Tim is an archaeologist and heritage consultant with ten years of experience in cultural heritage management and academic research. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Hawai’i, USA (2013) and a Masters of Maritime Archaeology from Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia (2020). He received the Mark Staniforth Maritime Archaeology Award for highest overall marks in a year and co-authored a publication in Historical Archaeology (2023) stemming from his thesis research.

His work includes five years of full-time work within the United States (Hawai’i and California) Commercial Sector providing archaeological and consultation services for both indigenous and historic sites under multiple legislations. Since returning to Australia in 2022 he has been working on Aboriginal and historic sites across NSW, QLD, SA, WA, and VIC with a focus on heritage consultation for the Minerals Sector.

Tim has extensive experience supervising and participating in a range of archaeological fieldwork projects including surveys, test and open area excavations, and salvage operations. His out-of-field experience includes project management, report preparation for submission to state entities, client liaising, and training and mentoring of junior staff.

Tom Repalust holds a Bachelor of Archaeology and a Graduate Diploma of Professional Archaeology from La Trobe University.  

He is currently undertaking a Master of Professional Archaeology at La Trobe University. He is also writing a thesis which focuses on potential differences in use-wear traces on heat-treated and unheated silcrete tools. Tom expects that his thesis will assist use-wear researchers to understand the archaeological significance of silcrete tool use and heat-treatment in north-western Victoria.  

Tom’s primary experience is in Indigenous archaeology, undertaking surveys and excavations alongside Traditional Owners throughout Victoria.  

Tom is a fully qualified ‘Heritage Advisor’ under the Victorian Aboriginal Heritage Act 2006.  

Sara completed her undergraduate degree in arts with a focus on archaeology and languages at the Australian National University, where she also went on to complete a Masters of Archaeological and Evolutionary Sciences in 2022. Throughout the duration of these degrees she participated in on site research projects in Tasmania, the ACT and Victoria. These projects provided her with a strong Indigenous and historical archaeology knowledge base.

Furthermore, she gained valuable archaeological object conservation skills whilst completing an internship at a conservation company.

Sara’s primary experience is in excavation, artefact analysis, zooarchaeology and site recording.

Rochelle is ACHM’s Business Services Director, leading the finance services and administration team.

She has qualifications in Public Relations/Communications (RMIT) and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Monash University.)

Rochelle brings considerable experience to the role with a background in project management, event management, tourism and economic development and marketing. She has worked extensively with communities and committees in developing strategies for regional development and delivering major project outcomes.

She has experience in NGOs working as a senior PR specialist for Australian Red Cross promoting their domestic and international services. She also has years of experience working in government and local government primarily in tourism, events, economic development and customer relations in regional Victoria, NSW and WA.

Renita is our Finance & Administration Co-ordinator and is responsible for payroll, finance and administration of the business and it’s projects, whilst providing direct support to ACHM’s Business Services Director. She brings with her over 30+ years’ of Finance and Administrative expertise from many industries, including Local Government, Not for Profit, Finance, Insurance, Transport & Manufacturing.

Renita has a strong technical proficiency and knowledge of financial and administrative functions and business processes.

Paul completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Ancient World Studies (University of Melbourne) in 2016. Since graduation he has worked as a professional archaeologist for a variety of companies; working on many projects, both historical and Indigenous, conducting surveys, salvages and complex escavations.

Paul is a fully qualified Heritage Advisor and has been employed as an assistant and a supervisor in both archaeological disciplines, whilst specialising in fieldwork responsibilities on small and major infrastructure projects. Paul continues to grow and enhance the relationships he has forged whilst working closely with Indigenous communities, landowners and developers.

Melanie has degrees in Communications and Public Relations (UTS), and Ancient World Studies and Archaeology with high distinction (The University of Melbourne). She is currently studying a Master of Archaeology at La Trobe. For her honours, Melanie wrote her thesis on the depiction and villainisation of women in genesis tales.

Melanie has excavated at the Philistine site of Tel es-Safi/Gath in Israel, 2019 where she was involved in trench fieldwork, data entry, creating top plans, ceramic handling, and mapping the trench area using a GIS.

Melanie has also volunteered in the rural communities of New South Wales and Queensland, where she worked closely with community elders.

Nessa completed a Graduate Diploma in Archaeology at Flinders University in 2014, with a focus on Indigenous and Australian studies. Since completing study, Nessa has worked with a wide range of Traditional Owner groups and stakeholders in urban and remote locations across the country including in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. 

Nessa has six years of professional archaeological experience in Victoria and has participated in a range of projects, undertaking surveys, excavations (mechanical and manual), salvage and report writing.

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

Matt has over 22 years experience, specialising in Victorian Indigenous archaeology and cultural heritage management. He holds a bachelors degree majoring in History and Archaeology, with honours in Archaeology (LaTrobe University 2001).

Matt’s experience includes work at Aboriginal Victoria (now First Peoples – State Relations), where he was a heritage project officer for the Gippsland and Northeast Victoria regions. He was also the senior archaeologist for Parks Victoria’s flood recovery program, which focussed on heritage place identification and protection works following floods across Victoria in 2010-2011, with significant projects in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, Wilsons Promontory National Park and along the Murray River at Mulcra and Walpolla Islands and Barmah National Park. 

Matt also worked for one of Victoria’s busiest Registered Aboriginal Parties; the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation – traditional owners of the Melbourne area – for four years. Matt managed the Corporation’s cultural heritage unit for three years from the beginning of 2020 to the end of 2022, overseeing significant expansion of that unit during the major challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, and was closely involved in heritage assessment, Elder consultation and CHMP evaluation of some of Victoria’s largest development and Infrastructure projects during that time. Matt also played a part in several cultural heritage research projects directed by Wurundjeri Corporation.

In addition, Matt has over 15 years experience as a private heritage consultant, including extensive involvement in and supervision of a wide variety of field survey, testing and salvage programs, Traditional Owner and stakeholder consultation, and preparation of well over 300 archaeological reports or Cultural Heritage Management Plans. A significant proportion of these have been in regional growth areas around Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat.

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

Lilith completed her bachelor’s degree in Archaeology at Macquarie University (2019), majoring in Anthropology. She is currently completing her masters in Maritime Archaeology at Flinders University, focusing on colonial ship construction in South Australia during the 19th century. Her research explored colonial adaption and cultural identity through 19th century ship construction. In addition, Lilith identified, surveyed, and recorded the oldest fishing vessel in South Australia, establishing a dataset for future researchers.

Lilith has strong research and field experience having worked in a variety of locations across South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland. She has participated in a range of maritime and terrestrial projects undertaking surveys, excavation, salvage, artefact analysis, 3D modeling, and site recording. 

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