My archaeology journey started in 2020, covid lock-down, looking to explore something I was passionate about: archaeology, history and my love for the sea. I grew up in Adelaide always spending time across our beautiful coastline and was surprised to find out that Flinders University had a maritime archaeology program. I signed up straight away. At this point I had no idea what submerged landscape archaeology was, but I read the DHSC 2020 article in PLOS ONE for a class and was instantly hooked. I met with Professor Jonathan Benjamin straight away and asked, “What do I need to do, to be able to work in this field?” He told me, and I got to work.
Fast forward to 2023, I joined the DHSC project team for my MA thesis project which focused on contextualising the onshore and offshore environment of Withnell Bay, Murujuga (supervised by Dr John McCarthy). I spent my time surveying the northern intertidal landscape looking for cultural sites, the other half was spent diving and developing my skills as a scientific diver. I have returned to Murujuga every year since my masters and have been fortunate to have dived across the archipelago. Throughout my time with the DHSC project, I have been under the mentorship of Professor Jonathan Benjamin, Associate Professor Mick O’Leary, Hiro Yoshida (our incredible Tech Officer and Dive Instructor) and Dr Chelsea Wiseman who have all helped me build my skills across various disciplines, whether it is submerged archaeological sites and preservation, geomorphology and sea-level rise or the technical aspects of scientific diving.
In 2025, I commenced by PhD project that explores a comparative analysis between the well-studied cultural landscape of Murujuga and a previously unrecorded coastal peninsula of Mabaluk in the Northern Territory. The two areas represent contrasting environmental and hydrological landscapes across the tropical North West Shelf of Australia. I aim to understand the nature, use and antiquity of coastal and marine Aboriginal archaeological features and provide regional adaptations to a methodological framework through use of remote sensing and coastal survey.
I have been fortunate enough to spend the last four years diving on incredible sites across Murujuga Sea Country and have built valuable skills for my professional career. Most recently, working closely with Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation Rangers on the published 2026 QSR paper.
