Chapter 2: Some New Vistas

Barkley had a large number of pads of probability charts printed. If a frequency distribution were plotted on these charts one could determine whether it was a normal distribution or whether the logarithms of the values were normally distributed. I plotted hundreds of these frequency distributions. Barkley tutored me on statistics and the use of these charts. We examined rainfall distributions. Barkley was most interested in the variability of rainfall.

Archer, who was Public Service Inspector, Victoria, made a very serious study of statistics at The University of Melbourne in his spare time when Bell started the course. Hogan (1896–1970) was a friend of Archer's and I was privileged to learn from their exchanges. About this time the Kiewa water storage scheme was being planned and the then State Electricity Commission employed a Swedish engineer who had knowledge of dam sizes and run-offs. He spent two years up in the snow country and a lot of time at the Bureau with Barkley. I did a lot of work for this Swede, producing dozens of mass curves of run-off and precipitation

I learnt a lot working with Barkley and the Swede. Just before the two arms of the arch of the Sydney Harbour Bridge were joined we made a detailed study of frequency distributions of wind gusts and this was extended for an analysis of wind gusts all around Australia. I think he published the results of these studies.

Bureau of Meteorology