Climate and Statistics (continued)

As early as colonial times it was realised that a knowledge of climate was important for planning pastoral and agricultural ventures and for the general development of the nation. After federation a series of Commonwealth Year Books were printed, the first chapter of which contained a survey of Australia's weather and climate prepared in the Climate Section. The Bureau also published climatic summaries which were widely used by Government and other agencies in planning regional and national development schemes. In the post-war Warren years, 1946 to 1950, climate committees were established in each capital city, with members from various State Government Departments and from some university faculties such as agriculture, which recommended study of the impact of climate on various activities.

In addition to the Central Office, each Divisional Office had a Climate Section which carried out special investigations of the impact of climate on activities in a wide range of endeavours. These special investigations included subjects such as frequencies of direction and strength of surface winds for planning construction of aerodrome runways, investigation of maximum wind gusts for the design of buildings, maximum temperature of railway lines for designs to avoid buckling on days of high solar radiation, and maximum possible rainfall for the design of water storages.

Those involved in such studies included Allan Brunt and Herbert Whittingham in Brisbane, Col Hounam in Perth and Melbourne, Jack Wiesner in Sydney and Bruce Mason in Adelaide. Their work involved a knowledge of both the scientific aspects of the meteorological impacts and a knowledge of factors involved in the projects being planned. The scientific skills required for their work were considerable.

Before the advent of the Central Office Instrument Section, the Climate Section was responsible for the issue of instruments, the choice of location of new part-time observers and the selection of rainfall reporting stations.

One of the notable post-war acquisitions of the Central Office Climate and Statistical Section was Des Halsted, a brilliant young man who, in the few years he spent with the Bureau, made a remarkable contribution to the storage, processing and analysis of the Bureau's bank of observational data.

Bureau of Meteorology