Dr Frances Thiele

Heritage Advisor

Frances holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with first class honours majoring in History from La Trobe University and a PhD in British History from the University of Adelaide. While completing her doctorate she spent time in the UK as a visiting research scholar at the University of Cambridge and received the E W Benham prize for her completed thesis.

She worked for many years as the Field Historian at the State Library of Victoria and has extensive experience in the significance assessment of moveable cultural heritage as well as sites. As Field Historian, she initiated and developed multiple public history and heritage projects working with both government and independent organizations. She undertook several major collaborations with the Koorie Heritage Trust Inc including the creation of Mission Voices, an online project documenting Aboriginal experiences on Missions and Reserves in Victoria. She was also the State Library of Victoria’s representative on the Victorian Koorie Records Taskforce (Public Records Office Victoria), State Government History Reference Group (Department of Premier and Cabinet) and the National Trust Landscape Committee (National Trust of Australia).

Frances has been a voluntary member of several heritage committees for local government and was the inaugural recipient of the Latrobe Society Fellowship, for which she completed a monograph on Superintendent La Trobe and the management of the Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate. She has been an honorary research associate at La Trobe University and an honorary research fellow at the University of Ballarat.

She has contributed to many cultural heritage assessments while working as an historian with ACHM and is a specialist in nineteenth century colonial history. She is a full professional member of the Professional Historians Association (Vic & Tas).

Frances is a fully qualified ‘heritage advisor’ meeting all the requirements of the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.