Again in 1901 he visited Europe for a World Meteorological Conference, held in Paris. While he was there, he heard of an experiment recently conducted in Australia by Albert Steiger, in which vertically pointed guns had been fired at the clouds to induce rainfall, apparently, it was considered, with some success. The terrible drought of 1902 in western Queensland, encouraged Wragge to try the experiment at Charleville. He bought six of the specially made Steiger Vortex guns, with money provided by the Queensland Government and members of the public, but had to admit that the experiment was a failure, and he received a storm of criticism.

So at least, if the daily grind for the staff left to cope at the little Queensland Weather Bureau was uninspiring, their day was often brightened by the colourful doings of their Chief. George Bond in those years had much to learn, and he soon proved himself a conscientious worker with an enquiring mind, eager to acquire the necessary scientific knowledge which had not been adequately provided in his formal education. Only a year after he began work at the Weather Bureau, came the still unparalleled 1893 flood, during which, he remembered in later years, he was ferried across Queen Street to reach the Office, landing on the Post Office steps, and made similar aquatic journeys to take the reading of the instruments on Wickham Terrace.

Bureau of Meteorology