Peter Copland Works in Meteorological Electronics (continued)

During early 1975 the Northern Territory AWS system was maintained by 'techs' from either Queensland or Western Australia, whoever was closest. This continued until the winter of 1976 if my memory is correct.

During 1980 the RMO position in the Northern Territory was upgraded, and the younger and smarter, but not so handsome, Mr Jim Core took over as RMO. The electronics network now progressed at an even faster rate, both extending and improving services. All the old AWS stations were converted to solar power and a few new ones were installed. A new radar-equipped observing office was installed at Gove airport. The Bureau was late again though; the office could have been on top of a hill in town if it had been built some years before when the first surveys were made. At Gove, DCA constructed a new, top model control tower on the opposite side of the runway to the meteorological office. It then decided (correctly) that there was not enough traffic to staff it. I hope someone has been able to make a cafe out of it by now.

In 1987 the Northern Territory Region took over the maintenance of equipment at Giles, by the 'tech' at Alice Springs. I went back to help with the take-over for a couple of weeks; it brought back a lot of old memories. Most of the old buildings were still there but looked a bit tired. As well, the place was full of tourists going through from Perth to Alice Springs via Ayers Rock. Definitely time for a bit of a rebuild, which happened a few years later with the coming of the WF100 radar.

We managed to escape from the Northern Territory at the end of 1987 for the more gentle environment of Coffs Harbour. Our eldest son had finished high school in Darwin with good results, and had joined the RAAF through ADFA. Our second son had nearly finished high school and looked like going further too. After 17 years in the Northern Territory the New South Wales coast seemed to have many advantages.

The electronics at Coffs Harbour were a bit of a change. A new workshop was attached to the old meteorological office, and had been set up as a sub-Regional Maintenance Centre for northern New South Wales. Back to WF2s again, but more like a WF2 radar wrecking yard in some respects. We were sorting out good, usually rebuilt units from the old original and more unreliable ones. After testing them they would be sent to replace other units that were still in operation around the country. Denis Ward and I shifted the old Coffs Harbour WF2 radar up to just outside the workshop to use as a test bed for testing the spare units. Most of the units were being returned from decommissioned radars, and some came from the Head Office store. All to keep some of the more run down radars in operation a bit longer; I don't think that I got too many thanks from the other Regions though as they were all hoping for new radars.

Bureau of Meteorology