Professor Heather Burke
Professor
College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Heather is an historical archaeologist with a wide range of research interests, including the construction of class and status through material culture, the archaeology of cross-cultural engagement and the links between cultural heritage, memory and contemporary social identity. She graduated with a PhD from UNE (Armidale) in 1996, and has worked as a researcher and consultant on historical and Indigenous archaeological sites throughout New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Her current research focusses on the 'frontier' and its social and material effects, particularly the archaeology of frontier conflict in Queensland.
For information on latest projects, visit Frontier Conflict and the Qld Native Mounted Police, Archaeology on the Frontier and Rock Art and Cultural Heritage in Cape York Peninsula
Listen to elements of the Native Mounted Police project at the Powerhouse Museum, in The Australian Wars and on ABC Radio National.
Doctor of Philosophy (Archaeology) UNE
Carrick Award for Australian University Teaching, Team Teaching, Award for Teaching Excellence (with C. Smith)
Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching, Flinders University, Team Category (with C. Smith)
White Bequest Award for an Archaeological Publication, Australian Academy of the Humanities.
2020-2023 ARC ASRI Project "Slow" Digitisation, Community Heritage and the Objects of Martindale Hall (SR200200900)
2020-2023 ARC ASRI Project Fugitive Traces: Reconstructing Yulluna Experiences of the Frontier (SR200200157)
2021-2025 ARC Linkage Project Aboriginal Rock Art and Cultural Heritage Management in Cape York Peninsula (LP190100194)
2018-2021 ARC Linkage Project Sugarbag and Shellfish: Indigenous Foodways in Colonial Cape York Peninsula (LP170100050)
2018-2021 ARC Linkage Project White People had the Gun: Interrogating the Riverland’s Colonial Frontier (LP170100479)
2016-2020 ARC Discovery Project The Archaeology of the Queensland Native Mounted Police (DP160100307)
2014 ARC LIEF—Federated Archaeological Information Management Systems Project: Transforming archaeological research through digital technologies
2012–2013 National eResearch Collaboration Tools and Resources (NeCTAR)—Federated Archaeological information Management System
Historical archaeology, historical artefacts, heritage management, research methods, archaeology of modern society, community history, heritage and memory
Historical archaeology is important to the identity of local communities. As a consequence, Flinders Archaeology has been involved in many historical archaeological projects initiated by community request.
2015-2017: Clamor Schurmann and the Barngarla Language School, Port Lincoln.This project was initiated by the Barngarla community, for whom this is an important historical site.
2014-2018: The archaeology of Willow Court, Tasmania. This project was initiated by the Derwent Valley Council, who want to preserve this signficant site and interpret it for future generations.
2014-2015: The archaeology of the Magpie Gully ruin, Sturt Gorge, for the Friends of Sturt Gorge, who wanted to know more about the ruin and interpret it for visitors to the park.
2009-2013: Excavations at the site of Mary Mackillop's school in Penola in conjunction with the Mackillop Interpretive Centre and the Sisters of St Joseph.
2010-2013: Excavations at the site of the Seven Stars Hotel in Malala in conjunction with the Malala Museum and the Mallala and District Historical Committee.
2004-2012: Archaeology of air raid shelters at the Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide. This project was initiated by Repat staff who wanted to find out whether any traces remained of the WWII air raid shelters reputed to lie beneath the hospital grounds.
Editorships and editorial boards
Editorial Board, Contributions to Global Historical Archaeology Book series, Springer (2021–)
Editorial Advisory Board, Queensland Archaeological Research (2017- present)
Associate Editor (Australia and New Zealand), Historical Archaeology (2016 - present)
Editorial Board, Archaeologies, the Journal of the World Archaeological Congress (2015 - present)
Editorial Board, Australasian Journal of Historical Archaeology (2011 - present)
Editorial Advisory Board, Australian Archaeology (2011-2015; 2020-)
Editor, Australian Archaeology (2012–2015)
External committee memberships
2015–present–Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology (ASHA) Best Honours Thesis & Best Postgraduate Thesis Awards Committees
2012-2013–NeCTAR Archaeological Information Management Systems Project Steering Committee
2010-2018–Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) Annual Awards Committee
2009-2012–State Heritage Register Committee, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, South Australia.
2009-2011–Australian World Heritage Reference Group
2007-2008–National Benchmarking Committee, undergraduate Australian archaeology degrees
2003–Chair, Program Committee, Fifth World Archaeological Congress, Washington D.C. This conference attracted over 1200 participants and 990 papers
1990-1991–Secretary, Australian Archaeological Association (AAA)
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
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