Couple wants the BOM to replace them with a weather station
After 63 years of recording the weather from the same house in north-east Victoria's Mitta Mitta Valley, Ernie and Merrillyn Cole are asking the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to install an automatic weather station so they can take a break.
The Coles are now in their 80s and want to travel more, but they are worried about the maintenance of accurate local weather records.
The couple arrived in Mitta Mitta in 1963, when Mr Cole was a forestry officer with the state government.
Part of his job was to report the weather to the BOM from a weather station outside their house.
Ernie and Merrillyn Cole have lived in the same house since 1963. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
In order to help Mr Cole get to work early, Ms Cole took over.
"Quite often I'd have a baby on one hip and a toddler and down to the weather box we'd go," she said.
Sixty-three years later, the couple live in the same house and continue to send rainfall totals to the BOM.
They have always enjoyed doing the job, but they want to move on and hope technology can assist.
Ernie Cole, 86, checks the rain in the Mitta Mitta Valley. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
"We've been pressing for an automatic weather station here," Mr Cole said.
"We'd just like to make sure that the weather is looked after, after we've gone."
Variable weather in micro-climate
The weather has been recorded in Mitta Mitta since 1915.
Mr Cole inherited earlier records from the local postmistress when he took over in the 1960s.
Merrillyn Cole still keeps notes on the weather and rain totals. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
He said for any future data to remain accurate, it had to be measured in the exact same place.
When Mr and Ms Cole are away, friend and neighbour Russell "Ned" Kelly records the rain for them.
Russell Kelly is a local pilot who helps the Coles. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
Mr Kelly is a retired pilot and operates the local airfield.
"Being a pilot, you're always interested in the weather," Mr Kelly said.
"I'm pretty au fait with the micro-climate we have in the Mitta Valley."
Mr Kelly said rainfall can vary greatly across the valley.
"If you go another 10 kilometres, there's another 300 millimetre rainfall, for example," Mr Kelly said.
Mitta Mitta and the surrounding area has a population of 171, according to the 2021 census. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
Mr Kelly has also pressed the BOM to install a weather station at the Coles' house.
"There are over 650 automated weather stations in Australia, so we're just talking about adding one to that, for Mitta Mitta,"
Mr Kelly said.
"Rainfall over the past 100 years is actually on a steady decrease.
"Without a station here, the local farmers would not be aware of that."
BOM yet to confirm installation
The BOM operates a network of more than 650 automatic stations across Australia to collect real-time weather.
Since the 1980s, the technology has slowly replaced manual weather stations, monitored by people.
About 3,000 manual observation sites remain in operation.
The in-ground rain gauge is fenced off. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
A statement from the BOM did not confirm or deny plans to install an automated weather station in Mitta Mitta.
But it did point out there were two automated weather stations 39km away and another automated rain gauge 6km away.
"The bureau has no plans to discontinue volunteer rainfall observations at Mitta Mitta," a spokesperson said.
"If a community volunteer comes forward, the bureau will provide training for the replacement volunteer to continue the service as required."
Looking after the weather
Ms Cole has noticed a change in the way weather data is used by the BOM in recent years.
It was once a daily phone call with information about temperature, wind, frost and fog.
Ernie Cole hopes the recording of Mitta Mitta rainfall continues. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
"Twelve months ago, the BOM told me not to worry about ringing the rain through anymore unless we had a big deluge," she said.
At 86 and 82 years old, the Coles will continue to collect weather data until they no longer can.
But Mr Cole said they hope to travel more, and Mr Kelly has also put off holidays in the past to cover for them.
The Coles look forward to doing more travelling. (ABC Rural: Annie Brown)
"If we had an automatic weather station, we wouldn't have to go and ask people to do the rain for us," Mr Cole said.
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