On 16 November the second round of the National Industry PhD Program named 40 research projects that aim to solve some of the biggest challenges facing Australia. An $8 million funding boost was also announced for the program’s latest round.

Since joining the Museum in 2018, Anna has played a key role in reorienting the Museum’s relationship with its legacy collection of First Nations Ancestors and culturally significant objects, from the introduction of a new Repatriation Policy in 2018 to working with First Nations groups on a program of community-led repatriation and reburial ceremonies, including the world-first Kaurna Wangayarta project at Smithfield Memorial Park. Co-designed with the Kaurna community, this innovative pilot project has returned many Kaurna Ancestors previously in the custodianship of the South Australian Museum to Country across two Kaurna-led reburial ceremonies.

The Museum has also worked with Aboriginal communities from regional and remote areas of South Australia on repatriation and reburial projects that have helped return Ancestors from museum, university and overseas collections to their communities.

Assistant Minister for Education Anthony Chisholm said the program brings Australia’s leading tertiary education institutions together with industry to drive collaboration and commercialise high-level research into innovative solutions.

“The challenges our country faces can only be solved when we work together, the National Industry PhD program is an important part of our government’s efforts to see Australian research translated into real and tangible benefits for our nation,” Assistant Minister Chisholm said.

As part of the program Anna will analyse how the South Australian Museum’s repatriation program can inform models for culturally appropriate consultation, engagement, empowerment, co-design, and elevation of Aboriginal cultural authority. This work will help cultural institutions and other organisations build on these findings to develop more equitable policies and practices around repatriation, that support reconciliation, truth-telling and healing.

Anna Russo said:
“This project is all about learning from a shared history and how that can take us to a place of reconciliation.”

Professor Sandra Orgeig, UniSA Dean of Graduate Studies, said:
“As a university with a long and proud tradition of partnering with the galleries, libraries, archives and museums sector, it’s fantastic to see that the Federal Government has recognised this project as a strategic national priority. As one of the very few non-STEM or health-related projects that has been successful in this round of the National Industry PhD Program, it’s wonderful that UniSA can collaborate with the South Australian Museum on this very important work that will support reconciliation and healing.

“Anna will join UniSA Creative as a highly experienced practitioner-researcher with a deep commitment to ethically appropriate approaches to the preservation of Aboriginal knowledges and cultures. We feel privileged to be able to attract industry researchers like Anna to the University to advance equitable repatriation policies.”

Dr David Gaimster, South Australian Museum Chief Executive, said:
“For institutions like the South Australian Museum, coming to terms with the legacies of past practices is not only a vital part of reconciliation, but an opportunity to confront and overhaul old paradigms, and build relationships, models and processes that are First Nations-led. Anna’s PhD will help turn what we’ve learnt in South Australia into a roadmap for other institutions.”

Read the full media release from Assistant Minister for Education here