As a contrast to his predecessor, Taylor, and his successor, Barkley, Kidson displayed a keen interest in sport; in passing the M.C.G. he would occasionally call in to watch the players at practice, whether at cricket or football. In the latter case, with a stop watch in hand and his estimate of distances, he would calculate the speed at which the football left the player's boot, and the average speed over the whole distance of the kick. Saturday afternoons during the football season would find him at the ground watching the play. He was there on the day that Geelong won its first football premiership, of course I was there too.

Kidson reached his office desk at 9 am and left it at 4.30 pm (duty hours in those days) to begin his long trek home to South Yarra. On most nights he would give attention to the research he had currently on hand. One of these items was a thesis he prepared viz. 'Cloud Heights from Melbourne Observatory Photographs'. For this work he was awarded a Doctorate of Science.

His thesis was based on a series of cloud photographs made by Mr P. Baracchi who was the Victorian Government Astronomer from 1897–1901; it was during these years that the photographs were taken.

Dr Kidson shared a close friendship with Dr J. Baldwin, Government Astronomer, and Professor Laby of the Melbourne University, and together these three excited considerable influence on maintaining a high standard of Natural Philosophy in Melbourne.

September 1969

J. Hogan

Bureau of Meteorology