Emeritus Professor Lawrence is a social worker, social work educator, social policy scholar, historian and ethicist. He was a pioneer social policy scholar and Australia’s first professor of social work. His developmental professional responsibilities in social policy and social work education have been wide-ranging in both Australia and internationally. He has now completed an extensive autobiography, Seeking Social Good: A Life Worth Living, which provides an invaluable historical and personal record of social work and social welfare in the second half of the 20th century.
Robert John Lawrence AM, BA (Hons) Dip Soc Sci Adel, MA Oxf., PhD ANU
Praise for the work
‘A monumental achievement! Not only the effort put into pulling it all together now, but the meticulous record keeping throughout the years that it reflects, is just so impressive. This is an extraordinary record of a life, a life certainly worth living, and an invaluable resource for the social work profession and for a morally grounded social policy perspective’
-Bruce Lagay (former Professorial Fellow & former Head, Social Work Dept., Univ. of Melb.; former Assoc.Dean, Rutgers Univ., & Dean, Syracuse Univ., Schools of Social Work, USA)
‘This personal and professional record is testament to the necessity of considering the interactions of someone’s background, formative and institutional influences and exposure to educative and attitude shaping experiences, if a rounded picture is to be gained of what they stand for and why. The author’s constant engagement with history and ethics, not as side issues but disciplines that are of great importance to social work, is evident from Seeking Social Good. It is my fervent hope that others will readily gain access to this work and learn from it, as I have.’
-Tony Vinson (Em. Prof. of Social Work, former Head of School, UNSW; former Head, NSW Corrective Services; social scientist, prominent public intellectual)
‘I thoroughly enjoyed reading this autobiography, which I think is a really significant work. The author had a wonderful opportunity to shape the direction of social work education in Australia, and internationally, and seized the opportunity. So many groups will be interested in this work – historians of the twentieth century, people interested in Australian academic life, anyone researching the history of the University of New South Wales, social work historians of course, whether interested in Australia, the USA or Europe, the many people interested in the Whitlam era and social scientists or historians interested in the development of the teaching of social policy’
-Jane Miller (social work historian; formerly Head, Social Work Dept., Royal Children’s Hosp.; AASW Life Member; President, Melb Univ.Social Work Alumni)
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Comments to the Author about his history of the SWRC/SPRC
‘Your history of the SWRC/SPRC is, it goes without saying, well and thoroughly researched, clearly and expressly written, and passionately argued! I thought you handled on of the trickiest aspects – your own centrality in the story – with excellent taste and balance. There is, overall, a rich appreciation of the leadership and working researchers without losing sight of the larger argument you want to make.’
- Sheila Shaver (former Deputy Director, SPRC; later – Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Res.), Univ. of Western Sydney; Conjoint Professor, SPRC)
‘You tell the story well, and there is a great deal of scholarship and perception in the way you assemble and analyse the material. It is an excellent and worthwhile read.’
-Adam Graycar (Foundation Director, SWRC; later – Head, Ausn. Institute of Criminology; Head, Cabinet Office, S.A. Govt.; Prof. of Public Policy & Director, Research School of Social Sciences, ANU