Jane Austen
Current position
Principal Heritage Consultant
Where did you study?
University of Queensland and University of New England.
How did you become interested in archaeology?
I started off doing Anthropology in University and that progressed into more of an interest in Archaeology.
What archaeological projects are you working on at the moment?
I'm currently working on renewable projects and a range of historical heritage projects.
Tell us about one of your most interesting archaeological discoveries
Beyond interesting discoveries, for me archaeology is most rewarding when you are working and sharing knowledge and experiences with others, particularly university students, school children and community heritage organisation. I have been lucky to be able to be heavily involved in community engagement and advocacy throughout my career and one of the best examples of this was working on a sugar plantation site, uncovering the remnants of the mill, with a bunch of fun, interested and engaged uni students.
Tell us about a funny / disastrous / amazing experience that you have had while doing archaeology
Holding a public archaeological dig and arranging for a large number of primary school aged children to experience hands-on archaeology by participating in a round robin of digging, sieving and recording tasks. I think the expression is 'like herding cats', but what a crazy, funny, rewarding experience it was.
What’s your favourite part of being an archaeologist?
The opportunity to work on a variety of projects with people who are interesting, intelligent and care about what they do.
Follow up reading