Changing Perspectives
Jocelyn Davies
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Senior Project Officer on developing indigenous
partnerships, CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and Desert Knowledge CRC,
Books or reading material Jocelyn recommends on her area of research
Baker, Richard, Davies, Jocelyn and Young, Elspeth (eds) 2001. Working on country: contemporary indigenous management of Australia’s lands and coastal regions. Oxford UP. |
Jocelyn has recently relocated to desert Australia. She loves the space, the colours, the plants and the birds and the interactions with people, especially in the bush.
My work has evolved from original education in both Asian Studies (1970s) and in physical geography (1980s) through university, through planning and management of protected areas (1970s-1980s) to social geography involving action research on indigenous community based planning (early 1990s), to research and teaching in the ecology and management of Aboriginal lands (from 1996) to my current work in research management and developing research partnerships with indigenous organisations (from 2003).
I became interested in the field I am working in when I was working as a park ranger in New South Wales in the 1970s and 1980s where I worked with many Aboriginal people including in management of cultural heritage. However when I went to work in a nature reserve in China in 1988 ‘the penny dropped’. I came to see that the situation there – of Chinese science trained managers managing a nature reserve that was indigenous people’s country but where indigenous people had no role in management decisions and where scientists had no access to their vast knowledge and commitment to conservation of key natural resources – was really just like almost every nature reserve in Australia.
Before I worked with Aboriginal people and before I had Aboriginal friends I
used to see the country I walked through as something to look at and enjoy.
Then I changed my view, and began to see the country as healthy when it could
provide abundant food – not that I am very adept at getting that food. I also
changed my view about where it was OK and not OK to be going when I was out
bush – I learnt that everywhere is someone’s country and that I was a stranger
unless I was certain I had permission to be there. This has been a big change
in who and what I feel accountable to for my behaviour
while out bush.
Bushwalking is one of my favourite pastimes as well as walking and playing with my dog, vegie gardening and yoga. Going out bush has allowed me to share experiences with others and appreciate the quiet, amazing places that are part of the desert environment.
We asked Jocelyn about someone who has inspired her in her research and why:
I worked with Hugh Possingham when he recruited me to the University of Adelaide to teach and do research in ecology and management of Aboriginal lands. He inspired me for his innovation and capacity to work with people from other disciplines, combining action for improved policy and conservation outcomes with sound research. I was fortunate to work in a small science department with people of varying specialities and where I was one of three accomplished women on the teaching and research staff. It was the first time I had worked in an environment where I did not feel different because of my gender.
Elspeth Young was my PhD supervisor and mentor as well as a good friend. She died, sadly, in 2002. She had always been a very energetic person and a champion for geography in very many ways, but it was not till after she died and I was helping to sort her papers that I realised the breadth of her work and her personal accomplishments.
