Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Published Biographies

Encyclopaedia of Australian Science http://www.eoas.info/biogs/P003313b.htm
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/122014790/

Year Book of Australia, 2001

Memories of the Bureau of Meteorology 1946 to 1962
http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/0962.html

Additional Biography

Early Life

Edward Waldemar Timcke (Tim) was born on the 2nd of April 1890, the son of Heinrich Edward Friedrich Timcke and Ida Augusta Schroder at Payneham, Adelaide, SA (SA Birth Registration 456/170). He had five siblings, Hedwig Dora Timcke (b1883), Karl Friedrich Timcke (b1885), Hermann Georg Timcke (b1887), Adeline Anna Timcke (b1888) and Philip Geoffrey Timcke (b1899). Tim’s father ran a dairy and milk delivery business and the family lived at Payneham.

Schooling

Tim attended the East Adelaide Public School and passed his Primary Examinations in November 1903. As a result of his high marks, he was awarded an exhibition and completed the remainder of his schooling at the Pupil Teacher School (became Adelaide High School in 1908).

Tim passed his Junior Examinations in December 1904 and was on the honours list for Arithmetic and Algebra. He passed his Senior Examinations in December 1905 and his Higher Public Examinations in December 1906.

Early Career

Tim was appointed a pupil teacher (second grade) at Nailsworth Public School in November 1907. He continued his education, seeking addition knowledge and in December 1909, he passed the Junior Examinations in Greek and in February 1910, he passed the Adelaide School of Art Examination in First Grade Plane Geometry. Tim resigned from the Education Department in September 1910 and at that time, he was described as a student.

In April 1916, Tim was living at Albert Street, Payneham, when he registered a Bradbury motorbike.

In July 1916, Tim was involved in taking photographs of “the sun, shadows and buildings”, during the eclipse.

Adelaide University

Tim commenced studying toward a Bachelor of Arts (BA) at Adelaide University in 1910. Concurrent with his part-time University studies, Tim was appointed an assistant at the Meteorological Department in South Australia on the 11th of August 1911. Tim was second to A.G. Akeroyd in an examination held in March 1915, for the appointment of a divisional officer in the Meteorological Department. In June 1915, Tim became the Meteorological Branch’s representative on the committee of the South Australian branch of the Australian Commonwealth Public Service Clerical Association.

Tim had been awarded an evening scholarship to study at Adelaide University in 1913. In 1914, he was on the committee of the University Arts Association. In April 1915, Tim advertised for a coach to assist him learn first year German for his BA. On his return from World War I, Tim completed his studies and was awarded his BA (in absentia) in December 1920.

University Sport

Cricket
Tim played B Grade cricket for Adelaide University in the 1912/13 and 1913/14 seasons.

Football
Not surprisingly because of his height (nearly 6ft 5in - 195cm), Tim was a great addition to the Adelaide University Football Club's B Grade team in 1914. Playing in the Adelaide Students Association, he was often among the goal scorers and best players during the season, however he was the most outstanding player for the Blacks in the finals during August and September. In the Semi-Final against CBC (1st August) he scored two goals and was in the best players. In the Grand Final (8th August) he was the best player for the AUFC. The minor premiers, Adelaide High School who had beaten the Blacks during the year, were able challenge Adelaide University to a re-match ("Challenge Final).

Over a month later (September 12th) when the Challenge Final was played the Blacks were victorious again with Tim named best player again.

World War I

On the 2nd of October 1916, Tim enlisted with Service Number 35193. He was 26 years and five months old and he listed his mother as his next-of-kin, this was later changed to show his father as next-of-kin. Tim had previously been rejected for service because of poor eyesight. He had served one year in the Senior Cadets and three years in the 10th Australian Infantry Regiment (a reserve regiment). Tim was 6’ 4¾”, 168 lbs, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and light brown hair.

On the 16th of August 1917, Tim completed the Non-Commissioned Officers course at Maribyrnong and qualified for the rank of Corporal. He embarked onboard the HMAT A15 Port Sydney from Melbourne on the 9th of November 1917 and arrived in the Suez on 12th of December 1917. He then departed from Alexandrina, Egypt on the 18th of December arriving at Taranto, Italy on the 22nd of December and then disembarked at Southampton, England on the 4th of January 1918.

Tim was with the 27th Reinforcements of the Australian Field Artillery at Heytesbury, UK, before proceeding overseas to France in March 1918. Tim was a Gunner and was appointed a Temporary Sergeant on 27th of February 1919 (after the cessation of hostilities). His position of Temporary Sergeant was later renamed ER Sergeant under AIF order 1492 of 31/12/18.

On the 21st of March, Tim commenced three months leave with pay and sustenance to attend the British Meteorological Office, South Kensington, London. His leave was then extended for a further two months to the 21st of August 1919.

On the 22nd of September 1919, Tim departed from the UK on the HMAT A15 Port Sydney and disembarked in Adelaide on the 10th of November 1919. Tim was discharged on the 11th of December 1919.

Tim received the Victory Medal and British War Medal (1914 – 1918).

Career and Family Life

After he was discharged in Adelaide, Tim moved to Sydney before February 1920. The Encyclopaedia of Australian Science above, states that he commenced in Sydney in 1919 while a newspaper article published in February 1928 states that he had been in Sydney for eight years and a further article published in 1935 states that Tim transferred to Sydney in 1920.

In January 1921 Tim was Assistant State Meteorologist (NSW) and was forecasting the weather while the State Meteorologist was on annual leave. Tim was acting State Meteorologist again in May 1923.

In May 1925, Tim made a special trip to Adelaide by air, to gather atmospheric observations. His plans and some initial observations are recorded in the newspaper articles below.

Sadly, for Tim, on the 5th of February 1926, his father (known as Edward), passed away at the family residence at 2 Albert Street, Payneham, SA, in his 73rd year.

Tim was living at Prince Alfred Street, Mosman, NSW in December 1927, but in February 1928, it was announced that he would leave Sydney to take up the role of senior research meteorologist at the Central Weather Bureau in Melbourne. Prior to leaving for Melbourne, Tim served a further period as acting State Meteorologist while Mr Mares was on leave.

On the 27th of December 1930, Tim married Miss Jessie Mitchell, the elder daughter of ex-Metropolitan Superintendent, Mr. G.A. Mitchell and Mrs Mitchell of Kensington (south-east Sydney). The couple were married at St Stephen’s Church, Phillip Street, Sydney. After the wedding they motored down to Melbourne to their future home.

Sadly, for Tim, his mother passed away on the 24th of January 1931 aged 70 years. In 1931, Tim and Jessie were living at 17 Stevenson Street, Kew, Victoria.

On the 12th of December 1934, Tim and Jessie’s son, Alan Edward Timcke was born.

Tim travelled by air mail to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies (now Jakarta, Indonesia) and Singapore in June 1935, on behalf of the Central Meteorological Bureau to discuss meteorological issues and other communication interest. He returned by Qantas Empire Airways to Darwin where he spent some days looking over the new meteorological station before returning to Melbourne. While Tim was overseas, Jessie and two-year-old Alan visited Jessie’s parents in Sydney.

By 1937 the Timcke family had moved to 9 Faircroft Avenue, Glen Iris, Victoria.

Tim was involved in an important conference held in Wellington, NZ in late 1937 which had a bearing on the proposed Australia-New Zealand air service. He was also involved in the conference held in Melbourne in December 1938 prior to the commencement of the Tasman Air Service in 1939.

In 1938, Tim was a member of the Far East Regional Commission (Meteorology) and a member of the International Commission for Aeronautical Meteorology and from 1938 – 1941 his position was Supervising Meteorologist (Aviation). In 1942 Tim became Assistant Director of the Bureau of Meteorology a position he held until 1949.

World War II

After the outbreak of WWII, the Weather Bureau was moved from the Department of the Interior to the RAAF and Tim was appointed a Squadron Leader in the RAAF in May 1941. Tim’s WWII record was not available to the public at the time of writing the document and is still unavailable. His Service Number was 252500 and a picture is available at
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=204834572

The staff who moved to the RAAF became the nucleus of the RAAF Meteorological Service and provided instructors and units for the Army and Navy.

By 1943, the Timcke family were living at 15 Faircroft Avenue, Glen Iris and the Electoral Roll records show Tim and Jessie living at that property until at least 1980.

Post-WWII

In 1946, Tim was described in a newspaper article as Wing-Commander E.W. Timcke, acting director of RAAF Meteorological Services.

In 1950, Tim took over as Director of the Bureau of Meteorology and in August 1951 he celebrated 40 years of service.

Tim made regular visits to other states as part of his role as Director of the Commonwealth Meteorological Branch, including trips to Perth in October 1951 and July 1952. Tim also travelled to the UK in 1951, returning from Southampton on the 11th of May 1951 aboard the Dominion Monarch to Melbourne. This appears to have been a work-related trip as Jessie did not travel with Tim.

Tim was in Adelaide in August 1952 and announced that a new weather station to ‘assist jet aircraft flying at great heights’ was planned for Adelaide. In June 1953, Tim was a recipient of a Coronation Medal from the Queen.

In January 1954, Tim led the Australian team at the South-West Pacific Regional Association of the World Meteorological Organisation Conference which was held in Melbourne and included representatives from 12 nations.
In 1954, Tim and Jessie travelled to the UK and toured in Scotland and England. They returned from London on the 26th of October 1954 onboard the Arcadia. They arrived at Freemantle, WA, on the 19th of November 1954.

Tim retired on the 1st of April 1955, aged 65 years. The following article on Tim’s wife, Jessie, was published in ‘The Argus’, the week after Tim’s retirement. Tim was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire, Civil Division) in the Queen’s Birthday honours list in June 1955.

Tim and Jessie continued to live at Glen Iris in retirement. Tim took up Lawn Bowls and in February 1982, it was reported that ‘E. W. "Tim" Timcke, was beaten by Alan Robinson in the final of the South, Camberwell singles championship. It was Robinson's second South Camberwell title. He had won it in 1977 and also was the Ouyen champion in 1953. He was given a real run for his money last weekend by "Tim" Timcke. The scores were tied 18 -18 at the 25th end, after which Robinson gained a vital break with a maximum of four shots.’ Remarkably, Tim was 91 years old at the time of the event.

Death

Tim passed away at Glen Iris on the 18th of July 1982, Victoria, aged 92 years. Jessie passed away at Glen Iris on the 24th of August 1989.

Legacy

Tim and Jessie’s son, Alan Edward Timcke became a surveyor. His story is told in the Institute of Surveyors Victoria, Magazine (Traverse 314, August 2017) below. The firm Timcke & McIntosh Surveyors, operated from 15 Faircroft Avenue, Glen Iris (Tim & Jessie’s former home).

www.surveying.org.au/docs/traverse/TRAV314.pdf

Author EE (Beth) Filmer

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project (in the period 2015-2019) please see the document attached.