During his career he played a pioneering role in the establishment and development of sociology in Australia.
In 1957 he received a Bachelor of Arts with Honours degree in anthropology from the University of Sydney, where he was a lively student.
[1][2][5][6][7] Having been awarded an Australian National University Travelling Fellowship, Jones then spent some time at the London School of Economics.
After a year in the United Kingdom, Jones returned to Australia in 1963 and took up an appointment at the newly established Department of Sociology in the Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University.
[3][5] During his career Jones also acted as a consultant to government commissions and programs on a range of issues, including Aboriginal affairs, city development, multiculturalism, and education.