History of Don Weatherburn in Timeline

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 also a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. His work focuses on crime statistics and research, reflecting expertise in criminology and sociology.

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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: Attended Newington College

In 1964, Weatherburn began attending Newington College.

1969: Finished at Newington College

In 1969, Weatherburn finished attending Newington College.

1974: Received BA from the University of Sydney

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

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

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

1983: Appointed Senior Research Officer at BOCSAR

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

1988: Appointment as Director of BOCSAR

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

January 1998: Awarded the Public Service Medal

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

2000: Received Alumni Award for Community Service

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

February 2014: Release of Lockout Law Study

In February 2014, following the introduction of New South Wales lockout laws, Weatherburn released a study arguing that the drop in alcohol-related assaults was "simply precipitous".

September 2018: Admission of Misleading Drug Detection Results

In September 2018, Weatherburn admitted that his Bureau, BOCSAR, was at fault for releasing misleading drug detection results where figures in some cases were doubled after positive results were mistakenly added to searches by NSW Police.