Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

We are looking for a PhD candidate to support the research for this newly awarded project with a focus on the Kimberley, Northwest Australia. The candidate will work on a topic related to the perception, negotiation, and understanding of Aboriginal heritage by tourists, Aboriginal Traditional Owners, and other stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Using rock art as a focus, this innovative comparative project examines the processes that create contemporary heritage. The project aims to answer questions such as: What motivates tourists to visit rock art sites in different parts of the world? And what preconceptions do tourists and Traditional Owners have about each other? This project aims to transform our understanding of rock art heritage sites and provide invaluable foundations for future approaches towards heritage management, preservation, and communication. During this project, the creation of rock art heritage will be analysed in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere as the product of global intertwined intellectual processes and ongoing legacies.

Australia’s significant rock art is part of contemporary Aboriginal culture and is of importance to a national and international community with interests in heritage, art, and culture. This heritage is often contested and subject to cross-cultural misunderstandings, threatening the preservation of its tangible and intangible components. The project will undertake a comparative analysis of some of the world’s most significant rock art locations, including several UNESCO World Heritage sites. The project will generate unique new knowledge related to the processes of production, management, and communication of heritage. The project will contribute to a more balanced and reflective treatment of Aboriginal heritage in Australia and will have direct commercial implications for a better understanding of tourist biases and expectations. These aspects are crucially important for Australia’s post-Covid recovery and the development of responsible and sustainable cultural tourism for remote Aboriginal communities.

1. To be eligible for the position, the applicant must meet entry requirements for enrolment in a Doctor of Philosophy-Archaeology. They will have completed, or be nearing completion of, studies at Honours or Masters level in one of the following areas: tourism studies, anthropology, heritage studies, archaeology, or related fields.

2. Willingness to be enrolled as a full-time PhD candidate. This position is not available part-time. 

3. Demonstrated experience in working with First Nations or Australian Aboriginal communities.

4. Demonstrated experience in qualitative and quantitative data management and analysis. 

5. Ability and willingness to conduct remote fieldwork in the Kimberley for several weeks each year. 

6. Ability to commence February - March 2025 with a negotiable start date. 

7. Ability, if necessary, to relocate to Western Australia and work at The University of Western Australia. 

8. Demonstrated skill and experience in written and oral English communication.

To apply, please send a CV, cover letter, academic transcripts and a 1-page research statement about research/expertise in the field and how this aligns with the position. Please email the documents as a single PDF file to Associate Professor Martin Porr.

Associate Professor Martin Porr

Email: martin.porr@uwa.edu.au 

Web: https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/persons/martin-porr