What inspired you to pursue a career in heritage, and how has that passion shaped your journey at Biosis?

I have always had a deep interest and appreciation for history and heritage. I came to study archaeology after completing a music degree. Music, like history, tells stories and can connect people across time. I was fortunate enough to be able to volunteer as an undergraduate during my archaeology degree which opened my eyes to the different disciplines of archaeology. Some of these included Aboriginal and historical surveys in Weipa, far north-west QLD; historical excavations in Kapunda, SA and Greenough, WA; and my masters research took me to northern Mongolia where I supervised geophysical surveys.

During my time at Biosis I have been open to every fieldwork opportunity I could possibly attend to learn and experience as much as I can. My passion has enabled me to travel all across NSW and even to VIC and SA, which I am very thankful for. The people that you meet and work with in this industry make it so rewarding.

As the new Team Leader, what excites you the most about leading the Heritage team in NSW?

I am so grateful to be joining Maggie as a Team Leader in the Heritage team and being able to provide support to Sam as well as the rest of the team. I would say that I am most excited about seeing each consultant grow and be the best consultant they can be. Being a Team Leader I want to support our team as much as I can and provide advice from my own experiences as being a heritage consultant.

I love that our team is so collaborative, and everyone looks out for each other and is always willing to help out. Each consultant in the Heritage team has a passion that they are always willing to share with others and our team seeks out new ways to approach our work with clients and other stakeholders. I am excited to be apart of the growing team and hopefully be a driving force for future growth.

As you look ahead, how do you see the Heritage team evolving to meet the changing needs of our clients and the industry?

The Heritage team is always on the look out for new ways that we can support our clients in line with best practice in our industry. Our Heritage team is encouraged to bring forward new ideas and ways of undertaking our work. Technology is such a key aspect of our work and is vital in our day-to-day operations. Embracing new technologies and evolving to meet the changing needs of our clients and the industry is essential. One such evolution that the Heritage team and technical assistants have been involved in was the development of a wet sieving water reticulation system. The Heritage team was working on a site that had environmental constraints where no water could be discharged on site.

This system recycled the water in a contained way, which was a major cost and time saving solution for our client. This also avoided wasting water on site which our impact is something we always consider. Our team embraces the need to change and be adaptive where we can be.

What do you think sets Biosis apart in the heritage space?

Our consultants set us apart in the heritage space. Each consultant has unique abilities and passion for heritage which sees our team work together to produce the best outcome for the projects we work on. Our consultants are also supported by our wider teams including GIS, ecology, planning and project management and technical assistants. Working with these wider teams provides our consultants with advice and high-quality outputs as well as support. We also have a Heritage team that is agile and able to jump across projects as needed. There is always someone on the team that is able to help out with a last-minute request or for assistance on a project. Our Heritage team also have a strong commitment to working with Aboriginal communities across our projects and ensure that all work is conducted with integrity and respect for cultural significance.

During your time at Biosis what is your biggest achievement or a project you worked on that you are most proud of?

I am proud that I started Biosis as graduate (over six years ago!) and have worked my way up to being one of the Team Leaders for the Heritage team. I have learnt so much from my incredible colleagues (present and past) and wouldn’t be here without their support and willingness to teach and show me things. I am proud to be a part of our Heritage team that is supportive and friendly. As a team we often spend a lot of time together whether that be travelling to a site or being away from home undertaking remote fieldwork. So, we definitely get to know each other! Our team works together so well, and I am proud of the relationships we establish as a team.

I would also have to say that a big achievement was working on the Mamre South Precinct project which included test excavations, salvage excavations, artefact analysis, reporting and an artefact reburial. This project commenced when I was a graduate and it has only recently wrapped up. Seeing this project from start to finish as a graduate to a Team Leader has been extremely rewarding and such an informative part of my career. Being a part of all aspects of the project has been very insightful and one that I have learnt a lot from. Working with the team out on site was definitely one of the most memorable fieldwork memories I have.

If you could work on any historic site in the world, where would it be and why?

This is always a hard question to answer! It would be Ħaġar Qim in Malta – I visited this site when I was child with my family and was fortunate enough to visit again this year. It’s a fascinating temple site that is over 5,000 year old and thinking about the people who lived there always makes me think about what life was like. What did they do day to day, what conversations did they have, and what did they think about the world they lived in? Learning more about my wider culture is always a passion of mine. Plus working with a view of water is always nice!