Archaeology has proven to be the perfect career fit for UniSQ graduate Dr Leanne Bateman – enjoying the privilege of uncovering the intimate details of people’s lives from hundreds of years ago.
A UniSQ student for 15 years, Dr Bateman began studying in 2005 and has since achieved a Bachelor of Science majoring in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) majoring in Archaeology and a PhD in Archaeology.
Dr Bateman’s PhD research took her to Cape York Peninsula where she worked with a team to excavate a Native Mounted Police camp with a specific focus on Aboriginal troopers, examining the multiple elements of daily frontier life within the camp.
'The archaeological evidence found that even though an adherence to strict European ‘civilisation’ and military standards was expected, the preservation of various cultural practices was maintained by the Aboriginal troopers by turning non-traditional objects into traditional forms and by continuing to hunt native animals using their own methods,' she said.
'This was the first time that archaeological excavations had been carried out on a Native Mounted Police camp, and it enabled us to compare and contrast the archaeological evidence to the already existing historical record and oral testimony to explore contradictions and complexities.'
Since completing her PhD in 2020, Dr Bateman is now working for the Queensland Museum Network and has recently undertaken a shadow curator role based at Toowoomba’s Cobb & Co Museum.
