CABAH Annual Symposium 2019

The UTAS node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) flew to Melbourne last week to join around 100 others at the third Annual CABAH Symposium, hosted by Monash University. The event was a great opportunity to inform the wider CABAH community on the work of relevant members of the DEEP group and organise inter-node exchanges planned for 2020!

Hands on short-course run by Holly Jones-Amin and Matthew McDowell – “Tips and techniques for conservation of artefacts during field work”

Taking place over five days, the Symposium included opening addresses, presentation sessions, short courses, 3-minute ‘Pico’ talks and CABAH annual reports and flagships, all driven by the exceptional members of CABAH!

DEEP post-doctoral fellow, Matthew McDowell, presenting his poster at the Symposium

Research training and development opportunities included ‘Getting into print – strategies for writing and publishing’ (Sean Ulm, JCU), ‘Professional and academic presentation skills’ (Felix Nobis, Centre for Theatre and Performance, Monash Uni), ‘From the field to the written report: how to write up the results of an archaeological excavation’ (Bruno David), Tips and techniques for conservation of artefacts during field work’ (Holly Jones-Amin & DEEP groups Matthew McDowell), and an interactive workshop on ‘Bystander training and unconscious bias’.

The circular venue offered 360° views!

Opening addresses were heard from the Boon Wurrung Foundation with an Acknowledgement of Country, Adi Paterson, the CEO of Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), and the Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corp (GLaWAC), who discussed processes and results from the CABAH partnership research in a GLaWAC country.

An exceptional dinner was held at the Windsor Hotel in Melbourne, with the hilarious Steph Tisdell providing entertainment for all. DEEP members brought home some prizes, with Matthew Fileding awarded best Pico talk by a PhD candidate and Matthew McDowell the runner-up award for best poster by an early career researcher (ECR). Well done to both Matt and Matt!

CABAH 2019 award winners. DEEP members Matthew Fielding (far right) and Matthew McDowell (3rd from right)

A big thank you from the DEEP group goes out to the Symposium organising team, especially to Lynette Russell, Vanessa Fleming-Baillie and Madeleine Kelly for their hard work.