History of Don Weatherburn in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 5, 2026

Donald Weatherburn served as the Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research from 1988 to 2019. He is currently a professor at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. His work focuses on crime statistics and research.

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Full Timeline

May 1951: Birth of Donald James Weatherburn

On May 14, 1951, Donald James Weatherburn was born.

Others born on this day/year

1964: Attendance at Newington College

In 1964, Don Weatherburn began attending Newington College.

1969: Completion of Studies at Newington College

In 1969, Don Weatherburn completed his studies at Newington College.

1974: Received BA with first class honours from the University of Sydney

In 1974, Don Weatherburn received his Bachelor of Arts degree with first class honors from the University of Sydney.

1979: Completion of Ph.D. at the University of Sydney

In 1979, Don Weatherburn completed his Ph.D. at the University of Sydney.

1983: Appointment as Senior Research Officer at BOCSAR

In 1983, Don Weatherburn was appointed as Senior Research Officer at the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR).

1988: Director of BOCSAR

In 1988, Don Weatherburn was appointed Director of BOCSAR.

1988: Appointment as Director of NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research

In 1988, Don Weatherburn was appointed as the Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in Sydney.

January 1998: Awarded Public Service Medal

In January 1998, Don Weatherburn was awarded the Public Service Medal for his contribution to public debate about crime and justice.

2000: Received Alumni Award for Community Service

In 2000, Don Weatherburn received an Alumni Award for Community Service from the University of Sydney.

February 2014: Release of Study on NSW Lockout Laws

Following the introduction of the New South Wales lockout laws in February 2014, Don Weatherburn released a study that argued there was a significant drop in alcohol-related assaults due to the new laws.

September 2018: Admission of Fault in Drug Detection Results

In September 2018, Don Weatherburn admitted that his Bureau was at fault for releasing misleading drug detection results, where figures were mistakenly doubled due to adding positive results to searches by NSW Police.