Wi3W - Ep. 21 - Dr. Ray Kerkhove, Australian historian, author and philosopher speaks with Greg Dodge

Dr Ray Kerkhove is a professional historian and ethno-historian (accredited through PHAQ), specializing in 19th Century Aboriginal history and culture. He works with several Australian universities, and many heritage and art organisations, Councils and Aboriginal groups. Ray’s key interest is reconstructing historic Aboriginal landscapes, lifestyles and technologies. His work in this area has informed thematic Indigenous histories for Councils, Master Plans for towns, public art, exhibitions, public signage and cultural revitalisation projects, mostly across southern Queensland. Between 2007 and 2011, Ray was Project Manager and co-founder of Interactive Community Planning Australia Inc (ICP Aust Inc) – a non-for-profit organisation that developed Indigenous cultural and historical initiatives across Queensland and national events (e.g. Bringing Kitchener Home, Bunya Dreaming), monuments, language revival, books (e.g. Bury Me at Tartulla Hill), educational DVDs and art exhibitions (e.g. Heart of Earth, Quilpie). Working closely with Aboriginal communities, ICP completed over 30 projects including regional events, book publishing, youth events, exhibitions, film documentaries, oral histories, cultural and language revival projects. As visiting Fellow at Griffith University (2017-2018), he designed the first website on SE Queensland Aboriginal resistance. Since 2013, Ray has provided key research towards education kits (Sunshine Coast DETE and Toowoomba high schools); cultural revitalisation projects (Maroochy Gunyah; Women’s Hands basketry; Julara fishnet reconstruction; the nationally touring Gubbi Gubbi canoe); Master Plans (e.g. Nambour, South Bank Community Space), historic signage (e.g. Beerburrum walking trail, One Tree Hill – Duggan Park; Redcliffe Museum; Judy Watson’s ‘Women’s Walk’ – Kingsford Smith Drive artworks), maps (Museum of Brisbane’s interactive Indigenous map of Brisbane CBD) and development projects including Toowoomba Bypass, Queen’s Wharf, Sunshine Coast Plaza, Sunshine Coast Airport and Victoria Park. He regularly contributes research towards the nation-wide digital mapping projects conducted by the Indigenous-owned ‘Virtual Songlines’. Publications and Experience:Publications2019, The Battle of One Tree Hill: the Aboriginal resistance that stunned Queensland, Tingalpa: Boolarong Press.2019, & Catherine Keys, ‘Lighthouse Communities and Indigenous-settler cultural entanglements: the early history of southern Queensland’s lighthouses and pilot stations,’ Royal Historical Society of Queensland Journal, Vol.24, No.2, pp. 213-229.2019, Indigenous Historical Context of Sunshine Coast Airport Extension: A Report for Kabi Kabi Corp (May).2019, ‘Reconstructing the Battle of Narawai’, Queensland Review, Vol. 26, Issue 1, pp.3-31.2019, & Serena Love & T Robins, Desktop study of aboriginal cultural heritage Dutton park, Brisbane, Queensland, Brisbane: Everick Heritage Pty Ltd (April).2018, ‘Aboriginal camps as urban foundations? The evidence from southern Queensland,’ Aboriginal History Vol. 42, pp.144-172.2018, ‘Brisbane’s Forgotten Standoff,’ in Meilssa Fagan, Caitlin Morgan & Matthew Wengert, eds., Within/ Without these Walls, Brisbane: andalsobooks publishers, pp. 98-103.2018, & Simon Gall, The Kabi Kabi People since the 1790s: a draft Thematic History Pialba: Sunshine Coast Regional Council & Converge.2018, Kabi Kabi sites and history of the legendary Mount Coolum (Sunshine Coast, Queensland)– for National Reconciliation Week, Coolum: Bunya Bunya Country Corp/ Coolum North Shore Coast Care.2018 ‘Heinrich Keil and the Origins of Kiels Mountain and Diddillibah, Queensland, Australia’, The Australasian Journal of Salvation Army History, Vol.3, Issue 1.2018, ‘Indigenous Historical Context of Bulimba Barracks and Surrounds,’ in Bulimba Barracks, Brisbane Heritage Assessment – Report prepared by Currie & Brown (Australia), Sydney: GML Heritage.2018, & Charmaine Foley,