Sean Winter

Sean Winter is an Adjunct Lecturer in Archaeology at The University of Western Australia's School of Social Sciences and serves as Cultural and Statutory Fire Coordinator for Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar Aboriginal Corporation, managing heritage and fire programs across 100,000+ hectares of Noongar land in Albany, Western Australia.

Education:

• BA, University of Western Australia
• PhD, University of Western Australia

His research centers on 19th century Western Australian archaeology with emphasis on Aboriginal incarceration systems, convict sites, and subaltern experiences. Current projects document colonial police stations and gaols used to remove Aboriginal men and boys from their lands, including 2024 excavations at Wadjemup (Rottnest Island) and recording of southwest WA lock-up networks. He maintains 17 years of continuous work at Fremantle Prison and specializes in underfloor deposit analysis in colonial structures.

Recent publications (2017-2022) demonstrate consistent focus on material culture of colonialism through case studies of timber operations, prison assemblages, and urban music venues. Key themes include Aboriginal agency, convict labor systems, and industrial archaeology within Western Australia's unique historical context.

Scientific awards: None documented.

Dr. Winter co-supervises two PhD candidates: Meg Drummond-Wilson (Fremantle Prison underfloor deposits with Martin Porr and Alistair Paterson) and David Windsor (First Nations cultural burning governance with Alison Lullfitz and Christina Estima Ramalho). He secured two National Trust of Australia grants: Old Farm Strawberry Hill Archaeological Report (2014) and Pilot Underfloor Archaeology Project (2014).

He directs Wagyl Kaip Southern Noongar's cultural fire program, integrating traditional knowledge with statutory fire management across Noongar country while conducting field instruction for UWA's annual archaeology field school.