The title of his master's thesis was Resettlement: solution to economic and social problems in the Gilbert and Ellice Islands Colony.

[4] He gained his PhD from the Australian National University in Canberra in 1972, with the title of his doctoral thesis as Mobility in transition: an analysis of population movement in the New Hebrides.

[6] In 2010, Bedford moved to Auckland University of Technology (AUT) as pro vice-chancellor research.

[7] Notable students include Lynda Johnston, Robin Peace and Robyn Longhurst.

[12] In the 2020 New Year Honours, he was appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for services to governance.