva (1970).

He has started his retirement with a three month overseas trip, accompanied by a former Bureau colleague, John Lillywhite.

Kev Lomas, Foundation Member of CTS

Kev Lomas was introduced to meteorology in 1942 when he enlisted in the RAAF as a Met. Asst. His first posting was to Cloncurry in Queensland. where he worked with the U.S. Met. Squadron, which at that time was using the first radiosondes in Australia.

Joining the Bureau after the war, Kev spent the first 12 months at Laverton and Essendon airports. Then, in 1947, with Harry Ashton and the late Chas James, he founded the H.O. Central Training School. Over the years he rose from a Technical Instructor to Senior Technical Instructor, and finally to Senior Instructor Observer.

In his 22 years with the CTS Kev estimates that more than 1000 trainees passed through his hands. His pupils included the present DIR John Zillman, several other senior officers, and about 30 overseas trainees.

He has the distinction of being the only Observer to represent the Bureau at an international conference, which he achieved by attending the WMO Regional Seminar for the training of national instructors of meteorological technical personnel, held at Colombo, Ceylon in 1970.

Kev and his wife plan to travel next year to New Zealand, the U.S. and Canada. In the meantime they will continue their work for the Dandenong Mentally Retarded Association, of which both are life members.


People in Bright Sparcs - Lomas, K. C. (Kev); Maher, John Vincent (Jack)

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