250 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION A. 



In Western Australia a meteorological observatorj' was 

 established by the Government, in connection with the Surveyor- 

 General's office, the work being entrusted to Mr. iVI. A. C. Fraser, 

 in 1876, since which continuous records have been published. 

 Prior to the date mentioned we have rain and temperature records 

 at Perth from 1860 to 1869, taken by Mr. H. Knight. At present 

 Mr. Fraser has fifteen meteorological stations, exclusive of Perth, 

 and ninety-one rain gauges At Perth there is a self-recording 

 barometer, selected by me when in England in 1886. The observa- 

 tions in this colony are very valuable, extendnig, as they do, 

 from the south coasi well into the tropics at Wyndham, Cambridge 

 Gulf. 



In Queensland, as has already been stated, meteorological 

 stations were started at Brisbane and Rockhampton by Mr. Scott, 

 the first Government Astronomer of New South Wales. I do not 

 know the exact date but Mr. Scott arrived in the colony in 1858, 

 and retired in 1862. The instrviments were transferred to 

 Queensland on its separation from the parent colony, and for some 

 years the duties of meteorologist devolved on Mr. Edmund 

 MacDonneil, who established several observing stations and a 

 number of rain gauges. 



In 1887 Mr. Wragge was appointed, who — with the great ability 

 and energy which characterises him, and which had brought him 

 so much renown in starting, 1 believe at his own expense, the high 

 level observatory at Hen Nevis, where he conducted the work 

 under difficulties which would have deterred most men — soon 

 effected a complete revolution. Beginning his work on January 

 1st, 1887, he speedily equipped stations of the several orders all 

 over the colony, along the coast round to the Gulf of Carpentaria,, 

 and inland to the very western boundary of the colony. He 

 classified his stations under five orders, according to the com- 

 pleteness of their equipment, as follows: — First order, second 

 order, third order, third order A. third order B. 



Stations of the first order are equipped with the following 

 instruments : — Standard barometer, barograph, Stevenson's double- 

 louvred thermometer screen, hygrometers, maximum and minimum 

 self-registering thermometers, thermograph, solar and terrestrial 

 radiation thermometers, earth thermometers, wind compass, and rain 

 gauge. The hours of observation of stations of this order are 3 a.m., 

 9 a.m.. 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. (local time), and also in some instances 

 at the time (depending on longitude) corresponding to mean noon at 

 Greenwich, when synchronous observations are taken at the prin- 

 cipal stations throughout the world. The barographs and thermo- 

 graphs are of Richards' construction. 



The equipment of stations of the second order is generally the 

 same as above, with the usual exceptions of t)arograph and thermo- 

 graph. I'he observing hours at these stations are 9 a.m. and 9 

 p.m. (local time). 



