Information for

• Future students
• Current students
• International students
• Alumni and graduates
• Business and industry
• Visitors and the community
• Media
• Staff

Information about

• The University
• Research
• Studying at the University
• Graduate studies
• Faculties and schools
• Programs and courses
• Teaching and learning
• Library
• Services and facilities
• Vacancies and careers
• Contacting the University
• Donating to the University
• Student organisations

Project Information

• Participants
• Alcazar
• History of Windale
• Social & Demographic Profile
• Formal & Informal Infrastructure
• Government Initiatives
• Prior Research for Wisdom Report
• Research Studies
• Report: Stage 1
• Report: Stage 2
• Report: Stage 3

Direct links

• Quickfind
• Blackboard
• Campuses and maps
• FAQ Finder
• Glossary
• GradSchool.com
• Library
• NUways
• Policy library
• Search
• Staff contact list
• Studentmail
• TUNRA
• Turnitin
• University Dates
• VSU FAQ
• Web updates

Government Initiatives

The Unequal in Life Report

The Hunter Community Renewal Scheme (HCRS) and Schools as Community Centres (SACCs) commenced in March 2000. They were a response to the Unequal in Life (1999) report which resulted from research conducted by the Ignatius Centre for Social Policy Research examining the distribution of social disadvantage in Victoria and New South Wales. One of the key researchers was Professor Tony Vinson who compiled the results and produced the report Unequal in life: The distribution of social disadvantage in Victoria and New South Wales. Unequal in Life took nine indicators of social disadvantage and compared these across postcodes in NSW and Victoria. The indicators were:

1. Mortality
2. Crime
3. Income
4. Education
5. Low birth weight
6. Child maltreatment
7. Childhood injuries
8. Psychiatric admissions
9. Emergency relief

Windale emerged as the most disadvantaged postcode in NSW against these criteria and this made headlines in the media. In portraying Windale as the most disadvantaged of NSW postcodes, the Unequal in Life report did not recognise or record the strengths of the profiled communities. For instance, the report identified Windale as ‘truly remarkable’ (p. 36) in terms of its disadvantage. Such deficit-focused material further stigmatised Windale, adding to the ongoing negative media coverage highlighting its social and economic disadvantage.