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Federation and MeteorologyBureau of Meteorology
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Table of Contents

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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It's Official—Climate Change Confirmed [Bill Kininmonth]

No. 318 April 1998

Bill Kininmonth, head of the National Climate Centre since 1986, retired on January 6 after 38 years with the Bureau. He oversaw modernisation of the climate databank and development of our first seasonal outlooks during a remarkable era that placed global climate issues on the front burner.

The farewell tributes poured in from home and away, Songs were sung, many speakers heard.

'An eminent climatologist and world authority,' Acting Director Doug Gauntlett told the audience, 'known for forthright and honest advice during long and dedicated service.

'He was the inaugural manager for the very complex Saudi project before moving to the new (former Meteorological Information Services Subsection and then the) NCC job'.

SRCA Mary Voice described Bill as 'A boss with a really great sense of humour . . . he created a valuable body of work and leaves a robust organisation. He also maintained the public interest consultative services program.'

John Shortridge, representing the ITOs, marvelled that he had seen Bill 'lapse into flappability' just once in the last four years.

John McCallum recalled meeting him on the day young Bill started at Perth Regional Office in March 1960. 'I've never heard a bad word said about him.'

John McBride of BMRC said he was held in high international regard, a 'very very good meteorologist remembered for terrific understanding of physical processes.'

Rod Hutchinson said 'Bill was passionate about getting things done well, and was always in command and in control . . . a great model.'

A fax from RD NSW Pat Sullivan noted 'personal attributes and professional skills that one needs to perform at gold medal standard . . . you will be missed from a personal and organisational standpoint.'

A startling Interview

Bill had a knockout story about his recruitment interview. In January 1960, 17-year-old Bill applied for a Commonwealth job. A PS Inspector, noting his maths and physics, suggested the Bureau of Stats. No luck. What about the weather bureau? Very nervous, Bill fronted the formidable George Mackey, Regional Director. 'What do you know about meteorology?' Mr Mackey asked me. 'I'd never heard the word. I passed out and next thing I knew the suits were bending over me offering a glass of water. Valuable lesson though—George answered the question for me; if anyone asks you anything you don't know, fudge a bit and they'll eventually tell you!'

Bill recalled 'seat of the pants' forecasting from Perth. 'A few obs from Kerguelen and Amsterdam Island . . . we'd run calipers across the Southern Ocean map for some rough rules of thumb.'


Organisations in Australian Science at Work - National Climate Centre

People in Bright Sparcs - Kininmonth, Bill

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