Before Federation meteorological services were set up in each State in association with the State Astronomical Observatories which had been built in 1856 in Adelaide, in 1841 in Hobart, in Melbourne in 1854 and in Sydney in 1858.  There was co-operation and the interchange of reports between the States but the meteorological work was not co-ordinated because there was no central control.  

By chapter 1, part 5, Section 51, subsection viii of the Commonwealth Constitution it is enacted that "Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have powers to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to interalia meteorological observations".  The Meteorology Act of 1906 (Commonwealth of Australia Act No 3 of 1906) was assented to on 28 August 1906 and established the position of Commonwealth Meteorologist.  The integration of the existing services in each state into one service was achieved through this position.  The Mteorological Bureau/Branch was developed to enable the Commonwealth Mteorologist to carry out his duties which were:

 (a) taking and recording meteorological observations;
 (b) forecasting weather;
 (c) the issue of storm warnings;
 (d) the display of weather, flood, frost, cold wave signals;
 (e) distribution of meteorological information;
 (f) such other duties as are prescribed to give effect to the
     provisions  of this Act.

Under the Act the Governor-General might enter into an arrangement with the Governor of any State in respect of all or any of the following matters:

 (a) the transfer to the Commonwealth, on such terms as are agreed
     upon, of any observatory and the instruments, books, registers,
     records and documents used or kept in connection there-with.

 (b) the taking and recording of meteorological observations by State
     Officers.

 (c) the interchange of meteorological information between the 
     Commonwealth and State authorities.

 (d) any matters incidental to any of the matters above specified or 
     desirable or convenient to be arranged or provided for the
     purpose of effeciently and economically carrying out this Act.

H A Hunt was appointed Commonwealth Meteorologist (Commonwealth Gazette No 68, 1 December 1906, p 1476) and took up the position on 1 January 1907.  At the time he was appointed the position was in the
Postmaster-General's Department (CA 9).  However by 21 June 1907 positions within Meterology were advertised with the Department of Home Affairs [I].  Soon after his appointment, from 20-23 May, he chaired a conference of meteorologists to discuss a wide range of questions including the range and expansion of meteorological work.

To assist him in the performance of his duties the Commonwealth Meteorologist (later known as the Director of Meteorology) had in each State a Deputy known as a Divisional Meteorologist (later as a Deputy Director) who was responsible for implementing the Branch policy in the States and for providing regional services. The central Bureau was divided into 5 sub departments each being under the immediate supervision of assistants whose duties included the following:

 . weather predictions, storm warnings, summaries of current weather
   and management of the Central Bureau.
 . divisional bureaux and observing stations.
 . climatological work and records of the Commonwealth.
 . daily observations, entry of same into ledgers, reduction tables
   for various elements, distribution and collection of information
   with respect to the maritime branch of the service.
 . instrumental stock, standardising and satisfactory working of all 
   instruments before distribution to the observing stations
   throughout the Commonwealth.

The five assistants constituted a daily forecast board presided over by the Commonwealth Meteorologist. In each State there was also a forecasting section and a climatological section.  In order to fulfil section 4(f) of the Meteorological Act which requires the distribution of information, the State Bureaux provided forecasting services directly to the press and radio;  the climatological section also dealt with day to day enquiries.

The growth of aviation eventually necessitated the development of a division within the Commonwealth Meteorological Service that was responsible for the provision of aviation services.

On 20 June 1955 the Central Bureau/Branch of Meteorology was replaced by the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology (CA 1835) which was established by the Meteorology Act 1955 (Commonwealth of Australia Acts, No 6 of 1955)


Sources

Official Year Book of the Commonwealth, No 3 1910, pp 80-82 Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates, Vol XXXVI, 5 July 1907, p 140;
 vol XLIV, 13 Mar 1908, p 8988
Historical agency address
Cnr Victoria and Drummond Streets, Carlton, Melbourne
Legislation administered
Commonwealth of Australia Acts, No.3 of 1906, Meteorology Act 1906

Previous agency unregistered

1908: State Meteorological Departments