He was Forster’s private rain-man for more than 50 years, but it’s only since his recent passing that Trevlyn Elliott’s meticulous rainfall records have been brought to public attention.
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Born in 1930, Trevlyn embarked on a long journey of keeping rainfall records in Forster. Since January 1965 he recorded the rainfall every single day. Basic equipment of a rain gauge (a metal container holding an old oil jar to collect the rain), a measuring cylinder (still in the old imperial inches – he never converted to metric even after all the years) and his logbook were all he needed to collect this 50 plus years of unbroken records.
A long term resident in Forster, Trevlyn was also the local baker in the family business, Elliott’s Bakery, which was originally located in Wharf Street. He then changed to sand mining, assisting on oyster leases and then retirement but during all this time he quietly kept watch of the weather, each day checking to see if there was any water in the gauge.
If he was away, his wife or a neighbour would be recruited to collect the rain. The water was put into jars and dated so he could continue his records on his return. His diligence is exemplified within the long timeline of subsequent data.
Trevlyn passed away on the July 15 this year but even while his health failed he continued the record up until the end of June 2016.
Sorting through his legacy, Trevlyn’s son, Gordon Elliott, did not want his father’s effort to be wasted. He approached MidCoast Council’s engineering department who gratefully accepted the gift of the records, rain gauge and measuring cylinder.
"Trevlyn's meticulous records of rainfall in Forster over a 50 year period are extremely valuable to us and can be used as a site-specific record of rainfall to help council analyse localised storms such as the major storm which hit Forster in March 2013,” council's director of engineering and infrastructure, Ron Hartley said.
"Trevlyn's records show that 200mm of rain fell during that particular storm. This accords with the anecdotal evidence and supports the accuracy of Trevlyn's records."
"We're also honoured to receive Trevlyn's rainfall gauge which is interesting in itself, and shows how local residents can contribute to scientific records in their everyday lives, in their own unique ways."
The gift will either be kept for reference or displayed at the local historical society.
”Trevlyn would be proud that his diligence was noted and that his efforts are appreciated,” wrote his son Gordon.
