Some Titbits from Dave Grainger (continued)

In 1989 I was advised that there was a vacancy for a fitter and machinist at the Hoddle Street workshops. I finished my career there, practising my intended retirement hobby of model engineering. The personnel in residence at the time were OIC Bill Taylor, Allan Edwards, Ron Hall, Luigi Barbieri, Dave Robertson and Jose Alvarenga. In about 1991, the premises of the Bureau's central store at Barry Road, Campbellfield, was sold and the new owners decided that the new lease would be much more expensive. There was a rush to find alternative accommodation, and a good idea was mooted that the workshop should go with the store. One suggested site was at Williamstown; another at Kensington would have been quite acceptable. However, due to the usual speed at which decisions are made, the store moved into a new building in Truck City Drive, a few kilometres up the road from the old site and the workshop missed out again.

About the start of 1994, Bill Taylor was dragged, kicking and screaming, into 150 Lonsdale Street and Allan Edwards took over as OIC of the workshops. In order to show our willingness to reduce the rental at Hoddle Street we vacated the ground floor of the southern building. Also, to consolidate the workforce into 'safety hailing distance', we vacated the upper floor and remodelled the amenities area. At the end of 1993, Luigi Barbieri, who was renovating Woelfle anemographs, retired and was not replaced. In January 1996, Ron Hall, the electrical fitter, retired and was not replaced. This left Allan Edwards, who was actually attending 150 Lonsdale Street on two days a week, Dave Robertson and me rattling around in the ground floor area, with Radar Section upstairs under Alf West.

After at least four years of rumours Bill Hite came out of his den saying that the Hoddle Street workshop was to be closed "because we can't afford the rent and power bills". It moved to the training annexe at Glenlitta Avenue, Broadmeadows, retaining only the WF44 and WF3 radar rebuilding functions. So, it was either Glenlitta Avenue or 150 Lonsdale Street. Since both these options were going to cost me money, and since I had my thirty year gong, I simply pulled the plug.

Bureau of Meteorology