Michelle Hobbs and Stephanie Beaupark win major Indigenous science award

Michelle Hobbs and Stephanie Beaupark have won the 2023 Australian Academy of Science Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Scientist Award, recognised for their research as emerging scientists. 

Beaupark, a descendant of the Ngugi people of Quandamooka Country, is an associate lecturer and PhD student at the University of Wollongong. 

She studies the colour chemistry of natural dyes from Australian native trees such as Eucalyptus cinerea, and uses an Indigenist methodology involving yarning with other Indigenous natural dye artists and weavers. She will use the award to further her research.

“I’m looking specifically at the eucalyptus dye used to make artworks and how the colourant compounds interact with the dye mixture to fix onto silk fabric and wool,” she said.

“The aim of this project is to define how creative practice can build connections between chemistry and Indigenist ways of being and gaining knowledge.

“I hope the better integration of these knowledge systems will also allow us to better take care of Australia and create a sustainable future for textiles colourants and alternatives to mainstream artmaking materials.”

Hobbs, a Bidjara descendent, is an associate lecturer and PhD student at Griffith University. Her research focuses on the cultural significance of to Indigenous peoples of freshwater mussels, looking to provide new insights into the management of Australian freshwater ecosystems.

“Extinctions or population declines of mussels are likely to disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples who use them, yet relatively little has been published about mussels from Indigenous perspectives or regarding the cultural values of mussels,” Hobbs said.

“Current risk assessment methods and natural resource management tend to limit Indigenous involvement to cultural heritage objects or artefacts, while cultural values or uses of biota or landscapes are not explicitly addressed, despite their clear importance to Indigenous peoples.

“I hope this project will fill in some of the knowledge gaps in this area, within the broader context of my PhD research.”

Hobbs is due to travel to Canada this year to meet with other First Nations researchers.

The award aims to support the research of emerging Indigenous scientists and the growth of research networks and international knowledge exchange through visits to international centres of research. The award includes up to $20,000 and additional support to attend the Academy’s annual Science at the Shine Dome event.

This year the Australian Academy of Science is hosting a six-part public speaker series on the recognition of Indigenous knowledge in science. The series is being hosted by Senior Australian of the Year, Professor Tom Calma.