The Universities (continued)

Uwe frequently visited the Bureau and I had many interesting meteorological discussions with him. Australians had had little experience of overseas people before the war except for British visitors and Italian immigrants. Only wealthy people took overseas holidays and the average Australian regarded foreigners with some distrust. After his experiences in Germany and in England during the war Uwe had a somewhat cynical attitude which some regarded as a 'chip on his shoulder'.

Another member of the Meteorological Section of the University was Fritz Albrecht, a German scientist with a special interest in measurements of solar radiation. The Bureau assisted him in establishing a network of instruments for measuring solar radiation but the project was hampered by trouble with limited funding leading to the use of cheap and home-made instruments.

In 1949 Fritz Loewe made a voyage to the Balleny Islands in the ship Wyatt Earp. Throughout his time in Melbourne Fritz maintained a strong interest in Antarctic meteorology and glaciology, managing to secure places on a number of expedition ships.

Fritz Loewe and Uwe Radok made a valuable contribution to Australian meteorology. They pioneered the introduction of the subject into Australian universities. They made a useful contribution to the Bureau's training program and provided the opportunity for Bureau and other interested people to attain higher degrees in Meteorology. They also took a keen interest in the work of the Bureau.

Bureau of Meteorology