we are
bold + brave
DISCOVERING THE POWER OF FEMALE COMMUNITY by Sher Mitchell Archaeologist and Company Director, Advance Archaeology Pty Ltd & NAWIC Member
I’m an Archaeologist and the Company Director at Advance Archaeology Pty Ltd, which I established in 2017. My consultancy, based in Queensland, specialises in working with Aboriginal and historical cultural heritage. We also offer a variety of drone services. As a female-led consultancy, I employ a staff of three people, with a multidisciplinary and diverse skill set. We’re engaged when development requires ground disturbance, at which point we assess the potential risks and impact to cultural heritage. Guided by various legislative requirements, both State and Commonwealth, we attribute risk allocations and ongoing advice which is provided to the proponent to assist in guiding the design, development and construction methodology of a project. My consultancy services a variety of different proponents with different interests including Local and State Government agencies, Native Title Groups, Registered Aboriginal Parties, Developers and various private industries. Archaeology in Australia has a large female contingent but female-owned and operated consultancies are uncommon. I am however, fortunate to have several women who have inspired me to build a business in an industry that is highly charged, both emotionally and politically. Being a female business owner in a largely male-dominated industry gives me the opportunity to build strong relationships with the women I work with. It also allows me to contribute to the equality of women in construction. 60
Archaeology in Australia differs from the rest of the world in that we are working with a living, thriving and evolving cultural landscape where communication and collaboration to mitigate risks is crucial to the success of a project. Where many countries excavate to further our knowledge and contribute to the archaeological record, we aim to avoid disturbance of cultural heritage first and foremost, then look to alternative strategies where avoidance is not possible. In an advisory capacity, I feel I have a great responsibility to ensure projects are compliant and
THE NAWIC JOURNAL
