Alison Giles
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Humanities
Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics
I am a late career academic, after a previous career in the private school sector and reaching the dizzying heights of Acting Principal and K-12 College Counsellor. I have worked as a secondary and primary teacher, a teacher-librarian, an ESL specialist and Indigenous specialist teacher in the Kimberley region and rural Western Australia. As College Counsellor I worked in inner-Sydney Islamic schools.
Prior to teaching, I attended Melbourne College of Textiles which led to work in the fashion industry as designer and haute couture seamstress. It is this passion for textiles and design that I combine with my interest in Indigenous history and culture - hence my research focus. I have family connections to the Bardi-Jawi/Kidja First Nations of Western Australia.
I have a current studio practice of floor loom weaving which you can find at www.alisongiles.com. I was the 2021 winner of the prestigious The Isabel Watt Memorial Perpetual Trophy for the Most Outstanding Exhibit in Design and Execution of Hand Weaving and a finalist in the Seed Stitch Textile Award, Australian Design Centre 2020.
I am a published author and was shortlisted for The Premier's Book Award (WA) 2005.
I am a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
Woven Stories: Exploring Indigenous Women's innovation through weaving workshops and cultural practices. This includes interdisciplinary research incorporating feminist ethnography, craft theory, innovation theory and Australian Aboriginal historiography.
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Language Competencies
Language Competency English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review Macedonian Can read, write, speak and understand spoken Russian Can read, write, speak and understand spoken -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2024 University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy 2022 - 2023 University of Adelaide Australia Masters of Curatorial and Museum Studies 2010 - 2013 Australian Catholic University Australia Clinical Counselling (Masters) 1994 - 1995 Murdoch University Australia Graduate Diploma Education Secondary (History, Aboriginal Studies) 1989 - 1991 Edith Cowan University Australia BA Dble Major Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies/English -
Research Interests
Expanding knowledge in Indigenous studies Global Indigenous studies culture, language and history Indigenous studies Textile Technology Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander anthropology Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artefacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural history Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educational methods Feminist methodologies Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and crafts Heritage, archive and museum studies Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander curatorial, archives and museum studies
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Journals
Year Citation 2024 Giles, A. (2024). Authenticity and authority in Stolen Generation literature for children. Magpies Magazine: Talking about books for children, 39(3). 2022 Giles, A. (2022). The Wedding Apron: a search for Macedonian stitches. Piecework Magazine, 30(3), 22-27. 2022 Giles, A. (2022). Colorwork sleeves from Staravina, Macedonia. Piecework Magazine, 30(3), 28-33. 2018 Giles, A. (2018). Visiting the largest children's library in the world.. Magpies: Talking about books for children, 33(2), 14-16. -
Books
Year Citation 2016 Giles, A. (2016). The Wreck of the Cherry Venture. 2016 Giles, A. (2016). Belka Little Face. Clickcloud Publishing. 2015 Giles, A. (2015). Travels to Moscow ... with a Ticket to the Bolshoi and a Train Ride to Vostok!. 2015 Giles, A. (2015). The Happy Fish (Chinese). 2015 Giles, A. (2015). Cockatoo Man. Clickcloud Publishing. 2014 Giles, A. (2014). The Happy Fish. Clickcloud Publishing. 2005 Gregory, A. (2005). Rodeo Darcy. ISBS. -
Book Chapters
Year Citation 2020 Giles, A. (2020). A ball of wool. In R. Hollis (Ed.), Love & Loss True Stories that Reveal the Depths of the Human Experience. New Zealand: Exisle Publishing (NZ). -
Theses
Year Citation 2023 Giles, A. (2023). Moving on from the glass cabinet: The Lutheran settler story in three South Australian museums. 2022 Giles, A. (2022). The Daisy Bates clothing collection at the South Australian Museum.
MUSEUM7007 Museum Collections Management
MUSEUM7001 Marking
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