Bureau Conference on Tropical Cyclones

Participants included senior staff of Central Office (L. J. Dwyer, V. J. Bahr, W. J. Gibbs, A. K. Hannay, H. R. Phillpot), the Brisbane Divisional Office (B. W. Newman, A. T. Bath, A. Brunt), G. W. Mackey (Deputy Director, Divisional Office, Perth), H. G. Bond (Divisional Office, Sydney), Area Meteorological Officers located at Garbutt and Mascot aerodromes (F. Bell and A. C. White), aviation forecasters most of whom were stationed at aerodromes along the Queensland coast (V. Deering, G. Heath, H. McCann, M. P. Neilsen, C. W. Rodd, P. Ryan), and F. T. Hannan (OIC of the Darwin aviation office).

Forecasters from the Brisbane Divisional Office (McKinna, Marles, Phillips, Spillane, Whittingham and Wilkie) and aviation forecasters from Eagle Farm (Carpenter, Parr, Swan and Thompson) also attended when available from duty.

This detailed list of those attending is included to indicate that the emphasis of the conference was to examine the state of the tropical cyclone warning system not only from a theoretical vantage point, but also from the point of view of those engaged in the business of making the decisions on the nature of the advice given to the general public and special users such as those in relief agencies and those engaged in the aviation industry.

Fourteen working papers were prepared and distributed to all participants before the conference. Not all of the authors of the working papers are listed as attending. It seems that there was no formal presentation of papers, participants having studied them before the conference. Although not all of the authors were present, the comments of those not attending are listed at the end of reports of discussions, having been added to the report after the conference.

Authors not attending were J. C. Foley, J. Hennessy and H. Brann, J. Hogan (probably 'Doc'), G. O'Mahony and S. W. S. Robertson. Authors participating in the conference were A. T. Bath, F. Bell, H. G. Bond, W. J. Gibbs, A. K. Hannay, G. W. Mackey and B. W. Newman.

The standard of the papers demonstrates that authors had given much thought to their preparation and had consulted the latest available literature on their subject. The record of discussions reveals a degree of knowledge of the structure and theory of development and movement of tropical cyclones which many of today's younger meteorologists might find surprising to have been understood over 40 years ago.

Bureau of Meteorology