Saturday 3 December 2016

Nov 2016 speaker

Helen Page, Peachester History Committee
Guest speaker at BIHS meeting November 2016

Lynne Hooper (centre) with Jan (left) and Helen of
Peachester History Committee
Photo: Lynne Hooper
Through a fascinating PowerPoint presentation filled with photos and documents that had been given to the Peachester History Committee by Inigo Jones’ family, Helen gave us an incredible insight into the life and work of Inigo Jones.

Inigo Owen Jones (1872-1954), meteorologist, was born at Croydon, Surrey, England, son of Owen Jones, civil engineer, and his wife Emilie Susanne, née Bernoulli, of a famous scientific family. Emilie's mother Dorothy Inigo-Jones was descended from the architect Inigo Jones (1573-1652).

In 1874 his parents migrated to Queensland.  In 1888 the colonial meteorologist Clement Wragge persuaded Inigo to serve a cadetship in his office rather than attend the University of Sydney. Inigo began to develop a special interest in long-range forecasting on the basis of sunspots from that time.

In 1892 his parents bought a farm about 97 km north of Brisbane and named it Crohamhurst after a property near Inigo's birthplace. Inigo joined them there and on 2 February 1893 recorded an Australian record for one day's rainfall of 37.714 inches (958 mm). For the next thirty years he lived in relative obscurity, helping his father with pioneering work on the farm and continuing meteorological research as a hobby stimulated by first-hand experience of the farmer's dependence on weather forecasts.

In 1923 Inigo successfully predicted the end of a dry spell and the resulting press publicity created demands for his forecasts. Urged on by scientific and other friends, he became a full-time forecaster. From 1929 he wrote forecasts for many Australian newspapers.

The observatory building at Crohamhurst, was opened on 13 August 1935 and Inigo divided his time between work on the farm and work in the observatory. In 1942 Sydney grazing interests provided further support through the Long-Range Weather Forecasting Trust.


An accomplished artist and musician, Inigo married Marion Emma Comrie on 11 January 1905 at Crohamhurst.  

Peachester Cemetery
Photo: Lynne Hooper
Peachester Cemetery
Photo: Lynne Hooper

Inigo Jones died at Crohamhurst on 14 November 1954 and was buried in the nearby Peachester cemetery.






BIHS members visit to Peachester Hall
18 November 2016

BIHS group at Peachester Hall, 18 Nov 2016
Photo: Lynne Hoope
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A group of BIHS members went on Friday, 18 November 2016 to Peachester and, after a cuppa and a talk, the Peachester Historical Committee took our group on a tour of the historical Peachester Cemetery.  

Helen and BIHS group at Peachester Hall, 18 Nov 2016
Photo: Lynne Hooper
BIHS group at Peachester Hall, 18 Nov 2016
Photo: Lynne Hooper











BIHS members visit to Bankfoot House
18 November 2016
Bankfoot House, 18 Nov 2016
Photo: Lynne Hooper
The group then drove to Bankfoot House, at the Glass House Mountains, where after a presentation by Ron Gillinder they explored Bankfoot House in the company of the Friends of Bankfoot House.

Ron's talk to BIHS group at Bankfoot House
Photo: Lynne Hooper
Ron's talk to BIHS group at Bankfoot House
Photo: Lynne Hooper