Love and Marriage (continued)

One bombshell dropped by Normie was that I would need a car to commute from the town of Port Moresby to the Kila Kila aerodrome where the meteorological office was located. My explanation of the modest state of my bank balance did not impress him although he softened the blow by informing me that the Department would meet the cost of freighting the car by sea to Port Moresby and pay a mileage allowance to cover the cost of petrol. There was also the advantage that my civilian status meant that, as a married couple, Audrey and I were eligible for a Commonwealth Government residence in Port Moresby at a reasonable rental.

I took the train to Sydney and we were duly married by the rector of the church where we had first met. My mother and my Aunt Agnes (my late father's sister) helped Audrey with the wedding arrangements and allowed us to have the wedding reception in her home. My favourite uncle (my mother's brother—a World War I veteran) gave the bride away.

Keith Hannay, who had been a member of the 1937 forecasters' course and who was based in Sydney (and whom I was to see again in the near future) was my 'best man'. Keith was kind enough to sell me his 1928 Chevrolet Tourer for a very reasonable price and arrangements were made for it to be shipped to Port Moresby on a Burns Philp motor vessel (either the MV MacDhui or the MV Montoro).

Bureau of Meteorology