Sandra Bowdler

Career

Bowdler was appointed Professor of Archaeology at the University of Western Australia in 1983, where her research covered Australian Indigenous archaeology, and in particular Shark Bay, Tasmania and coastal New South Wales, known as part of New England, as well as the pre-neolithic archaeology of East and Southeast Asia.

She was at various times a tutor of prehistory at the University of Papua New Guinea, a research scholar with the Department of Prehistory Research, School of Pacific Studies at the Australian National University, lecturer in archaeology at the University of New England, Aboriginal sites consultant for the Forestry Commission of New South Wales and in private practice in Sydney, and professor of archaeology at the University of Western Australia.

In 2007 she instigated the Festival Baroque Australia, a Western Australian Baroque music festival, curating festivals and concerts in Perth.

From 2008, Bowdler was an emeritus professor and senior honorary research fellow of archaeology, and an honorary senior research fellow in the School of Music, at UWA.

Throughout her career Bowdler has held several positions on committees and boards including the president of the Australian Archaeology Association (1980-1981), member on the ICOMOS Executive Committee for Australasia (1982 - 1984), member of the Aboriginal Cultural Materials Committee (1983-1992), member of the management group of the International Committee of Archaeological Heritage Management (1984-1989), on the Board of Trustees of the Western Australian Museum (1984-1989), and on the National Cultural Heritage Committee (1988-1992).