Diane Smith, CAEPR Visiting Fellow

MA (Anthropology) Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, The Australian National University AssocDip, Visual Arts and Design, Canberra Institute of the Arts, The Australian National University E-mail: diane.smith@anu.edu.au Phone: (02) 6125 0483 Research Interests Resume Publications & Research Outputs

Diane Smith is an anthropologist with over 33 years research experience with Australian Indigenous people and their organisations. She was appointed to the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research in 1991, and is currently a Visiting Fellow. Diane has been a Member of, and Presidential Mediation Consultant with, the National Native Title Tribunal (1998-2000); and is currently a Member of the Australian Anthropology Society and of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. She is currently a Chief Investigator on the Indigenous Community Governance Research Project being conducted by CAEPR in partnership with Reconciliation Australia.

Research Interests

Diane's wide-ranging research interests include: Indigenous governance and representative structures; the socioeconomic status of Indigenous families and households; the cultural and policy parameters of Indigenous engagement with the welfare state; resource development and compensation; native title and land rights; and theoretical issues in policy and applied anthropology.

Diane has undertaken extensive field research with Indigenous communities and organisations in urban, rural and remote locations to: document land rights and mediate native title claims; review Indigenous royalty and representative organisational structures; evaluate Community Development Employment Projects and welfare service delivery at the community level; and conduct socioeconomic survey research with Indigenous families. She has been a research member of several key government and Indigenous-initiated inquiries, including reviews of the:

• Henderson Poverty Inquiry (1973-74)

• National Aboriginal Conference Review (1983-84)

• Aboriginal Benefits Trust Account under the Northern Territory land rights regime (1984)

• Resource Assessment Commission's Kakadu Conservation Zone Inquiry (1990)

• Resource Assessment Commission's Coastal Zone Inquiry (1993)

• Several Indigenous Royalty Associations (1994-2001)

• First Native Title Representative Bodies Review (1995), and

• ATSIC Funding Review of the Century Mine native title mining negotiations (1998).

Resume

2008
Visiting Fellow
Centre For Aboriginal Economic Policy Research
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT, Australia.

2007-1993
Fellow
Centre For Aboriginal Economic Policy Research
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT, Australia.

2000-1999
Presidential mediation consultant
(Ngun(n)awal-ACT Regional Agreement)
National Native Title Tribunal, Perth, WA.

1998-96
Member (part-time)
National Native Title Tribunal, Perth, WA.

1993-90
Research Officer
Centre For Aboriginal Economic Policy Research
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT, Australia.

1990-83
Consultant Research Anthropologist
Major project research includes:

• Central Land Council - 'Palm Valley Aboriginal Land Claim'.
  
• Department of Aboriginal Affairs - 'Socioeconomic Impact Assessment Study, Coen Gold Mine'.
  
• Central Land Council - 'Mereenie Oil and Palm Valley Gas Royalty Impact Study'.
  
• The Sacred Sites Authority - 'Mt Borradaile Sacred Site and Traditional Ownership Documentation, West Arnhem Land'.
  
• Northern Land Council - West Arnhem Land Traditional Ownership and Land Tenure Study', The Social Impact of Uranium Mining Project, West Arnhem Land, Northern Territory (NT).

1990-88
Research Co-ordinator
Aboriginal Biographical Project
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Tones Strait Islander Studies
Canberra, ACT.

1984
Research Officer
Aboriginals Benefit Trust Account Review, Northern Territory

1983
Executive Officer to Dr H.C. Coombs
National Aboriginal Council Review
The Australian National University.

1982-81
Anthropologist
Head of Land Tenure and Permits Unit
Northern Land Council, Darwin

1980
Tutor, (anthropology - full-time)
Department of Archaeology and Anthropology
Faculty of Arts, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.

Key Publications & Research

Select the links below for detailed listings of Diane's research outputs.

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