Rain Precipitation Investigation Committee

The committee investigated Commonwealth radio engineer, Mr John Graeme Balsillie's claim to produce rain making equipment by electricity to a scientific committee appointed by the NSW Government. The first meeting of the "Balsillie Committee" was 27 March 1915. At a meeting held 2 March 1916, it was resolved that the Premier would be consulted re the changing of the name to the Rain Precipitation Investigation Committee.

In a letter to Le Gay Brereton, (University Librarian) from Professor of Physics, OU Vonwiller, 23/10/1971, he writes that the Committee expressed at its first meeting that the records of the matter be kept at the University as "information of the work done might be needed at some later occasion." 

Committee members included: TWE David (Chairman); Mr OW Brain (secretary), Chief Electrical Engineer for NSW Railways; Professor WE Cooke, Government Astronomer; Professor Madsen; Professor Fawsitt;  Professor Vonwiller; Mr WM Corin, Chief Electrical Engineer for Public Works, NSW.

TWE David was Chair until he left to serve in WWI and Professor Cooke was appointed Chairman. 

A room in the University's physics laboratory was used by Mr Balsillie to conduct an experiment to prove that his equipment could make rain. he claimed to have made rain during experiments taken place from May to December 1916 at Bookloo, a station on the east West railway, 54 miles to the NNW of Port Augusta. Experiments resulted in increasing the rainfall there from 6 to 11/1/2 inches. (839_1 p166 of PDF). However, 1916 was apparently the most memorable in our meteorological history on account of the extraordinarily abundant rainfalls. (839_1 p166 of PDF). 

In a letter from Cooke to the Premier, dated 5 October 1917, he states: My committee also desire to inform the Premier that enquiries made from the Commonwealth Meterologist (Mr Hunt) have resulted in information being obtained to the effect that meteorological observations taken over the period of Mr Bailsillie's experiments absolutely fail to support in the slightest degree his claims that rainfall has been stimulated by the means which he has adopted. (839_2 p 150 of PDF).