Max Flutter

It is with great sadness that I inform you that Max Flutter passed away.

Max Flutter was born on 17th May 1917 and passed away in the early hours of the morning of Tuesday 28th September 2010. Max was 93 years of age.

Max was one of 250 personnel out of 3000 who was selected to join the Darwin Mobile Force. Max served in the “Top End” from 1938 to 1942. In 1942 he briefly joined the AIF but he then re-mustered and joined the RAAF where he was posted to Canada on a pilot training course.

He travelled back to Australia in 1944 on an American troop ship with 44 other Australians on board. In the six or less degrees of separation in life, among those 44 Australians was Len Forbes. They had never met at this stage, but after both joined the Bureau they were to meet and remained very good friends for the rest of their lives. In retirement they were almost neighbours.

Max had a distinguished career with the Bureau. He served in two tours of Macquarie Island in1953 and 1955. He also served on the Mainland at Mawson in 1956 and OIC Davis in 1958. Max has the distinction of having a small island near Davis Station named after him and a penguin rookery. (Which is still visited to this day.)

He also worked in remote postings such as Forrest, Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island. He later served at Mascot and upon completion of the Technical Officer Course was posted to Bankstown Airport.

He was the doyen of forecasters at Bankstown Airport, the pilots fully trusted the advice given them by the “MET MAN” when Max was on duty. He trained so many of us newer style technical officers in the art of forecasting and the briefing of light aircraft pilots. A few of us who worked with Max were, William Edward Henderson, Geoff Smith, Steve Symonds, Geoff Naughton and Brian Lee. My apologies for those who I have missed out.

Max retired in the early eighties to Blackheath in the Blue Mountains with his house backing onto the golf course. Len Forbes lived one house down from Max on the corner.

The R.D. NSW, Vic Bahr once bought a delegation of Chinese meteorologists up to Blackheath for a B-B-Q. Their introduction to the Australian way of life.

Health problems in 2008 forced Max to leave his beloved home and move to once again to be close to Len and Phyllis Forbes at the “John Paul Retirement Village” at Heathcote in Southern Sydney.

Len saw Max yesterday afternoon and Max passed away in his sleep in the early hours of Tuesday morning (28th sep 2010).

Max, from all of us who worked with you, thanks for your wisdom, advice and fond memories.
Geoff Smith and Len Forbes.

Sent in by Denise Allen and posted on 13 November 2010.

Flutter Island, near Davis Station Antarctica.
An irregular-shaped island, almost cut in two, about 3 km north of Davis station in the Vestfold Hills. Mapped by Norwegian cartographers from aerial photographs taken by the Lars Christensen Expedition (1936-37). Named after M J Flutter, Officer-in-Charge at Davis Station, 1958.

Flutter Rookery Antarctica.
An Emperor penguin rookery situated in a group of icebergs on fast ice adhering to the eastern side of Bjerkx Peninsula, Mac.Robertson Land. Discovered on 3 August, 1958, by Flt. Lieut. H.O. Wilson, RAAF whilst on a flight from Mawson to Davis. Named after M.J. Flutter, Officer-in-Charge at Davis in 1958.