Vale Dr Donald Edgar OAM, founding Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies

The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) acknowledges with great sadness the passing of its founding Director, Dr Donald Edgar OAM, aged 89.

Dr Edgar was appointed to lead AIFS at its establishment and played a defining role in shaping it into a respected national research agency dedicated to understanding the experiences of Australian families and ensuring evidence about family life could inform policy and practice.

Under his stewardship, AIFS established a broad and ambitious research agenda spanning family law, social security, work and family life, child care, parenting, housing, poverty and the changing nature of Australian families.

A passionate advocate for rigorous, independent research, Dr Edgar recognised its importance in helping governments and communities better understand and respond to the needs of families. He strongly championed AIFS as an independent statutory body with a national remit, establishing principles that continue to guide its work today.

AIFS Director Liz Neville said Dr Edgar’s influence could still be seen across the organisation more than four decades after its establishment.

“Don understood the two-way relationship between families and society, and that understanding Australian families in all their diversity was essential to developing policies and services that genuinely responded to their needs.

“His vision and stewardship helped establish AIFS as a trusted and independent source of research on family life in Australia, with a clear public education and information dissemination role. The breadth of our work today and our commitment to using evidence to improve outcomes for families reflect the foundations Don laid.

“On behalf of everyone at AIFS, I extend our sincere condolences to Don’s family, friends, colleagues and all those whose lives and work he influenced. We thank him for his remarkable contribution to AIFS and to Australian families.”

Dr Edgar remained deeply engaged with the issues affecting families throughout his career as an academic, writer and teacher. His vision for independent, applied research dedicated to understanding Australian families remains an enduring part of AIFS and will continue to shape our work for generations to come. 

Read more about Dr Edgar's contribution at AIFS.