Interview with Tony Vaughan on 2 February 2007 Interviewer: Tony Rogers Interview Number 07001Vaughan
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STATE LIBRARY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA J. D. SOMERVILLE ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION OH 834/30 Full transcript of an interview with ANTHONY VAUGHAN 19 April 2007 by Tony Rogers for the BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY ORAL HISTORY PROJECT Access for research: Unrestricted Right to photocopy: Copies may be made for research and study Right to quote or publish: Publication only with written permission from the State Library OH 834/30 ANTHONY VAUGHAN NOTES TO THE TRANSCRIPT This transcript was donated to the State Library. It was not created by the J.D. Somerville Oral History Collection and does not necessarily conform to the Somerville Collection's policies for transcription. Readers of this oral history transcript should bear in mind that it is a record of the spoken word and reflects the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The State Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the interview, nor for the views expressed therein. As with any historical source, these are for the reader to judge. This transcript had not been proofread prior to donation to the State Library and has not yet been proofread since. Researchers are cautioned not to accept the spelling of proper names and unusual words and can expect to find typographical errors as well. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMEN T BUREAU OF METEOROLOG Y History Unit Interview with Tony Vaughan Interviewer Tony Rogers 2 February 2007 at Stirling SA Interview number: 07001vaughan The History Unit is a volunteer group of experienced researchers and writers assisting the Bureau of Meteorology Interview with Tony Vaughan on 2 February 2007 Interviewer: Tony Rogers Interview number 07001vaughan Tony Rogers This is Tony Rogers speaking with Tony Vaughan on the first of February. Tony Vaughan Second. Tony Rogers Oh sorry. Ok.[laughs] on the second of February 2007 at Stirling as part of the history project of the Bureau of Meteorology in South Australia to celebrate a hundred years of the Bureau in South Australia. Our thanks for taking part in the project and allowing us to use the recording. It will be transcribed and a written copy will be given to you for proof. Ok. Now, you said you would be part of this project, Tony, why? Tony Vaughan Well, as I've just mentioned, Well, as I've just mentioned, we have histories of buildings and systems, etc. but we've got very few, if any, notes and stories about people who worked in the Weather Bureau or are still working. But I left ten years ago so I'm going from 1995 previously. Tony Rogers When did you start? Tony Vaughan I started in 1965, here in Adelaide. Tony Rogers Where would that have been in Adelaide? Tony Vaughan On West Terrace where we had the Observatory next to the Adelaide Boys High School. Tony Rogers Was it a big organisation then? Tony Vaughan No, no, I'm not quite sure how many there were there. I was recruited and worked there probably for about six weeks prior to going on the observer's course at Melbourne the following January. So I was just a fill-in and odds-and-sodder, a clerical assistant, etc., etc. But there wasn't many people there, no, no. Tony Rogers Who was the Director there? Tony Vaughan Doc Hogan. Tony Rogers A good guy? Tony Vaughan I don't know, only hearsay. He was a very severe strict man, but I understand he was a fair man, but I had very very little to do with him. Tony Rogers Even though it was so small? Tony Vaughan Even though it was so small. I was just a fill-in, just a temporary ring-in for six weeks. Tony Rogers Was that your first job or did you. ? Tony Vaughan No, no. I did ten years in the Merchant Navy and then came out here. Because I had done meteorology about ship, I applied and they said, "you're just the person we're looking for, when can you start?" Tony Rogers Oh great! Just that easy. Tony Vaughan Oh, in the sixties you could get a job anywhere at any time. It was very simple. Tony Rogers So when did you actually start. Do you remember? Tony Vaughan Yes, December '65. Tony Rogers December '65. Then you went to Melbourne? Tony Vaughan Yes, then I went to Melbourne in January and did the Observer course, I think that was about six months, it must have been, because I finished up at Cocos Island about July or August of that year, '66. Tony Rogers Cocos Island. Tony Vaughan Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Tony Rogers What did you do? did you work there? Tony Vaughan Yeah - weather Observer. I graduated as a weather Observer and in those days you signed the piece of parchment -you will serve any of her maj - what was it? - something and territories and Cocos Island came up and they said, "Right, single, unattached, you can go there as a single bloke." And it was terrific. In those days, Qantas, and South African Airlines used to refuel, stage, there on their way to Mauritius and Johannesburg. So it was really a little Qantas/South African Airlines refuelling stop. We had the Shell refuellers, Department of Civil Aviation flight service people, air traffic controllers, the met people, of course, which was four of us and a technician, and all the ancillary staff - cooks etc., Commonwealth Bank, post office. Tony Rogers So it was a little Aussie colony. Tony Vaughan Oh, no, it was League of Nations! There was all sorts there, there was Germans, there was Poms, there was Aussies, there was a Yugoslav. Oh no, it was good. Tony Rogers Any Cocos Islanders? Tony Vaughan Not on our island, this was in the days when John Clunies-Ross was a benevolent despot. He ruled the Cocos Islands and his system, that's not the correct word. The Islanders were quite willing to stay there, as long as they wanted, and then work on the copra plantation, etc., but then, once they left the island, they could never return - like the archipelago. We were on West Island, the natives lived on Home Island and there was marine base on Direction Island and an air/sea rescue craft in case the aircraft went in either side. But it was wonderful, it was nice. Tony Rogers Why was it wonderful? Tony Vaughan It was unspoiled, it was, ten years aboard ship, it was similar to being on a ship, you know, mainly blokes. When the aircraft overnighted, and the stewardesses came off, there was a bit of a competition, you might say. There was a few married couples there. It was good. Tony Rogers Who were the other Australian people from the Bureau of Meteorology who were there? Tony Vaughan Bill Lensink [?] who was a Dutchman, who was the IoC/forecaster. There was myself, there was Evan Lee, a chap of Chinese extraction, and a couple of Aussie guys. Tony Rogers So how long were you there? Tony Vaughan Twelve months. As a single man it was a twelve-month posting. As a married man it was two years. So they decided, right, Cocos Islands, I'd had enough tropical experience, so you're off to Hobart. Tony Rogers Change of climate. Tony Vaughan Change of climate, and I finished up in Hobart airport. Tony Rogers How long were you in Hobart then? Tony Vaughan About two - two or three - years and then I got transferred to Launceston and I was there for a couple of years and then I got transferred to Adelaide. They did the dirty on me. My wife, who I met in Launceston doing her midwifery, she's from the Adelaide Hills here. We got married and lived in Launceston and the two lads were born there and a vacancy appeared in Adelaide. I thought, yeah, right. She can come back home, etc., etc. I started at Adelaide Radar on April Fools day 1974 and by the end of June I was in Woomera. Tony Rogers Oh no! [laughs] Tony Vaughan I got shafted! [laughs] Tony Rogers Yes, you did. Tony Vaughan They dragged me kicking and screaming into Woomera. I didn't want to go because I'd never been there, of course. You always hear the horror tales about places, you very rarely hear the good ones. But my wife and I and the two little lads, we went there in 74 and we had an absolute ball. It was absolutely brilliant, Woomera. Tony Rogers Why? Tony Vaughan Two things. Mainly it was a secure township. You had to have a pass. You had to show your pass to do anything or to get anywhere. If you weren't gainfully employed there, you weren't there. Like there was no tourists, there was no visitors, there were no hangers-on. You were there because you were working there. And for young children, it was magic. There were lots of little kiddies, lots of youngsters. It was very secure, you didn't lock your house, you left your keys in your car, etc., etc., and lots of sport. And lots of drinking as well, of course. That was the other thing which cruelled a lot of people. Yes, it did. But sport was good. I played sport and my wife played sport. She became a netball champion for about four years running. Tony Rogers What sport did you play? Tony Vaughan Anything. Cricket, soccer. I didn't want to play soccer. I thought I'm probably past it, but I'll go down and help out and I finished up being a regular and they called us Dad's Army.