INSTITUTIONS, WEST SIDE OF THE PACIFIC 



OCEAN 



AUSTRALIA TO JAPAN, INCLUSIVE 



Australia 

 Low Island, Queensland ('37) 



History or origin: A small marine station was estab- 

 lished in 1928 by the Great Barrier Reef Com- 

 mittee of Australia as a base of operations for 

 the British-Australian Great Barrier Reef Ex- 

 pedition of 1928-29. The building was destroyed 

 by a cyclone so that now there is on the island 

 only a hut. 



Location: Eight and one-fourth miles east from Port 

 Douglas and thirty-six and one-half miles N.N.E. 

 of Cairns; lat. 16°23' south; long. 145°35' east. 

 Area of island three and one-half acres; sLx feet 

 above high-water; rough coral gravel and sandy 

 ground; lighthouse in center of island (65 ft. high). 



Organization to which attached: The Queensland 

 Government and the Great Barrier Reef Com- 

 mittee of Australia. 



Purposes and scope of activities: Now there is no one 

 at Low Island. Therefore there is no program. 



Provisions for visiting investigators: The above men- 

 tioned hut could be used for visiting scientists. 



The Australian Hydrographic Service ('37) 



History or origin: Until 1920 hydrographic surveys 

 in the vicinity of Australia were undertaken by 

 the British Admiralty using ships of the Royal 

 Navy when responsibility for this work was taken 

 over by the Australian Government. 



In 1920 the Australian Hydrographic Branch 

 was established as part of the Royal Australian 

 Navy and H.M.A.S. Geranium was commissioned 

 as the first surveying ship and was employed in 

 surveying various harbors and harbor approaches; 

 also many parts of ocean routes. The Geranium 

 was paid off in 1927. H.M.A.S. Moresby was 

 commissioned in 1925 and until 1930 was em- 

 ployed surveying the waters of the Great Barrier 

 Reef — occasionally also carrying out surveys 

 elsewhere. 



Location: Melbourne, Australia. 



Organization to which attached: Naval Board, De- 

 partment of Defense. 



Purposes and scope of activities: Collates data ob- 

 tained by hydrographic surveyors, prepares and 

 publishes local charts and arranges for the pro- 

 mulgation, in the form of Notices to Mariners, 

 etc., of hydrographical information received. 

 The Moresby in 1933 resumed the survey of the 

 Great Barrier Reef. In (1934) she commenced 

 a survey of the waters off the northwest coast of 

 Australia. 



Equipment: 



BURVEYINQ VESSEL 



Moresby. . . . 



DISPLACEMENT OFFICERS CREW 



.. 1,650 12 129 



Staff: Director, Hydrographic Branch. 



Provision for publication of results: All Fair Charts 

 and other surveying data obtained by the Aus- 

 tralian Hydrographic Surveying Service are 

 transmitted to the British Hydrographer for the 

 production of British Admiralty Charts. In 

 many cases, however, temporary charts are 

 produced in Australia for sale and use, pending 

 the issue of Admiralty Charts, which usually 

 are not available until some two years later. 



Marine Meteorological Section, Commonwealth 

 Meteorological Bureau ('34) 



History or origin: In 1908, the Commonwealth 

 Meteorological Bureau was formed by the Federal 

 Government taking over the meteorological serv- 

 ices of the various States. 



Soon afterwards a few marine observers were 

 enrolled to keep meteorological logs for this 

 office, and later, upon the development of radio- 

 telegraphy, W/T reports were obtained from a 

 few liners and Australian coasting ships. These 

 radio-telegraphic reports, however, ceased in 

 wartime. 



In 1922 the marine meteorological service was re- 

 organized and there was established a regular 

 service of both radio-telegraphed and log reports 

 from selected ships. The volume of such reports 

 has since been considerably increased, and pro- 

 cedure has been brought into accordance with 

 international practice. Recently the supply of 

 log reports was augmented by the loan of British 



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