Doctor Creek cattle farmer John Newton receives special award from Bureau of Meteorology for 50 years of data collecting

A Darling Downs beef farmer has received special recognition from the Bureau of Meteorology for half a century of service recording crucial weather and climate data.

Doctors Creek farmer John Newton with his Bureau of Meteorology Excellence Award at his property on Thursday.

A Darling Downs farmer has received a Bureau of Meteorology Excellence Award, in recognition of his 50 years of service recording crucial weather and climate data.

John Newton received the award on Thursday at his Doctor Creek cattle property near Toowoomba.

The award recognised Mr Newton’s longstanding efforts to help maintain a critical record of rainfall in the region.

Since 1973, Mr Newton has recorded daily rainfall totals on his property and reported these results monthly to the Bureau.

Beef farmer John Newton with his award, recognising his 50 years of service recording crucial weather data for the Bureau of Meteorology.

Mr Newton said he never expected to be recognised.

“I didn’t expect to get anything … I just took it over from the man that I bought the property from and just kept it going,” he said.

He said his family were all “quite pleased” about the award.

Newton’s property is one of about 4000 volunteer observer sites across Australia that each month provide the Bureau with vital weather and climate data.

Asked whether he would continue after all these years, Newton said that he had “no plans” of stopping.

Originally published as Doctor Creek cattle farmer John Newton receives special award from Bureau of Meteorology for 50 years of data collecting