The historical archaeology of the post-European period in the Pilbara, Western Australia. This project aims to investigate the archaeology of the Pilbara, Western Australia, immediately preceding and following European settlement (1860s). The project develops a regional framework within a fieldwork program of site survey and recording, analysis of documentary sources and oral testimony. Central themes of the investigation are identifying different populations (ie: Malay, Japanese, European) and ....The historical archaeology of the post-European period in the Pilbara, Western Australia. This project aims to investigate the archaeology of the Pilbara, Western Australia, immediately preceding and following European settlement (1860s). The project develops a regional framework within a fieldwork program of site survey and recording, analysis of documentary sources and oral testimony. Central themes of the investigation are identifying different populations (ie: Malay, Japanese, European) and Aboriginal adaptations to changes in environment, economics, population and work resulting from a range of European activities. Specific themes of investigation include the pastoral industry, mining and maritime industries. This research contributes to the archaeology of cultural contact, Aboriginal history and interpretations of historic-period archaeological resources.Read moreRead less
Colonial encounters: Archaeology at Ebenezer Mission, north-western Victoria. From the 1860s, most Aboriginal people in south-eastern Australia were confined to reserves such as Ebenezer Mission, and despite official accounts which argue for the success of the 'civilising' enterprise, archaeological evidence promises to provide a new Indigenous perspective. Investigation of this key site, in collaboration with Aboriginal descendants, will reveal 1. How everyday life on the mission was experience ....Colonial encounters: Archaeology at Ebenezer Mission, north-western Victoria. From the 1860s, most Aboriginal people in south-eastern Australia were confined to reserves such as Ebenezer Mission, and despite official accounts which argue for the success of the 'civilising' enterprise, archaeological evidence promises to provide a new Indigenous perspective. Investigation of this key site, in collaboration with Aboriginal descendants, will reveal 1. How everyday life on the mission was experienced by different social groups: Aboriginal girls, boys, families and 'fringe' dwellers, and Moravian missionaries, 2. The role of gender organisation within the colonial process, and 3. How Aboriginal cultural identity was shaped by missionisation. A range of general and scholarly histories will be produced.Read moreRead less
Seascapes, Sea People, and Indigenous Knowledge: Maritime heritage at the land/sea interface. This project will educate the broader Australian community of the complexities of Indigenous maritime heritage, by producing a clear understanding of the ways Indigenous people define and maintain seascapes. This research involves working with the Yanyuwa Aboriginal community to record knowledge of the sea, examining 'new', 'old', gendered, and generational knowledge associated with sea territories. By ....Seascapes, Sea People, and Indigenous Knowledge: Maritime heritage at the land/sea interface. This project will educate the broader Australian community of the complexities of Indigenous maritime heritage, by producing a clear understanding of the ways Indigenous people define and maintain seascapes. This research involves working with the Yanyuwa Aboriginal community to record knowledge of the sea, examining 'new', 'old', gendered, and generational knowledge associated with sea territories. By widely disseminating the results, we will reveal important details of the complexities of sustaining the biodiversity and cultural makeup of Australian seascapes. Furthermore, this Project will provide vital knowledge for the management of coastal regions in an era of predicated sea level rise.Read moreRead less
Aboriginal landscape transformations in south-west Australia. This project will inform present day land management strategies by assessing the extent to which the landscape at the time of European colonisation was an artefact of management practices of Indigenous people, . The strong Indigenous input, including the detailed recording and analysis of local knowledge together with evidence from archaeological, palaeoenvironmental and historical sources, will reinvigorate Aboriginal connections to ....Aboriginal landscape transformations in south-west Australia. This project will inform present day land management strategies by assessing the extent to which the landscape at the time of European colonisation was an artefact of management practices of Indigenous people, . The strong Indigenous input, including the detailed recording and analysis of local knowledge together with evidence from archaeological, palaeoenvironmental and historical sources, will reinvigorate Aboriginal connections to land and provide appropriate training for young Indigenous people. The results will also assist in achieving sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity. The importance of human impacts relative to environmental change caused by other factors will improve our national capacity to respond to climate change. Read moreRead less
The Kaurareg Archaeological Project, south-Western Torres Strait, Australia. This project will be used to foster a greater awareness of the history of Aboriginal occupation in the Torres Strait islands, as well as furthering our understanding of past and present relationships between groups in Torres Strait, Cape York and Papua New Guinea. The research seeks to understand the southern-most limits of early Papuan influences into the Torres Strait islands and investigate the notion of a distincti ....The Kaurareg Archaeological Project, south-Western Torres Strait, Australia. This project will be used to foster a greater awareness of the history of Aboriginal occupation in the Torres Strait islands, as well as furthering our understanding of past and present relationships between groups in Torres Strait, Cape York and Papua New Guinea. The research seeks to understand the southern-most limits of early Papuan influences into the Torres Strait islands and investigate the notion of a distinctive Aboriginal signature in the archaeological record from the Kaurareg Archipelago (south-Western Torres Strait islands). This project will also record contemporary perspectives from the traditional owners of the Kaurareg Archipelago (the Kaurareg Aboriginal community) to better understand interregional relationships today. Read moreRead less