Bill Jonas awarded a PhD

Bill Jonas, Worimi man from Kuruah River area, is awarded a PhD by the University of Papua New Guinea for research into Papua New Guinea's timber industry. Four years later, Bill is appointed Royal Commissioner on the British Nuclear Tests in Australia. He is also at this time chairperson of the Awabakal Co-op. Bill later becomes Chair of the Joint Ministerial Taskforce on Aboriginal Heritage and Culture in NSW, Director of Aboriginal Education at Newcastle University (1990), Principal of the Australian Institute for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in Canberra (1991-1996), receives the Order of Australia (1993), Director of the National Museum of Australia (1997-1998), Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and Acting Race Discrimination Commissioner (1999-2004).