XXXVIU 



is still located, were then made available 

 for the use of the meteorological observer. 

 Under Captain Shortt, the work of the 

 Observatory took shape in its present 

 form. The work was of a threefold 

 character. There was, first, what may 

 be described as a climatological survey, 

 a description of the permanent features 

 of the climate. The materials for this 

 were obtained from local observers all 

 over the island, as well as from the re- 

 cords of the instrumental readings taken 

 at the Observatory. There has been no 

 lack of good observers, persons willing to 

 devote time and trouble to this work, 

 provided that they are encouraged by 

 knowing that their labours are not 

 thrown away, but are turned to good ac- 

 count by being properly edited. All that 

 they require is some guidance, and to be 

 provided with the requisite materials and 

 instruments. A great deal has been said 

 from time to time about advertising Tas- 

 mania. There is no more effective ad- 

 vertisement to put into the hands of in- 

 tending investors, or settlers in the coun- 

 tr3^ than well-prepared climatological 

 statistics, and it must be remembered 

 that there are a great many varieties of 

 climate in this little island. The second 

 division of the work was the interchange 

 of telegrams with the other States, and 

 the preparation and publication of wea- 

 ther forecasts. It will be easily seen that 

 this branch oi the meteorological_ service 

 is brought into close relationship with 

 the Post and Telegraph Department, and 

 that the transfer of one to the Common- 

 wealth almost necessarily involves that 

 of the other. The Minister responsible 

 for a Federal Meteorological Department 

 would naturally be the Postmaster-Gen- 

 eral of the Commonwealth. The third 

 branch of work at the Observatory was 

 the time service. Captain Shortt had 

 charge of all this work until his death in 

 1892, when H. C. Kingsmill was appoint- 

 ed his successor. In order that the Go- 

 vernment might have expert advice re- 

 garding the whole of the work, astro- 

 nomical as well as meteorological, Mr. 

 Kingsmill recommended that the Govern- 

 ment should obtain a report on the astro- 

 nomical w^ork from an officer of the Eoyal 

 Navy, chosen by the admiral command- 

 ing the Australian squadron, and that 

 the services of Mr. Wragge be asked for 

 from the Queensland Government, to 

 make a report on t?ie meteorological por- 

 tion of the work. These recommendations 

 were approved, and carried into effect. 

 The astronomical report was made by 

 Captain Purey-Cust, who spent a month 

 at the Hobart Observatory, testing all 

 the astronomical instruments, and check- 

 ing the calculations of the Government 

 meteorologi.^. These calculations princi- 

 pally referred to the determination of the 



meridian of the transit instrument, by 

 means of observations of the Southern; 

 Pole star. This piece of work is done in. 

 Northern observatories by the North Pole' 

 star. It may be iuteretsting to some of 

 the members of this society to know that 

 we have in the Southern Hemisphere a 

 Pole Star, which is much nearer to th& 

 Pole than the celebrated North Star, al- 

 though being of the sixth magnitude, it 

 is not visible to the naked eye. Captain. 

 Cust's report was made a Parliamentary 

 paper. It contains much valuable infor- 

 mation respecting the conditions necei^ 

 sary for maintaining the time service- 

 with the degree of accuracy necessary for 

 the guidance of shipping. The following 

 is an extract from his letter to Sir Ed- 

 ward Braddon. Premier, June 14, 1894: — 

 "The question otf the connect time signals 

 by the dropping of the ball is of extreme 

 importance to the shipping world. . . 

 At present, I am confident that the time 

 is ascertained at the Obs-ervatory with 

 the requisite accuracy, but with the 

 numerous defects of the small transit in- 

 strument alluded to in my report, it re- 

 quires constant and very careful manage- 

 ment. . . I should like to suggest an- 

 other important subject for shipping, 

 namely, a daily reliable weather forecast. 

 I believe that all the meteorologists in 

 the colonies attach the greatest import- 

 ance to the Tasmanian observations, Tas- 

 mania forming the extreme outpost ta 

 the southward of Australia." In May, 

 1895, Mr. Wragge obtained leave from 

 the Queensland Government to visit Tas- 

 mania. He remained here for two 

 months, and suggetsted many improve- 

 ments in the organisation of the service, 

 for which Parliament provided a portion 

 of the necessary funds. An arrangement 

 was also made for obtaining a daily 

 weather forecast from Mr. Wragge for 

 this State. He continued to send it with 

 uuffailing regularity for more than six 

 years, at no coist whatever to Tasmania. 

 When, through adverse circumstances, he 

 Avas no longer able to continue sending, 

 this portion of the work was undertaken, 

 and is now carried on, by the local 

 meteorologist. The advent of the Com- 

 monwealth has made a better organisa- 

 tion possible — such, for example, aa 

 exists in the United States of America, 

 where there is a strong central weather 

 bureau, which is in touch with the whole 

 of that great country. The Americans 

 are a practical people. They recognise 

 that to be forewarned is to be forearmed, 

 and in no country in the world is the ex- 

 penditure on meteorology on such a 

 liberal scale. For AuL-'tralia, the cost of 

 a central bureau need not exceed the cost 

 of the efforts now made by each State 

 separately, and it is to be hoped that the 

 provision in the Commonwealth Consti- 

 tution for bringing the State Observa^ 



