His love of weather is longstanding, dating back to a childhood in the arid west of NSW. “I was born on the land in Western NSW… on the rare occasions that it did rain, my brother and I would compete for the privilege of measuring the rain,” says Mr Hosking.

His passion has recently taken a literary turn, with the publication of a book ‘All about Braidwood’s Climate’. The guide which seeks help local farmers understand how the weather may affect their operations. “I’ve tried to make it very practical, very accessible,” says Mr Hosking, “to make it useful, I hope, in farming operations.”

The book is an exhaustive and meticulous record of Braidwood’s climate, containing detailed information about every aspect of the area’s weather. Monthly rainfall data sourced from as far back as 1878, and daily data from the 1920s is of more than passing interest, and has allowed Mr Hosking to make some unprecedented observations.

“The growing season at Braidwood is increasing by 1.36 days per year,” says Mr Hosking, who has measured the rate over the past thirty years.

The column has had many names over the years, but Roger’s weather slot covering the previous week’s weather is a familiar sight to regular readers of the Times.

‘All about Braidwood’s Climate’ is available for sale at the Visitor’s Information Centre.