The South Australian Divisional Office

Meteorological observations at the newly established observatory began in 1860. Todd retired as Government Astronomer in December 1906 and R. F. Griffiths was acting Government Astronomer and Meteorologist until December 1907, and G. F. Dodswell was acting Government Meteorologist until April 1909. E. Bromley had worked with Todd in the Adelaide Observatory before the latter's retirement and took up appointment as Divisional Meteorologist for South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Bromley continued as Divisional Meteorologist until August 1947, when, on his retirement after 39 years in the same position in the Bureau, and some earlier years as a meteorologist in the SA Astronomical Observatory, he was succeeded by G. W. Mackey. George Mackey had previously served in the Sydney Divisional Office as principal assistant to B. W. Newman who was acting as Deputy Director, NSW, and had occupied the position of Divisional Meteorologist in Tasmania following the death of A. C. Coombes.

After little more than a year as Deputy Director, South Australia and Northern Territory, George Mackey was appointed Deputy Director, WA, and was succeeded by H. E. Banfield who served as Deputy Director, South Australia, from 1948 until his retirement in 1952.

Banfield was a member of the first AIF in World War I. He served in Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai and France, winning his commission in 1916 and being awarded a Military Cross for bravery in September 1918. Banfield had joined the Sydney Divisional Office in 1919 and was transferred to Adelaide as a meteorologist in 1939.

As in the other Divisional Offices, the Adelaide office saw an influx of younger meteorologists with higher academic qualifications and with the advantage of instruction in the Bureau's Training School in Melbourne. They included Errol Mizon and Bruce Mason.

Errol was responsible for supervision of forecast and warning services while Bruce (a former classmate of mine in the Bureau's Training School in 1940) took over the role of climatologist.

The Divisional Office for South Australia had overall responsibility for the Bureau's offices in the Northern Territory although the Bureau's Central Office Aviation Section in Melbourne always took a keen interest in these offices. After World War II the South Australian Divisional Office continued to be responsible for routine administrative matters relating to the Bureau's offices at Darwin, Daly Waters and Alice Springs.

Bureau of Meteorology