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Frederick Oswald Barnett (1883-1972), public accountant, social reformer and poet, was born on 28th September 1883 at Brunswick, Victoria, Australia. Barnett wrote books on social reform including Housing the Australian Nation, The Economics of the slums, The Making of a Criminal,The Poverty of the people in Australia and We Must Go On: A Study in Planned Reconstruction and several books of poetry including Happy Endings to Old Nursery Rhymes, How Lovely is This World And Other Poems and Prayers for Those Who Cannot Sleep.

Every year, an Australian, notable in the field of social welfare, delivers a memorial oration. The first F. Oswald Barnett Oration was delivered by Associate Professor Renate Howe of The Centre for Australian Studies, Deakin University at the St Kilda Parish Mission on 21 October 1994. The oration seeks to acknowledge the contribution Barnett made to eliminating poor housing conditions. It also seeks to remind contemporary society that the task is not yet complete - housing poverty remains a social problem of the highest significance. It provides an opportunity for the churches and others of goodwill to recognise the significance of the work of F.Oswald Barnett and to renew their commitment to housing justice which ensures appropriate, secure and affordable housing for all Australians. The oration is jointly sponsored by Ecumenical Housing, (a commission of the Victorian Council of Churches) and Copelen Child and Family Services (formerly Methodist Babies’ Home. http//:www.sisr.net.events/docs/obo1.pdf<