George Clements’ rain gauge was donated to the Kyabram Historical Society by his grandsons, Kenneth and Davydd Shaw, in 2021.
Mr Clements joined his brother William in Kyabram about 1895 and initially worked in the Kyabram Newsagency before buying the business around 1900. As a newsagent, he reported rainfall totals, which were published in the daily Melbourne newspapers. He continued this up to 1924.
Mr Clements, who was born in Hampstead, London, in 1874, was secretary of the Kyabram Waterworks Trust from 1931 until his retirement in 1955 at the age of 81.
He was also district registrar for birth, deaths and marriages in the early 20th century and again from 1947 until 1960.
For many years, official rainfall reports were sent from the Post Office. However, after the Irrigation Research Station was established on Cooma Rd, readings were taken from both the Kyabram Post Office and the Irrigation Research Station.
It was reported in the Free Press in June 1968 that the Kyabram Post Office would soon cease to be the centre for the official rainfall registrations for the area. There was seldom a variation of more than a point between the Post Office, Research Station and private homes.
In September 2002 the Bureau of Meteorology installed an automated weather station in Castlemara Dve, which reported hourly. In 2010 this facility was upgraded to report every minute.
Even in old age George enjoyed the routine of measuring rainfall from his Bradley St home.
— Compiled by Eileen Sullivan with information from Davydd Shaw.
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