David Vernon
Encyclopedia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n writer. He has published several books relating to scepticism and childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
.
Biography
Vernon is the only son of Michael VernonMichael Vernon
Michael 'Mike' Vernon A.M. was a prominent Australian consumer activist. Vernon was born in Portsmouth, United Kingdom in 1932 to John Ernest Vernon and Caroline Vernon . He emigrated to Australia in 1955 and settled in Canberra, Australia...
and Jeanette Vernon. He established two businesses while at University, Whiahwe Waiting Services that provided catering to diplomatic missions in Canberra, and MangoSoft, a software development house. He graduated from the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
with qualifications in political science and economics in 1988. He subsequently obtained a Graduate Diploma in Law from University of Canberra
University of Canberra
Over the years the Stone Day program has gradually become larger and larger, taking up a whole week and now Stonefest is one of Australia's most popular music festivals. The first foundation celebrations were held in 1971. In 1973 Stone Day celebrations were held over two days, which was expanded...
and completed a Master of Environmental Science from Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
. He was editor of Argos, the Journal of the Canberra Skeptics from 1986 until 1991. He was assistant editor of the Australian Sinclair Gazette
Australian ZX Users' Association
The Australian ZX Users' Association was an Australian computer users' group established in 1981 to support users of the Sinclair ZX80 and Sinclair ZX81 computers...
. He later became a contributor to the journal of the Australian Skeptics
Australian Skeptics
The Australian Skeptics is a non-profit organisation based in Australia which investigates paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using scientific methodologies.-History:...
, The Skeptic. He writes occasional science articles for The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times newspaper was founded in 1926 in Canberra, Australia by Arthur Shakespeare.It was the second paper to be printed in the city, the first being The Federal Capital Pioneer. The paper was sold to the Fairfax group in the 1960s by Arthur Shakespeare on the condition that it continue...
and also writes short stories for adults and children.
He spent ten years working in the Australian Public Service, working in the Attorney-General's Department and the Environment Department before resigning in 2007. He was elected Chair of the Lyneham Primary School
Lyneham Primary School
Lyneham Primary School is a primary school in Canberra founded in 1959. Located in the suburb of Lyneham, it has over three hundred and forty students. The school is known for its performing arts programs, offering two school bands, one audition choir, two non-audition choirs and dance...
Board in 2008, a position which he currently holds and he was elected chair of the Gold Creek School in 2011.
He co-edited the book Skeptical - A handbook of pseudoscience and the paranormal in 1989 with Donald Laycock
Donald Laycock
Dr Donald Laycock was an Australian linguist and anthropologist. He is best remembered for his work on the languages of Papua New Guinea.-Biography:...
, Colin Groves
Colin Groves
Colin Peter Groves is Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.Born in England on 24 June 1942, Colin Groves completed a Bachelor of Science at University College London in 1963, and a Doctor of Philosophy at the Royal Free Hospital School of...
and Simon Brown
Simon Brown
Simon Brown, born in 1956 in Sydney, New South Wales, is an Australian Science Fiction writer.He originally trained as a journalist and worked for a range of Australian Government Departments, including the Australian Electoral Commission and the NSW Railways Department...
. In 2005 he released Having a Great Birth in Australia
Having a Great Birth in Australia
Having a Great Birth in Australia is the second book from Australian writer David Vernon.The book is an edited anthology of birth experiences, that demonstrate that birth can be a positive, life-affirming event, and that it need not, with the right support, be the trauma that the media often...
, which examined the culture of childbirth
Childbirth
Childbirth is the culmination of a human pregnancy or gestation period with the birth of one or more newborn infants from a woman's uterus...
and pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. In 2006 his book Men at Birth
Men at Birth
Men at Birth is an award-winning book from Australian writer David Vernon.The book is an edited anthology of birth experiences, written by men...
which chronicles men's experience of birth, was published. On 31 May 2007, With Women
With Women
With Women: Midwives experiences: from shift work to continuity of care is the fourth book from Australian writer David Vernon.The book is an edited anthology of midwives' experiences of moving from providing care in a shift work environment to providing care in a continuity-of-care model...
was released. He is currently working on The Hunt for Marasmus and a book about perinatal depression called Australians Talk - surviving perinatal depression.
On 13 December 2007 his book Men at Birth was awarded Best Non-Fiction Book for 2007 in the 2007 ACT Writing and Publishing Awards
He is married to Barbara Vernon
Barbara Vernon
Barbara Vernon PhD is an Australian birth activist who lobbies government for improved provision of maternity services, particularly the expert use of midwives. She was the Executive Officer of the Australian College of Midwives from 2002 to 2010....
with two children.