Dr Andrew Piper

Lecturer in Australian History and Heritage - Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education; School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Andrew Piper

Phone: +61 2 6773 2764

Email: apiper3@une.edu.au

Biography

Dr Andrew Piper began his career as an archaeologist and spent much of his early working life employed in the cultural heritage industry in a variety of positions, including as an historian, archaeologist, curator and site manager in Africa, Australia, Micronesia and New Zealand. For some six years Dr Piper was Conservation Manager at the Port Arthur Historic Site. Later in life he pursued an interest in history and graduated with a PhD in Australian colonial history. Dr Piper has a research interest in the social and economic repercussions of incarceration and institutionalisation and in particular nineteenth century charitable and pauper asylums. He also has a research interest in the history of the family, particularly in colonial Australia. As well Dr Piper is especially interested in the use of physical fabric as historical primary sources, such as buildings and architecture, monuments and memorials, as well as cemeteries and grave markers. Educationally Dr Piper holds a BA (Hons) 1st class in Anthropology from the University of Otago (NZ), a MA (Hons) in Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology from the University of New England, and a PhD in Australian colonial history from the University of Tasmania. He has held several prestigious awards, including being New Zealand’s 1986 Commonwealth scholar to Australia. Dr Piper has also been active in a number of community and governmental organisations, including the National Trust of Australia, Tasmanian Heritage Council, and UNE’s Heritage Futures Research Centre. He has also drafted policy for the Australian Labor Party, and published widely on a range of heritage and historical topics.

Qualifications

2003 PhD, University of Tasmania; 1992 MA (Hons), University of New England, NSW; 1985 BA (Hons) First Class, University of Otago, New Zealand

Teaching Areas

  • Australian History
  • Local, Family and Applied History
  • Heritage Conservation

Research Interests

  • Cultural heritage management
  • Colonial Australia history, particularly convict history and frontier history
  • The history of institutions of incarceration, particularly charitable institutions
  • Railway cultural heritage

Publications

Piper, A.K.S. 1988, 'Chinese diet and cultural conservatism in nineteenth-century southern New Zealand,' The Australian Journal of Historical Archaeology, 6, pp. 34-42.

Piper, A.K.S. 1990, 'Can taphonomy aid in the analysis of faunal material from historical archaeological sites', in Solomon, S., Davidson, I. and Watson, D. (eds) Problem solving in taphonomy: archaeological and palaeontological studies from Europe, Africa and Oceania, Tempus vol. 2, University of Queensland, pp. 149-57.

Connah, G., Kamuhangire, E. and Piper, A. 1990, 'Salt-making at Kibiro, Uganda', Azania, vol. 25, pp. 27-39.

Piper, A.K.S. 1992, 'Archaeology 1991-1992', Port Arthur Bulletin, The Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority, vol. 4, no. 1.

Piper, A.K.S. 1992, 'A short history of the Isle of the Dead; or, the burial place at Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land', in 1992 Conference Papers: The Conservation of Cemeteries Australian Cemeteries & Crematoria Association, Hobart, Tasmania, pp. 49-51.

Piper, A.K.S. 1997, 'Tragedy: a mirror for the past', Museum National, vol. 5. no. 3, pp. 9-11.

Piper, A.K.S. 1999, 'Training in the conservation of cultural places', National Trust Tasmania Newsletter, no. 173, p. 4.

Piper, A.K.S. 1999, 'The unrecognised contributor: the Tasmanian cultural heritage industry', National Trust Tasmania Newsletter, no. 173, pp. 8-9.

Piper, A.K.S. 2002, 'Emancipists, destitution & infirmity: the role of the Cornwall Hospital', Launceston Historical Society Papers and Proceedings, vol. 14, pp. 21-34.

Piper, A.K.S. 2004, 'Admission to charitable institutions in colonial Tasmania: from individual failing to social problem', Tasmania Historical Studies, vol. 19, pp. 43-62.

Piper, A.K.S. 2004-7 Editor Past, Present, Future, Heritage Futures Research Centre.

Piper, A.K.S. 2005, 'The Launceston Invalid Asylum', entry in The Companion to Tasmanian History, Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies.

Piper, A.K.S. 2005 'Another cheated heir?: Unravelling a Tasmanian mystery — the story of Sammy Cox, alias 'Samuel Emanuel Jervis', Australian Folklore, vol. 20, pp. 132-41.

Piper, A.K.S. & Dunnett, B. (eds), 2005, Train Whistle Blowing: celebrating 150 years of Australian railways and the culture it has inspired, Armidale, Heritage Futures Research Centre.

Piper, A.K.S. 2006 ''What is to be done with the men?' — The role of invalids in the establishment of the Launceston General Hospital', in Richards, P.A., Valentine, B. and Dunning, T. (eds), Effecting a Cure: Aspects of Health & Medicine in Launceston, Launceston, Myola House of Publishing, pp. 55-72.

Atkinson, A., Ryan, J.S., Davidson, I. and Piper, A. (eds), 2006, High Lean Country: Land, People and Memory in New England, Crows Nest, Allen & Unwin.

Nicole McLennan, Bill Oates, Andrew Piper and Alan Atkinson, 2006, 'Collecting and Presenting the Past', in Atkinson, A., Ryan, J.S., Davidson, I. and Piper, A. (eds), High Lean Country: Land, People and Memory in New England, Crows Nest, Allen & Unwin, pp. 263-75.

Piper, A.K.S. 2008, 'A love of liberty: invalid manipulation of the colonial Tasmanian charitable institutional system', paper submitted to Journal of Australian Colonial History.

Reviews:

Coutts, P.J.F. 1985, Report on the results of archaeological investigation at the 1826 settlement site at Corinella, Records of the Victorian Archaeological Survey No. 18. Ministry for Planning and Environment, Victoria. Journal of the Australian Society for Historical Archaeology, no. 4, pp. 81-2.

O'Toole, S. 2006, The History of Australian Corrections, University of New South Wales Press, Sydney. Journal of Australian Colonial History, vol. 9, 2007, pp. 203-7.

Papers presented to conferences:

'Summary of the work and type of information being extracted from Central Otago historical faunal assemblages.' Presented to the 1986 New Zealand Archaeological Association conference at Cromwell.

'Butchering units: a valid concept for analysis or not?' Presented to the 1986 Australian Archaeological Association conference at Lorne, Victoria.

'The taphonomy of bones from historical archaeological sites.' Presented at the 1st International Conference on the Taphonomy of Bones, University of New England, Armidale, NSW.

'Contemporary butchering practices and their relevance to the recent past.' Presented to the 1988 Australian Society for Historical Archaeology Conference, at Canberra, ACT.

'Who chewed this bone? The ethnic distinctiveness of faunal assemblages.' Presented to the 1988 Australian Archaeological Conference, at Armidale, NSW.

'A short history of the Isle of the Dead; or, the burial place at Port Arthur, Van Diemen's Land.' Presented to the 1992 Australian Cemeteries & Crematoria Association Conference, at Port Arthur, Tasmania.

'Interpreting Australia's convict past: recent developments at Port Arthur and their implications.' Presented to the 1993 Council of Australian Museums Association Conference, at Hobart, Tasmania.

'Old bones and the stories they tell: fact and fiction.' Presented to the 1995 Australasian Society for Historical Archaeology Conference, at Hobart, TAS.

'Tragedy: a mirror for the past.' Presented to the 1996 Museums Australia Conference, at Sydney, NSW.

'Text as an artefact and artefact as text: a case study in combining documents and objects in interpreting the history of nineteenth century Chinese migrants to southern New Zealand.' Presented to the 1999 Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies Conference, at Launceston, Tasmania.

'Institutional cleanliness: an insight into middle class unity and documentary bias.' Presented to the 2001 University of Tasmania School of History and Classics postgraduate conference, at Hobart, Tasmania.

'Emancipists, destitution, infirmity and the role of the Cornwall Hospital.' Presented to the 2002 Launceston Historical Society Conference, at Launceston, Tasmania.

'Poor old invalids: the convicts who never escaped.' Paper presented to the 2003 International Centre for Convict Studies 'Escape' conference, at Strahan, Tasmania.

'The role of gender and family in determining admission to colonial Tasmania's charitable institutions.' Presented to the 2003 Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies Conference, at Launceston, Tasmania.

'Pa and the evolution of Maori warfare.' Presented to the 2006 Second Trevenna Conference: Intellectuals and War in Australia and New Zealand (Mars and Minerva), at Armidale, NSW.

'Are non-documentary historic records truly valued?.' Presented to the 2007 Australian Historical Association conference, at Armidale, NSW.

'A love of liberty: Tasmanian charitable institutions and inmate resistance.' Presented to the 2008 Australian Historical Association conference, at Melbourne, NSW.

Submitted reports:

Preliminary report on the analysis of faunal material recovered from excavations at Unai Bapot, Saipan, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. For the Historic Preservation Office, Saipan, CNMI

Preliminary report on the analysis of faunal material recovered from excavations at the Tachogna Latte Complex, Tinian, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. For the Historic Preservation Office, Saipan, CNMI

Surface pottery sampling at the Tachcogna Latte Site, Tinian, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. For the Historic Preservation Office, Saipan, CNMI (Accepted for publication in Micronesian Area Survey).

Final report on the analysis of faunal material recovered from excavations at Unai Bapot, Saipan, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. For the Historic Preservation Office, Saipan, CNMI (Accepted for publication in Micronesian Area Survey).

Final report on the analysis of faunal material recovered from excavations at the Tachogna Latte Complex, Tinian, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. For the Historic Preservation Office, Saipan, CNMI (Accepted for publication in Micronesian Area Survey).

An analysis of the faunal remains from the Halfway House Hotel excavation. Incorporated into Bedford, S.H. 1986. The history and archaeology of the Halfway House Hotel site, Cromwell Gorge. NZ Historic Places Trust, Cromwell.

Report on the analysis of the faunal remains from The Ledge site (S133/868), Kawarau Gorge, Central Otago, NZ For Clutha Valley Archaeology.

Piper, A.K.S. and Reynolds, Y. 1987. Archaeological assessment of the Kiosk site, St. Helena Island, Moreton Bay. For Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Piper, A.K.S. 1989. An archaeological assessment of a proposed subdivision off Cooks Road and Erskine Street, Armidale, NSW For J. S. Hawkins and Co., consulting surveyors.

Piper, A.K.S. 1990. Preliminary report on the Watchman's Quarters and Penitentiary Cell Block excavations, Port Arthur, Tasmania. For the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority.

Piper, A.K.S. 1992. Report on required building maintenance works for selected structures at the Port Arthur Historic Site. For the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority.

Piper, A.K.S. 1993. Report on required building maintenance works for selected structures at the Port Arthur Historic Site. For the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority.

Piper, A.K.S. 1994. Port Arthur Historic Site archaeological heritage management policy. For the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority. Formed basis for PAHSMA Archaeological Plan 1999.

Piper, A.K.S. 1995. Ideas for consideration in planning for a proposed visitor reception centre — Port Arthur Historic Site. For the Port Arthur Historic Site Management Authority.

Piper, A. 1996. 'Report on Monitoring of Telstra Line Premaydena, Tasman Peninsula: February 1996.' For Telstra.

Piper, A. 1998. Report on cultural heritage assessment, market garden proposal, Premaydena Tasman Peninsula. Prepared for PACE (Peninsula Action for Community Enterprise (inc.)) & Tasman Co-operative Society Ltd.

Piper, A. 1998. Cultural Heritage Policy. Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Labor Party.

External Profiles