Fiona Hook

Fiona Hook is an Adjunct Lecturer in Archaeology at the School of Social Sciences, The University of Western Australia. With over 33 years of cultural heritage management and community consultation experience across Australia, particularly in Western Australia and parts of Asia, she brings extensive practical knowledge to her academic role. She is a full member of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists and has served as past President of both the Australian Archaeological Association and the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists.

Her educational background includes a PhD in Archaeology from The University of Western Australia (awarded December 2024) focusing on "Early archaeology of the mangrove highway: 50,000 years of Aboriginal marine adaptations from Barrow Island, northwest Australia," and a BA(Hons) in Archaeology from the University of Sydney (awarded April 1993) on "Intrasite Spatial Analysis of hunter gatherer camps."

Dr. Hook's research focuses on deep-time connections between Aboriginal people and dynamic coastal and desert landscapes of northwest Australia. Her work explores long-term marine adaptations on Barrow Island, investigating how Aboriginal populations used marine and coastal resources from as early as 50,000 years ago. She examines shell middens, artefact scatters, and stratified cave deposits to understand human adaptation to changing sea levels and ecological shifts over millennia. This research has significant implications for interpreting submerged landscapes across northern Australia and contributes to underwater cultural heritage studies. She is also engaged in ongoing excavations at Yirra, studying well-preserved cultural deposits that inform about land use patterns, material culture, and environmental interactions in a transitional coastal-desert context.

Her recent publications demonstrate consistent attention to material culture analysis, particularly lithics and shell artifacts, while integrating experimental archaeology methods and community perspectives. The research shows strong focus on Aboriginal marine adaptations, shell tool technology, and Pleistocene occupation patterns, bridging traditional archaeological methods with contemporary concerns about cultural heritage preservation and management.

• Bruce Veitch Award for Excellence in Indigenous Engagement (December 4, 2020)
• Life Member recognition (December 4, 2012)

As Managing Director of Archae-Aus since 1996, Dr. Hook has extensive experience in professional archaeological practice and community consultation. Her leadership roles demonstrate significant contribution to the profession, while her current involvement in the Desert Peoples Project and Yirra excavations involves meaningful collaboration with Aboriginal communities, creating an integrated approach to understanding Australia's deep history while respecting contemporary cultural connections to land and sea.