Memories of the Bureau, 1946 to 1962
Foreword
Terminology
Prologue
Preface
Chapter 1: The Warren Years, 1946 to 1950
Chapter 2: International Meteorology
Chapter 3: The Timcke Years, 1950 to 1955
Chapter 4: A Year at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Chapter 5: The Dwyer Years, 1955 to 1962
Leonard Joseph Dwyer—A Complex Character
Reorganising the Bureau
Public Weather Services
Forecasts for the General Public
Importance of Radio Stations
The Advent of Television
Automatic Telephone Forecast Service
Beacons
Wording and Verification of Forecasts
Warnings
Services for Aviation
Atomic Weapons Tests
Atomic Weapons Tests—Mosaic G1 and G2
Atomic Weapons Tests—Buffalo 1, 2, 3 and 4
Atomic Weapons Tests—Operations Antler, 2 and 3
Atomic Weapons Tests—Minor Trials
Instruments and Observations
Radiosondes
Radar/Radio Winds and Radar Weather Watch
Automatic Weather Stations
Sferics
Meteorological Satellites
Telecommunications
Tropical Cyclones
Bureau Conference on Tropical Cyclones
International Symposium on Tropical Cyclones, Brisbane
Hydrometeorology
Design of Water Storages, Etc
Flood Forecasting
Cloud Seeding
Reduction of Evaporation
Rain Seminar
Cloud Physics
Fire Weather
Research and Special Investigations
International Activities
The International Geophysical Year
The Antarctic and Southern Ocean
International Symposium on Antarctic Meteorology
International Antarctic Analysis Centre
ADP, EDP and Computers
Training
Publications
Management Conference
Services Conference
CSIRO and the Universities
Achievements of the Dwyer Years
Chapter 6: A Springboard for the Future
Appendix 1: References
Appendix 2: Reports, Papers, Manuscripts
Appendix 3: Milestones
Appendix 4: Acknowledgements
Appendix 5: Summary by H. N. Warren of the Operation of the Meteorological Section of Allied Air Headquarters, Brisbane, 1942–45
Endnotes
Index
Search
Help
Contact us
Hydrometeorology (continued)
On his return Gerry found that Len Dwyer had an enthusiastic supporter in the Minister for the Interior, Allen Fairhall, and the Hydrometeorological Section was formally established in mid 1957. The SMHEA had sought the Bureau's assistance in assessing the maximum possible rainfall over a period of some days to enable them to plan the capacity of the spillway associated with a very large dam at Eucumbene in the Snowy Mountains. This was an important requirement because the dam was to be of earth-fill construction which would not tolerate over-topping of the dam wall. This involved consideration of two types of rainfall analysis of which more in later paragraphs.Weather News No 23 of June 1958 reports that I chaired a conference on the estimation of maximum precipitation in Central Office from 22 to 24 April 1958. The conference was attended by seven members of Central Office Staff and a climatologist from each of the six Divisional Offices. Eight papers were prepared and circulated to the 13 participants. My memory of this conference is somewhat vague but I presume that I had been involved in arranging the conference and the preparation of papers, the authors of which would have included Gerry O'Mahony, Sima Karelsky and myself. This item of Weather News illustrates the value of that publication in researching the history of the Bureau. The participation of the Divisional Office climatologists indicates that the interest in estimates of maximum precipitation extended to water authorities in a number of States.
In March 1958 when Gerry was flying to attend a conference of the Institution of Engineers in Newcastle he found himself seated next to Allen Fairhall who asked him how the Hydrometeorological Section was progressing. Gerry told the Minister that if the aeroplane crashed there would be no staff in the Section because he was the only staff member at that time. The Minister was flying to Newcastle to address the conference and Gerry took advantage of their meeting to brief him on the potential importance of the Bureau's contribution to hydrological matters.
In June 1958 the Hydrometeorological Section (with a staff of one, Gerry O'Mahony) together with the Statistical Section (with its Hollerith equipment) and the Cooperative Studies and Drafting Sections moved to new premises in Spring Street, Melbourne, and although accommodation was somewhat Spartan it was an improvement over that previously occupied by the Statistical Section in Wills Street.
Gerry was to be heavily involved with WMO activities and with various other bodies such as the Hydrology Committee of the Institution of Engineers, the Hydrology Committee of the Hunter River Research Foundation and the Flood Mitigation Committee of the Macleay County Council.
People in Bright Sparcs - Dwyer, Leonard Joseph; O'Mahony, Gerard (Gerry)
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