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:
Publications
2019, 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, Avatar’s Abode 1958-2018 – 60th Anniversary.
2017, The Identity of Jimmy Crow and Annie Crow, Keperra: Ray Kerkhove & Jagera Daran, (August).
2017, Maroochy Gunyah – Images of the Ngudur/Diura (gunyah) of south east Queensland and traditional domestic architecture across Australia, Exhibition (display board texts and images), Maroochydore: Maroochy Sailing Club Hall, (Sunshine Coast Horizons Festival).
2017, Report: King Sandy of Boonah. Keperra: Ray Kerkhove & Jagera Daran (May).
2017, The Pandanus: Historical Occurrence and Aboriginal Uses: Moreton to Wide Bay Districts Coolum: Unity Water, Coolum & North Shore Coast Care, Bunya Bunya Country
2016, ‘Enduring Presence: Aboriginal Landscape and History in Annerley Stephens,’ in Stephen Sheaffe, comp., Stories of Stephens: A History of Annerley and the Surrounding Suburbs Annerley: Annerley Stephens Historical Group & Royal Historical Society of Queensland.
2016, & Neville Buch & Michael Macklin, ‘Untangling Stories of Stephens Place Names’ in Stephen Sheaffe, comp., Stories of Stephens: A History of Annerley and the Surrounding Suburbs Annerley: Annerley Stephens Historical Group & Royal Historical Society of Queensland.
2016, ‘Milieu and context: towards a comprehensive history of religious change on the Sunshine Coast,’ The Australasian Journal of Salvation Army History, Vol.1, Issue 2, pp.111-129.
2016, Historical Context of Toowoomba Bypass from Main Range Escarpment to Helidon – a Report for the Department of Transport and Main Roads and Jagera Daran (Feburary).
2016, Multuggerah and Multuggerah Way, Brisbane: Jagera Daran & Toowoomba Catholic Justice Commission (June).
2016, Traditional Sunshine Coast & SE Queensland Aboriginal Uses of Mangroves/ Mangrove Areas Sippy Downs: USC & Bunya Bunya Country.
2016, Aboriginal Cultural Sites – Lower Maroochy & Mooloolah Rivers: Some Research Findings, Bunya Bunya Corp.
2015, Aboriginal Campsites of Greater Brisbane: An Historical Guide Salisbury: Boolarong.
2015, Aboriginal Cobra (Teredo or Shipworm) Use, Bli Bli: Bunya Bunya Country Corp.
2015, Report: Indigenous Use and Indigenous History of Rosewood Scrub – for Jagera Daran Keperra: Ray Kerkhove & Jagera Daran, (December).
2015, Indigenous Historical Context of Toowoomba Bypass: Lockyer Valley and Helidon with special attention to events surrounding the ‘Battle of One Tree Hill’ Enoggera: Ray Kerkhove/ Jagera Daran.
2015, ‘Aboriginal Boating in Southeast Queensland,’ Boat Gold Coast, May-July Issue, pp.48-49.
2014, ‘A Different Mode of War? Aboriginal Guerrilla Tactics in Defining the Black War of Southern Queensland 1843-1855,’ SSRN/ honesthistory.net.au
2014, ‘Aboriginal resistance war tactics: The Black War of Southern Queensland (Tribal Alliances with Broader Agendas?),’ Cosmopolitan Civil Societies: An Interdisciplinary Journal (University of Technology Sydney) Vol.6: No.4.
2014, (Indigenous & Multi-faith sites), Living Heritage (booklet) Brisbane: Brisbane City Council
2014, ‘Barriers and Bastions: The Fortified Frontier and Black and White Tactics,’ Our Shared History: Resistance and Reconciliation, CQU (Noosa) online.
2013, ‘Aboriginal trade in fish and sea foods in 19th century SE Queensland,’ Queensland Review Vol.20: Issue 2.
2013, ‘Gubbi Gubbi Gun’doo Yang’ga’man (constructing Gubbi Gubbi canoes): biomimicry in Indigenous art and craft,’ Balance Unbalance Conference, University of Central Queensland.
2013, ‘Unstructured networking in a charisma-based new religious movement: the ‘Baba lovers’, in Carol M Cusack & Danielle Kirby, Sects, Cults and New Religions: Critical Concepts in Sociology, London: Taylor & Francis Pty (Routledge).
2012, The Great Bunya Gathering: Early Sources, Maleny: Pemako.
2012, & Neil McGarvie, P S Lavarack, Noel Williams and Sue Simon, Stories of Old Buderim, Buderim: Buderim Chronicle.
2012, ‘Buderim’s Indigenous History,’ Buderim Celebrates 150 Years, Maroochydore: Sunshine Coast Daily, pp.30-31.
2011, ‘A Deeper Heritage’ Trust News Australia (National Trust), Vo.4:7, pp 22-23.
2009, & Alex Bond, The Statesman, the Warrior and the Songman, Brisbane: Brisbane City Council.
2008, ‘Aboriginal Nambour,’ in Audienne Blythe & Barbara Want, Nambour: A Pictorial History, Nambour: Nambour & District Historical Association.
2008, Bringing Kitchener Home: The Centenary of Nebo’s Stolen Generation Nambour: ICP Australia Inc.
Awards
2011 Governor’s Award (Gold), National Trust of Queensland Award for ICP Aust Inc, for promoting local heritage (Wangkumarra Stories)
2009 Finalist – Reconciliation Qld Awards (community organisation division), for developing ICP Aust Inc
2009 Helen Taylor Award for Local History (Brisbane City Council), with Indigenous researcher Alex Bon.
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