Our Actor Steve [Lloyd]

Steve, who retired as SRER (a job in which he was not acting), joined the RAAF met service in 1940 "along with a lot of others" after 10 years as a teacher. Wartime forecasting courses and postings in Perth and northern Australia followed in quick succession.

The highlight of Steve's wartime career was two years with the Australian Chemical Defence Unit at Prosser Pine where he was involved with the investigation and countering of irritant and poisonous gases. In May 1946 Steve was discharged and resumed forecasting in NSW RO before being transferred to Melbourne.

He was promoted to the Central Analysis Office in 1959 and became acting OIC until 1961. In 1962 he was promoted to SRCP. Between 1960 and 1974 he acted as RD in three regional offices— Tasmania, Victoria and NSW. In 1974 he was transferred from SRCP to head SRER. From then until retirement Steve spent short periods acting as ADM.

Steve is not only an actor. He has made valuable contributions to meteorology, particularly in aviation.

He pioneered the met aspects for the aerial spraying of crops and has represented the bureau at four international conferences including WMO, ICAO and SPATC. Steve has also participated in international meetings, for example, tropical cyclone warning conferences.

Steve has his retirement well planned. He is now playing a lot of golf and is involved with outdoor photography. He also has plans for touring Australia and Europe and helping with community projects.

"But," he said rather ruefully, "from now on I think I'll give acting a miss."

Bureau of Meteorology