TY  - JOUR
AU  - Gergis, Joëlle
AU  - Karoly, David J.
AU  - Allan, Rob J.
Y2  - 2014/05/22
Y1  - 2009
SN  - 1836-716X
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/11343/32770
AB  - This study presents the first analysis of the weather conditions experienced at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, during the earliest period of the European settlement of Australia. A climate analysis is presented for January 1788 to December  1791 using daily temperature and barometric pressure observations recorded by  William Dawes in Sydney Cove and a temperature record kept by William Bradley  on board the HMS Sirius anchored in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) in the early  months of the First Fleet’s arrival in Australia. Remarkably, the records appear comparable with modern day measurements taken from Sydney Observatory Hill, displaying similar daily variability, a distinct seasonal cycle and considerable inter-annual variability.  
                        
                    To assess the reliability of these early weather data, they were cross-verified with other data sources, including anecdotal observations recorded in First Fleet documentary records and independent palaeoclimate reconstructions. Some biases in the temperature record, likely associated with the location of the thermometer, have been identified. Although the 1788–1791 period experienced a marked La Niña to El Niño fluctuation according to palaeoclimatic data, the cool and warm intervals in Sydney over this period cannot be conclusively linked to El Niño– Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions. This study demonstrates that there are excellent opportunities to expand our description of pre-20th century climate variability in Australia while contributing culturally significant material to the emerging field of Australian environmental history.
LA  - eng
PB  - Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
KW  - Sydney Cove
KW  - New South Wales
KW  - weather conditions
KW  - climate analysis
KW  - 1788-1791
T1  - A climate reconstruction of Sydney Cove, New South Wales, using weather journal and documentary data, 1788-1791
IS  - Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Journal
VL  - 58
IS  - 2
SP  - 83-98
L1  - /bitstream/handle/11343/32770/289363_A%20climate%20reconstruction_Aust%20Met%20and%20Ocean%20Jour.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
ER  -