Biographical entry
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Bright Sparcs
Biographical entry
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Gibbs, William James (Bill) (1916 - 2005)OBE |
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| Meteorologist and Science administrator | ||||
| Born: 17 October 1916 Bondi, New South Wales, Australia. Died: 17 March 2005 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. | ||||
| William James (Bill) Gibbs was Director of the Bureau of Meteorology from 1962 to1978 and first Vice-President of the World Meteorological Organization from 1967 to 1975. During his time at the Bureau, Gibbs conceived and founded the Tropical Weather Research Bulletin, which became the Weather Development and Research Bulletin, and later the Australian Meteorological Magazine. |
Career Highlights | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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After completing a Master of Science (MSc) at the University of Sydney, William James (Bill) Gibbs went to America where he repeated his Masters degree. Upon his return to Australia he joined Sydney Divisional Office of the Bureau of Meteorology on 6 November 1939 but transferred to its Melbourne headquarters in March 1940. The following year Gibbs undertook war service as a Meteorologist with the Royal Australian Air Force in Port Moresby and later in Allied Headquarters, Brisbane. Bill Gibbs returned to the Bureau and retired in 1978. After his retirement he became Bureau archivist and initiated the Metarch (meteorological archives) Project. He personally compiled Metarch Papers No 1 containing details of historical references in Weather News Nos 1-262 (1956-82). He was also Executive Editor of Metarch Papers from 1986 to 1999, persuading many to write reminiscences, and was author of Metarch Papers 7, 12 & 13. Bill was no ordinary meteorologist and certainly no ordinary public servant. When it was in the interests of the Bureau and the Australian community that he work closely with other individuals and organisations, he did so with boundless energy, enthusiasm and goodwill. When it was necessary to fight uncompromisingly on issues of principle and in defence of the long-term good of the Bureau and the betterment of Australian meteorology, he did so with a strength of will and resilience that few could match. John Zillman, Metarch Papers 13, 1999. Chronology
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Published by The University of Melbourne eScholarship Research Centre on ASAPWeb, 1994 - 2007 Originally published 1994-1999 by Australian Science Archives Project, 1999-2006 by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre Disclaimer, Copyright and Privacy Policy Submit any comments, questions, corrections and additions Prepared by: Acknowledgements Updated: 26 February 2007 http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P003253b.htm |
