When I joined the Bureau of Meteorology it was a Branch of the Department of Home Affairs. All the Bureau's accounts and staff records were maintained by Head office of the Department which also was the paying office. The Bureau did maintain a staff of three Clerks for filing and recording correspondence and also for the control and issue of meteorological stores and office requirements, but in the main, it was a link between Bureau staff and the Head Office of the Department.

For years after I joined the Bureau there appeared to be an atmosphere of stagnation about the place, though on reflection now, this impression may have been created in part by a 'distant fields are greener' philosophy, particularly among some grumbling juniors.

The office laboured under a limited budget, closely controlled by Department's Head Office, as illustrated by the following reminiscences.

Should the Commonwealth Meteorologist consider an inspection of a Divisional Office to be advisable, it required almost a quorum of Cabinet Ministers to consider the request and to approve or disapprove the expenditure of the few pounds that the visit would entail.

Depending upon the state of the Bureau's finances, the Commonwealth Meteorologists' reply to a request for a small service, even to an application for a rain gauge, was 'no funds available' with a suggestion that the applicant refer his request to his local Federal member.

Bureau of Meteorology