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Laureate Professor in Archaeology, The University of Western Australia

I am an archaeologist working in North West Australia from the Ningaloo coast, through the Pilbara and into the Western Desert. I have led and participated in ARC archaeological projects in East Timor, the Aru Islands, the Torres Strait, Kimberley, Pilbara, Barrow Island, the Western Desert, the Canning Stock Route and the Lake Eyre Basin. I have also led projects with archaeologists on maritime cultural heritage and conservation of historic shipwrecks. My Honours research focussed on the archaeology of Murujuga (Dampier Archipelago) while my doctoral work with the Martu focused on Karlamilyi (Rudall River) and sites along the Canning Stock Route. I have worked on National and World Heritage listings, been an expert witness for native title claims, and provided advices on large landscape management plans. I have been a consultant to, and featured in film series, such as 'First Footprints' and 'Tim Winton's Ningaloo/Nyinggulu'. I have been a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities for 20 years and am currently an ARC Laureate Fellow working on significant sites of the great deserts and ranges of the NW. I will be serving as a Chief Investigator and theme leader for the Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Heritage and Futures (2024-2030).

Experience

  • 2012–present
    Professor of Archaeology, The University of Western Australia
  • 2007–2011
    D/Director, A/Professor and Adjunct Chair, The Australian National University

Education

  • 1990 
    The University of Western Australia, PhD (Special Congratlulations)

Research Areas

  • Archaeology (2101)

Honours

James Cook University Award for Excellence in Research (1993); Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities (2005); The Bruce Veitch Award for Excellence in Indigenous Engagement (2011); ARC Discovery Outstanding Researcher Award (2013); Rhys Jones Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Archaeology (2014); The University of Waikato Radiocarbon Dating Prize (2016); The ARC Laureate Fellowship Award (2022)