Henry Ambrose Hunt
Encyclopedia
Henry Ambrose Hunt was a British meteorologist noted for his contribution to meteorology in his adopted home of Australia
. He was Director of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology between 1908 and 1931.
and as a child spent three years in St Petersburg with his father Edwin Hunt
, a marine engineer, who was working designing battleship engines for the Russian Czar. In 1884 his family emigrated to Sydney
, Australia
.
at the Observatory. In 1904 he became head meteorologist, responsible for constructing a daily weather forecast and map. In late 1906, Hunt was appointed inaugural head of the nascent Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau in Melbourne
, the society responsible for developing Australian meteorology to satisfy the developing needs of industry. He developed a number of new meteorological theories, collected in a 1929 book A basis for seasonal forecasting in Australia, which led to new research into the relationship between the weather cycle and droughts. As a public figure in charge of an often fallible, yet necessary proto-science, the "somewhat reserved and mild-mannered" Hunt was often lampooned by the Australian press, particularly the satirical Melbourne Punch
, who regularly featured him humorously, if affectionately, in the "People We Know" series. The magazine described him as "a pleasant, meek, well-fed gentleman, who seems quite out of place in control of such an untameable gang as the Australian weather elements... it would be hard to say what his percentage of correct predictions is, but this is certain, that it would be a high one".
Before his forced retirement on 6 February 1931, Hunt was considered the foremost weather expert in Australia with an estimated 87% strike rate. He died of myocarditis
at his home in Elwood, Victoria
on his 80th birthday.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. He was Director of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology between 1908 and 1931.
Early life
Hunt was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and as a child spent three years in St Petersburg with his father Edwin Hunt
Edwin Hunt
Edwin Francis Hunt was an American draughts, or checkers, player who spent most of his life in Nashville....
, a marine engineer, who was working designing battleship engines for the Russian Czar. In 1884 his family emigrated to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Career
Hunt began working with Henry Chamberlain RussellHenry Chamberlain Russell
Henry Chamberlain Russell, CMG, FRS, was an Australian astronomer and meteorologist.-Early life:Russell was born at West Maitland, New South Wales, the fourth son of the Hon. Bourn Russell and his wife Jane, née Mackreth...
at the Observatory. In 1904 he became head meteorologist, responsible for constructing a daily weather forecast and map. In late 1906, Hunt was appointed inaugural head of the nascent Commonwealth Meteorological Bureau in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, the society responsible for developing Australian meteorology to satisfy the developing needs of industry. He developed a number of new meteorological theories, collected in a 1929 book A basis for seasonal forecasting in Australia, which led to new research into the relationship between the weather cycle and droughts. As a public figure in charge of an often fallible, yet necessary proto-science, the "somewhat reserved and mild-mannered" Hunt was often lampooned by the Australian press, particularly the satirical Melbourne Punch
Melbourne Punch
Melbourne Punch was an Australian illustrated magazine founded by Edgar Ray and Frederick Sinnett, modelled closely on Punch of London which was founded just fifteen years earlier....
, who regularly featured him humorously, if affectionately, in the "People We Know" series. The magazine described him as "a pleasant, meek, well-fed gentleman, who seems quite out of place in control of such an untameable gang as the Australian weather elements... it would be hard to say what his percentage of correct predictions is, but this is certain, that it would be a high one".
Before his forced retirement on 6 February 1931, Hunt was considered the foremost weather expert in Australia with an estimated 87% strike rate. He died of myocarditis
Myocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...
at his home in Elwood, Victoria
Elwood, Victoria
Elwood is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 8 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
on his 80th birthday.