Vale Tony Vinson

NCOSS was saddened to hear of the death of Tony Vinson, Emeritus Professor at the School of Social Sciences and International Studies, University of New South Wales.

For over six decades he was an advocate for social reform in corrections, education and government services and pivotal in the establishment of social research and behavioural science in various universities, the impacts of which have been felt by generations of Australians.

Tony Vinson also assisted NCOSS with background research for the NCOSS Pre Budget Submission in the late 1990s and worked with us to develop NCOSS policy on early years development and the role of schools in children's services provision in the early 2000s before and when he conducted his Inquiry into Public Education in NSW.

Tony also developed key budget targets in crime prevention and reduction of the prisoner population, advised and consulted with NCOSS on various parliamentary submissions in regard to prisoners and prisons and provided information, facts and analyses regarding criminal justice for NCOSS advocacy.

In the 1970s when he and Ross Homel were first writing about locational disadvantage he provided information and support to NCOSS interest in that area at the time.  His dedication and perseverance to the research and analysis of geographic distribution of social disadvantage led to the publication of the first “Dropping off the Edge” report in 2007.  

Professor Vinson will be sorely missed.