Giles Weather Station
Submitted: Sunday, Jul 09, 2023 at 10:47
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Allan B (Sunshine Coast)
.
An ABC article on the
Giles Weather Station may be of interest to some and can be found
here.
An anecdote to this facility, established to provide weather information to the
Woomera and
Maralinga trial activities was that in 1954 I had newly arrived on the
Woomera range and a missile launch was placed on hold due to cloud cover. The Trials Controller announced that a cloud break was approaching and "launch could be expected in 3 hours". Sure enough, the sky cleared at the predicted time and I marvelled at the wonderful radar technology we must have that permitted such knowledge……. Until I learned that a jet aircraft had been dispatched upwind to observe and report on the meteorological conditions!
It was not until August of 1956 that 'Giles station' became operational and assisted our launch timetables.
Reply By: Member - Warren H - Sunday, Jul 09, 2023 at 18:37
Sunday, Jul 09, 2023 at 18:37
My uncle was a radio operator with OTC. He was often stationed at BOM facilities and while never posted to Giles, did stints at other remote locations such as Willis and Macquarie Is. He along with his brothers could be mad b*** at times, he was renowned for climbing the mast at Willis Is in the middle of a cyclone to replace the antenna so observations could continue to be relayed to the mainland.
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