Educated Fort Street High School; MSc, University of Sydney; MSc, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1952; Hon. DSc, University of Melbourne 1968. Joined the Bureau of Meteorology Sydney Divisional Office on 6 November 1939 and transferred to Melbourne headquarters in March 1940. Meteorologist, RAAF, 1941-1946, in Port Moresby and later in Allied Headquarters, Brisbane. Conceived and founded the Tropical Weather Research Bulletin, which became the Weather Development and Research Bulletin, later known as the Australian Meteorological Magazine. Supervising Meteorologist (Research), Bureau of Meteorology, appointed 1948. Harkness Fellowship, Commonwealth Fund of New York, 1951-1952. Assistant Director Research, 1958-1962, and Director, 1962-1978 (retired) Bureau of Meteorology. International Meteorological Organization Medal 1982. W J Gibbs Prize named after him and established in 1996. After his retirement Bill, as Bureau archivist, initiated the Metarch (meteorological archives) Project and personally compiled Metarch Papers No 1 containing details of historical references in Weather News Nos 1-262 (1956-82).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 and 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'