NOT a drop of rain has fallen in the past 50 years that Genseric Parker hasn’t caught.
The Gembrook man was honoured recently as Victoria’s longestserving rainfall recorder.
For more than half a century, Mr Parker has diligently kept an eye on the skies.
The 91yearold has taken note of every drizzle, every downpour, every winter deluge and summer shower.
Mr Parker said his interest in weather — and wet stuff in particular — stemmed from childhood days on the family’s potato farm.
“On the land, you are so dependent on rain, farmers are fighting with nature all the time,” he said.
Mr Parker’s long service was recognised at a function hosted by Melbourne Water.
He and wife Lorna were picked up and taken to lunch at a hotel in Richmond where rainfall recorders from around the state were presented with certificates marking their contributions.
“At 54 years, I was the longestserving recorder. The closest to me was 51 years,” Mr Parker said.
“Being a farmer, I’ve always been interested in weather. Every morning at 8 o’clock I check the gauge and record the figures on a chart on the wall.”
Gembrook’s wettest year on record was also Mr Parker’s first as the community’s official rainfall recorder — 1952.
“There was 97 inches (2463 millimetres) that year. The driest was in 1997 when we had a little over 32 inches (812 mm). Gembrook’s average rainfall in a year is 49.5 inches (1244.6 mm).”
Mr Parker has bowed to pressure to convert his measurements to metric — “the other system” — but said he always brought it back to the old imperial scale for his own use.
“That’s what I started with — feet and inches,” he said.
He acknowledges the job is a big responsibility but said he never minded having to take note of rain.
Mr Parker still enjoys the sound of it hitting the farm shed roof and has no plans to stop being Gembrook’s ‘Rain Man’.
“You’ve got to have an interest,” he said.
“I say to people when you get old you have to keep mentally and physically as fit as you can. I’m lucky, I’ve always had a good memory.”
Mr and Mrs Parker still farm their property, although he admits to taking most afternoons off to write (he has written a history of Gembrook) or take a nap.
Autumn is his favourite season but Mr Parker said he liked all weather.
“I take the heat better than I take the cold but you start to feel the cold a bit at my age.”
Paul Dunlop
