1. That daily isobar maps, on the system adopted in Europe and America, should be issued by the head office in each colony.


2. That, with a view to the instrumental readings being referred to one uniform standard, a complete set of standard instruments, viz., barometer, thermometer, solar thermometer, and anemometer, be purchased for circulation between the then four chief stations, viz., Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington, and Adelaide.


3. That the New South Wales Government should move the Queensland Government to co-operate by transmitting daily reports from Brisbane, Rockhampton, Cooktown, Normanton, and Cloncurry.


4. The Governments of New Caledonia and Fiji were also to be moved to have regular observations taken and published, on the Australian system.

A third conferencee was held in Melbourne in September, 1888, at which all the colonies were represented:—Mr. Ellery, Victoria; Mr. Russell, New South Wales; Sir James Hector, K.C.M.G., New Zealand; Mr. C. L. Wragge, Queensland; Sir John Forrest, K.C.M.G., Western Australia; Captain Shortt, Tasmania; Mr. Todd, South Australia.

A number of important subiects were discussed at this Conference, which I need not here particularly specify.

Amongst other things it was agreed—Mr. Wragge dissenting—that each head office should restrict its forecast, as a rule, to its own colony. and that the colonies should exchange their forecasts by telegraph, so that they might be published in a complete form in the daily papers.

The object of the Conference in arriving at this decision was to secure the publication of the local forecasts at the earliest possible hour; and, further, to avoid the issue of conflicting forecasts, which it was thought would confuse the public, and create a want of confidence in the system.

I may say here that, in Adelaide, we publish our forecasts for South Australia shortly after 1 p.m., in time for insertion in the afternoon paper, frequently including the forecasts for Victoria and New South Wales, supplied by Mr. Ellery and Mr. Russell. The forecasts, which apply to the twenty-four hours ending at 6 p.m. on the following day, and a short description of the weather generally, are posted in the hall of the General Post Office, at Port Adelaide, Largs Bay, and several other ports and towns in the colony.

As the outcome of these conferences we now have a daily (Sundays excepted) interchange of weather telegrams between all the Australian Colonies, including Tasmania and New Zealand.

Bureau of Meteorology