History of Don Weatherburn in Timeline

Donald Weatherburn was the Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research from 1988 to 2019. Currently, he is a professor at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales and a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. His work focuses on crime statistics and research, contributing to the field of social sciences.

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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, Weatherburn started attending Newington College.

1969: End of studies at Newington College

In 1969, Weatherburn finished his studies at Newington College.

1974: Graduation from the University of Sydney

In 1974, Weatherburn received his BA with first class honours from the University of Sydney.

1979: Completion of Ph.D.

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

1983: Appointment at NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research

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

1988: Director of BOCSAR

In 1988, Donald Weatherburn became the Director of BOCSAR.

1988: Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research

In 1988, Donald Weatherburn became the Director of the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research in Sydney.

January 1998: Awarded the Public Service Medal

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

2000: Received Alumni Award

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

February 2014: Introduction of New South Wales lockout laws

Following the introduction in February 2014 of the New South Wales lockout laws which limited the sale of alcohol in the Sydney CBD and Kings Cross, Weatherburn released a study arguing that the drop in the number of alcohol-related assaults since the new laws was "simply precipitous".

September 2018: Admission of Fault for Misleading Drug Detection Results

In September 2018, Weatherburn admitted his Bureau was at fault for releasing misleading drug detection results, where figures in some cases were doubled due to a mistake by BOCSAR.