Dr Lynley Wallis

Senior Lecturer in Archaeology

Bachelor of Science (First Class Honours) UWA
Doctor of Philosophy (Archaeology and Prehistory) ANU

Room: 278 Humanities
Phone: (08) 8201 3520
Fax: (08) 8201 2784

Email: lynley.wallis@flinders.edu.au

Research Interests

• Indigenous archaeology
• Cultural heritage management and archaeological consultancy
• Archaeology of north Queensland
• Indigenous-settler conflict
• Phytolith analysis and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction
• Archaeological science
• Geophysical prospecting techniques in Australian archaeology 

Currently Teaching

During the mid-year break of 2008, Lynley taught ARCH8306 Indigenous Archaeology of Australia Field School in northwest Queensland.  She will also be assisting Ian Moffat to teach ARCH8307 Introductory Archaeological Geophysics from 10-17 November 2008. For the remainder of Semester 2 Lynley will be away on Overseas Study Leave.

Currently Supervising

• Chris Wilson, PhD (Archaeology) - Understanding Holocene Occupation and Subsistence in Ngarrindjeri Ruwe, Lower Murray, Southeast South Australia (co-superising with a panel including Steve Hemming and Assoc Prof Claire Smith)
• Michael Morrison, PhD (Archaeology) - Holocene archaeology of Albatross Bay, Cape York Peninsula (co-supervising with Dr Alice Gorman)
• Susanne Montana Jones, BArch (Hons) -  The archaeology of the mission boundary between cultures: Exploring Aboriginal adaption to mission life in 19th century South Australia (co-supervising with Dr Heather Burke)
• Ben Keys, BArch (Hons) - Using sedimentary and geochemical analyses to understand site formation processes at the Gledswood 1 Rockshelter, northwest Queensland (co-supervising with Mr Ian Moffat and Dr Alice Gorman)
• Justin Lewis - MA (ANU) - Detailed analysis of stone artefacts recovered from the Gledswood 1 Rockshelter, northwest Queensland (co-supervising with Assoc Prof Peter Hiscock)
• Peter Ross - Master of Maritime Archaeology - Archaeological investigations of fish traps of the Lower Murray Lakes and Coorong region, South Australia (co-supervising with Ms Jennifer McKinnon)

Current Research Projects

• Establishing a chronology for Aboriginal occupation and art along the Norman River, northwest Queensland
• The history and archaeology of the Maesbury Street Cemetery, Kensingto, South Australia 
• Investigating the Woolgar Aboriginal Massacre Site, Northwest Queensland
• Archaeological Investigations on Bora Station, northwest QLD
• Investigations of Aboriginal hearths on the Mitchell Grass Downs, northwest QLD
• Warnung (Hack's Point) Old People's Places: A collaborative approach to archaeological survey, research and management planning
• The archaeological investigation of Long Point, Coorong
• Archaeological investigations at the Pleistocene aged Gledswood 1 rockshelter, northwest Queensland 
• QUAVIDA

Overview

Dr Lynley Wallis specialises in Indigenous archaeology and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction through the application of phytolith analysis. She holds a PhD from the Australian National University (Canberra) and a BSc(Hons) from the University of Western Australia (Perth). Her PhD thesis is entitled Phytoliths, Late Quaternary Environment and Archaeology in Tropical Semi-arid Northwest Australia and represents a significant contribution to our understanding of past human-environment interactions, providing the first detailed, terrestrial palaeoenvironmental record covering the late Quaternary period for northwestern Australia. In research to date she has also been responsible for the establishment of the first phytolith reference collection for a representative component of the northern Australian flora, which serves as a baseline for all future phytolith projects in this region. Before commencing as a lecturer at Flinders University in 2005, Lynley worked as a Senior Research Officer with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (Canberra), as a consultant in north Queensland , as a Cultural Heritage Officer with the Heritage Unit, Environment ACT (Canberra) and as a lecturer at James Cook University (Townsville).

As an undergraduate Lynley participated in a variety of fieldwork projects including historical investigations of a nineteenth century whaling station at Cheyne’s Beach (southwest WA) and an early farm mill site in South Perth (WA). She also participated in a number of projects investigating the Aboriginal archaeology of the Montebello Islands (northwest WA), WA goldfields, Western Desert and Kimberley region.

Since 2000 her interests have shifted to the northeastern part of the continent, working with Aboriginal communities in inland northwest Queensland on a range of research and cultural heritage projects. Most recently she has commenced a research project looking at relationships between Aboriginal people and early settlers during the mid- to late nineteenth century in the vicinity of the Woolgar, Norman and Flinders Rivers; this project is being undertaken collaboratively with members of the Woolgar Valley Aboriginal Corporation.

Most recently, Lynley has been developing research partnerships with the Ngarrindjeri Heritage Committee in the region south of Adelaide.  She is also working collaboratively with Ian Moffat (ANU) and Denise Schumann (Norwood/Payneham/St Peters CounciL) investigating the archaeology and history of the Maesbury Street Cemetery in Kensington.

Select Publication List

Moffat, I. , L.A. Wallis, A. Beale and D. Kynuna.  2008.  Trialing geophysical techniques in the identification of open Indigenous sites in Australia : A case study from inland northwest Queensland .  Australian Archaeology 66:60-63.

Wiltshire, K.D. and L.A. Wallis. 2008.  A history of Aboriginal heritage protection legislation in South Australia .  Journal of Environment Planning and Law 25(2):98-114.

Veth, P., K. Aplin, L.A. Wallis , T. Manne, T. Pulsford, E. White and A. Chappell. 2007. The Archaeology of Montebello Islands, North-West Australia: Late Quaternary foragers on an arid coastline. BAR International Series 1668.

Hemming, S., D. Rigney, L.A. Wallis, T. Trevorrow, M. Rigney and G. Trevorrow. 2007. Caring for Ngarrindjeri Country: Collaborative research, community development and social justice. Indigenous Law Bulletin 6(27):6-8. (PDF)

Domett, K.M., L.A. Wallis, D. Kynuna, A. Kynuna and H. Smith. 2006. Late Holocene human remains from northwest Queensland, Australia: Archaeology and palaeopathology. Archaeology in Oceania 41:25-36. (PDF)

Taylor, L., G.K. Ward, G. Henderson, R. Davis and L.A. Wallis (eds). 2005. The Power of Knowledge, The Resonance of Tradition. Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra.

Hiscock, P. and L.A. Wallis. 2005. Pleistocene settlement of deserts from an Australian perspective. In P. Veth, M. Smith and P. Hiscock (eds) Desert Peoples: Archaeological perspectives. Blackwell Publishers, pp. 34-57. (PDF)

Smith, M., P. Veth, P. Hiscock and L.A. Wallis. 2005. Introduction: Global deserts in perspective. In P. Veth, M. Smith and P. Hiscock (eds) Desert Peoples: Archaeological perspectives. Blackwell Publishers, pp.1-13.

Wallis, L.A., D. Smith and H. Smith. 2004. Recent archaeological surveys on Middle Park Station, northwest Queensland. Australian Archaeology 59:43-50. (PDF)

Wallis, L.A., H. Smith and D. Smith. 2004. Investigations of Aboriginal hearth sites along the Flinders River, inland northwest Queensland. The Artefact 27:59-76. (PDF)

Wallis, L.A. 2003. An overview of phytolith production patterns in selected northwest Australian flora. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 125:210-48. (PDF)

Wallis, L.A. 2003. Phytoliths and other microfossils in tufa formations as a novel source of palaeoenvironmental data. In D.M. Hart and L.A. Wallis (eds) Proceedings of the State-of-the-Art in Phytolith and Starch Research in the Australian, Pacific and South East Asian Regions . pp.31-42. Pandanus Press: The Australian National University.

Wallis, L.A. and D.M. Hart. 2003. The history of phytolith researchers in Australia. In D.M. Hart and L.A. Wallis (eds) Proceedings of the State-of-the-Art in Phytolith and Starch Research in the Australian, Pacific and South East Asian Regions . pp.1-17. Pandanus Press: The Australian National University.

Clarkson, C. and L.A. Wallis. 2003. The search for El Nino/Southern Oscillation in archaeological sites: Recent results from Jugali-Ya rockshelter, Wardaman Country. In D.M. Hart and L.A. Wallis (eds) Proceedings of the State-of-the-Art in Phytolith and Starch Research in the Australian, Pacific and South East Asian Regions . pp.137-52. Pandanus Press: The Australian National University.

Hart, D.M. and L.A. Wallis (eds) 2003. Proceedings of the State-of-the-Art in Phytolith and Starch Research in the Australian, Pacific and South East Asian Regions . Pandanus Press: The Australian National University.

Wallis, L.A. 2002. AMS dates and palaeoenvironmental data from mud wasp and bird nests at Carpenter's Gap 1, northern Australia. Australian Archaeology 55:35-9. (PDF)

Wallis, L.A. 2001. Environmental history of northwest Australia based on phytolith analysis at Carpenter's Gap 1. Quaternary International 83-85:103-17. (PDF)

Bowdery, D.B., D. Hart, C. Lentfer and L.A. Wallis. 2001. A universal phytolith key. In J.D. Meunier and F. Colin (eds) Phytoliths: Applications in Earth Science and Human History. pp. 267-78. Rotterdam: A.A. Balkema Publishers.

Veth, P., S. O'Connor and L.A. Wallis. 2000. Perspectives on ecological approaches in Australian archaeology. Australian Archaeology 50:54-66. (PDF)