Ron Brunton
Ron Brunton | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Brunton Template:Birth year and age |
| Alma mater | La Trobe University |
| Occupation(s) | anthropologist and author |
Dr Ron Brunton is an Australian expert in anthropology and previously held the position of director at Encompass Research Pty Ltd. He was appointed to the board of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for a five-year period commencing on 1 May 2003.
Biography
Prior to his involvement with the ABC Board, Brunton contributed as a biweekly columnist for The Courier-Mail from 1997 to 2003. He was also a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs between 1995 and 2001, and regularly wrote for the conservative publication Quadrant.
Brunton expressed criticism toward the Bringing Them Home report concerning the stolen generations, opposed the High Court’s 1992 ruling in Mabo v Queensland, and questioned findings from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Additionally, he disputed claims about the "secret women's business" linked to the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy and endorsed Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn's advocacy for the integration of Muslim immigrants.
His appointment to the ABC Board by the John Howard administration in 2003 generated controversy regarding ideological representation; shadow minister Lindsay Tanner criticized him as an "ideological zealot" who lacked experience relevant to public broadcasting.
Encompass Research Pty Ltd, previously known as Ron Brunton Research Pty. Ltd, specialized in anthropological and socio-economic studies addressing issues such as native title, indigenous heritage, immigration policies, and environmental concerns.
Brunton has an extensive publication record in anthropology, has lectured at various Australian universities as well as at the University of Papua New Guinea, and has acted as an expert witness in native title cases throughout Australia.
Education
He obtained his doctoral degree from La Trobe University with a dissertation examining kava consumption in Melanesia. Earlier, in 1973, he completed a Master of Arts at the University of Sydney, focusing on social hierarchy, commerce, and ceremonial exchanges within Melanesian societies.