The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) invites talented and dynamic budding environmental history researchers to do a PhD with them! There is a team of researcher working on a range of projects looking at the historical and contemporary entanglements between people and nature in seascapes.
Prof Kate Barclay and Dr Carla Sbrocchi are working on Project Restore looking at social benefits from nature restoration in Sydney Harbour. Prof Anna Clark is a historian who loves fish and has written a history of fishing in Australia. Environmental historian Prof Emerita Heather Goodall could also be part of a supervisory panel. The NSW Government Department of Primary Industries could potentially support studies that inform its oyster reef restoration and research under the Marine Estate Management Strategy.
They are interested in having students explore changes in Sydney’s seascape over time, from before colonisation to now, to help inform conservation planning. Things the team would like to know more about include: where shellfish reefs were before colonial settlers mined oysters as a source of lime for building and dredging removed reefs to enable safer passage for boats; whether urchin barrens happened before colonisation, or they are a result of environmental degradation since then.
UTS has scholarships for domestic students; the next deadline is approaching soon: apply by 30 September 2025 to start in Autumn 2026.
The scholarships are very competitive, requiring 1st class honours or equivalent, or leadership/innovation in a relevant area, or research publication experience, in addition to an excellent proposal.
UTS especially welcomes Aboriginal students to apply to do a PhD. There are good scholarships available for Aboriginal students at UTS via Jumbunna.
If you are interested please contact Dr Carla Sbrocchi at Carla.sbrocchi@uts.edu.au
