The Present
A Career in Meteorology
Catherine Muller
Sally Male
Meteorologist, Catherine Muller was promoted in July 2003 to Regional Manager for Aviation and Defence Weather Services in the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology. On the day of my first attempt to contact Catherine, she was busy providing weather reports to assist police and aviation officials as there had been a plane crash. Catherine later explained that one minute data was provided to be checked for wind speed and direction at the crash time and immediately before the crash. It would assist in determining the cause of the crash and further data were required to assist services to locate wreckage.
Catherine was the second of three women to be promoted to Program Manager at the State level in Queensland. Before her promotion, Catherine was a forecaster within the severe weather section with the fire portfolio in Brisbane. This section issues warnings for cyclones, severe thunderstorms, flash flooding, and high fire danger. She was called to assist in Sydney when the bushfires threatened in the summer of 2002/3. “With only one day of notice it was a bit of a hassle, but from that other opportunities came. I was selected to be part of the Australian delegation to the World Meteorological Organisation Congress in Geneva, an event held once every 4 years.”
Becoming a Meteorologist
After completing a Bachelor of Applied Science with Honours in Applied Mathematics, Catherine spent 10 months in Melbourne learning about theory and techniques for forecasting for her Grad. Dip. in Meteorology. She was a forecaster in the Hobart office for 9 years - “around the clock shift work; the best training ground”. Catherine’s career highlight was a temporary transfer of 4 months from the Tasmania office, to Antarctica in the 2001/2 summer. She was one of a team of two forecasters for the helicopter operations – “just the best work; really good fun; awesome things you’ve never seen before”.
Catherine’s Philosophy
“I always put in 100% and look at the big picture. It’s not always obvious that what you’re doing at the time will help. I am glad to now be in a position without persistent shift work. I could only do the shift work and cope with the short notice before travelling to Sydney, because I am free – without family responsibilities.”