After the sudden death of Headmaster W H Mason-Cox on , Harold Vernon Jones stepped forward to act as Headmaster until a suitable replacement was found.
Born at Carrick in Northern Tasmania in , Jones was educated at Launceston Church Grammar School as a boarder. He completed a BA while teaching at Rockhampton Grammar School. Wanting to return to Tasmania, Jones joined the staff at Launceston Grammar in where he became Acting Headmaster in after the enlistment of the Headmaster in the AIF. In , Jones assumed the position in his own right until he retired in .
Hearing of the sudden death of Hutchins Headmaster, William Mason-Cox in , Jones offered his teaching services on a temporary basis and was asked to take charge for the remainder of that year. Prior to this Jones was enjoying retirement on his grazing farm and had been awarded an MBE in 1954 for services to education, as well as briefly taking charge of Hagley Farm School for a year.
By , Jones had been installed as Headmaster and began the process of bringing the staff together as a stable and professional unit. Jones set about establishing Outdoor Education into the teaching program, as well as introducing a Sailing Club, a Mountaineering Club (including a camping trip to Lake St Clair), and reintroducing rugby and soccer.
The School Board asked Jones to remain as Headmaster until at least , however, due to advice from his doctor, Jones had to reluctantly refuse. Grateful for his wise and healing leadership, the School lauded him in the farewell article in the July 1959 edition of the School Magazine:
The Hutchins School desires to record that Mr. Jones gave us leadership in a time of great stress and that because of his energy, enthusiasm, patience and personality he achieved a great deal in a very short time.
Jones died in Launceston on , at the age of 87.
