OUR TEAM
Wendy Reynen PhD
Director / Principal - Archaeology
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Wendy has worked as an archaeologist in heritage consulting and research across Western Australia for over 18 years. After graduating from the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2009, Wendy worked as a consultant with various heritage consulting companies before joining Big Island Research in 2011. Since completing her PhD at UWA in 2019, she continues her involvement in academic research (with an adjunct research position at UWA) whilst leading field and research teams in cultural heritage management with Big Island Research.
Wendy has worked extensively and developed excellent working relationships with Aboriginal communities across Western Australia. She enjoys getting out of the office and working on country with Traditional Owners to identify, record, research, and manage cultural heritage. Wendy continues to publish archaeological research in Australian and international journals, specialising in arid zone archaeology, stone artefact technology and heritage management in north-western Western Australia. She is a member of the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) and a Full Member of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Incorporated (AACAI).
Tom Rugg
Senior Archaeologist
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Tom Rugg is a senior archaeologist with over ten years of experience working across the United Kingdom and Australia. He has contributed to a wide range of projects including major excavations and cultural heritage surveys, developing extensive experience in archaeological fieldwork and heritage assessment.
Since relocating to Western Australia, Tom has undertaken archaeological surveys and heritage assessments across the Pilbara, working closely with Traditional Owners to identify, record and manage Aboriginal cultural heritage. He has a particular interest in the use of geospatial technologies and data analysis to support the recording, mapping and interpretation of archaeological sites.
Kane Ditchfield PhD
Director / Principal - Archaeology
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Kane has over 15 years of experience working in heritage consulting and research throughout Western Australia. He completed his PhD at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in 2018 and is a specialist in stone artefact analysis, field methods, and chronological analyses as well as coastal and Pilbara archaeology. He has extensive consulting experience across north-western Australia, working with a variety of different groups on survey, excavation, and salvage projects with communities. Kane particularly enjoys spending time on country with Traditional Owners, continuing to learn and contribute towards cultural heritage management. Kane also has an adjunct research position at UWA and continues to undertake research throughout north-western Australia with Traditional Owner communities. His research has been published in international and national journals including Australian Archaeology, Archaeology in Oceania, and Journal of Archaeological Science. Kane is a member of the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) and a Full Member of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Incorporated (AACAI).
Jo Thomson PhD
Director / Principal - Archaeology and Heritage Management
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As an archaeologist and heritage manager with over 25 years’ experience, Jo is passionate about best practice management and enabling positive outcomes, not only for heritage conservation but for the wellbeing of communities and Country. As an educator and researcher, Jo strongly believes in quality training and capacity building for everyone who works in the heritage space.
Jo has extensive experience in archaeological surveys, heritage assessments, excavation, research, teaching, training, GIS, community engagement, auditing, cultural heritage management systems, policy and procedure development and developing cultural heritage management plans. She has also lectured on heritage studies at the University of Western Australia and has been an intern at the Western Australian Museum and UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre in Paris. Jo holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons I) in Archaeology, Applied Masters in Cultural Heritage Studies, and a PhD. She also holds Certificate IV in Workplace Assessment and Training and Certificate IV in Business (Frontline Management).
Jo actively volunteers and participates in heritage advocacy and public engagement. She is a Full Member of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologists Incorporated (AACAI), a Full International Member of the International Council on Monuments (ICOMOS), a member of the Australia ICOMOS Indigenous Heritage Reference Group, a member of the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) and a member of the World Archaeological Congress.
Kieran Forde
Archaeologist
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Kieran has over eight years of experience working as an archaeologist in Western Australia. Before joining Big Island Research, Kieran worked with various other heritage consultancies and an Aboriginal native title representative body. After a hiatus where he worked in the museum and library sector, Kieran joined Big Island Research in 2021 to return to Australian archaeology. Kieran has primarily worked as an archaeologist in the Pilbara region, but also has experience in the Gascoyne, Midwest, Southwest, and Perth Metropolitan areas. He has developed strong working relationships with Traditional Owners, industry representatives, and government officials. Kieran’s research interests lie in community-based heritage, Australian megafauna, stone artefact analysis, and Pilbara stone structures. He is a member of the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA).
Nathan Crockford
Archaeologist
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Before joining Big Island Research in early 2024, Nathan has worked as a sub-surface testing assistant and Field Archaeologist across New South Wales and Western Australia, as well as undertaking duties as a research assistant at the Australian National University while undertaking his Masters research. His research expertise includes Australian and Island Southeast Asian lithics, and he has further research interests in understanding and interpreting cultural landscapes and applications of environmental archaeology and scientific method to develop deeper understandings of past human lifeways, environmental archaeology and residue analysis. Nathan is a member of the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) and the Canberra Archaeological Society (CAS).
Ash Severinsen
Archaeologist
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Ash has been working as an archaeological consultant in Western Australia since completing a Bachelor of Arts in history and archaeology in 2024 at Notre Dame, Fremantle. In 2025 Ash completed an honours degree in history, focusing on the 1983 – 4 Aboriginal Land Inquiry and the Aboriginal Land Rights movements of Western Australia.
Ash has undertaken fieldwork with numerous Aboriginal communities throughout the Pilbara, Mid-West and the South-West of WA, as well as historical archaeology in Albany and Guildford. Her interests combine historical research, archaeology and ethnography, with a focus on culture and Indigenous responses and resistance to colonisation.
Jane Balme PhD
Zooarchaeology Specialist and Advisor
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Jane Balme is a specialist advisor for Big Island Research, particularly on zooarchaeology. She is an Emerita Professor of Archaeology at the University of Western Australia (UWA), where she was also Head of School for a time. In November 2018 Jane was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Her interest in archaeology began while working for the Western Australian Museum on cave sites in southwest Australia. Jane is an expert on Indigenous archaeology across Australia and, and over the last 50 years, has worked in New South Wales, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Her current research projects are on the archaeology of dingoes and Indigenous Australians, and on carved boab trees. Jane also has a long involvement with the Australian Archaeological Association, serving as secretary, and as chair of the Australian National Committee for Archaeology Teaching and Learning.
Jane has authored many journal articles, a textbook Archaeology in Practice: A Student Guide to Archaeological Analyses with Alistair Paterson, and the edited volumes Gendered Archaeology with Wendy Beck, and More Unconsidered Trifles: Papers to Celebrate the Career of Sandra Bowdler with Sue O’Connor.
Stef Aquilino
Senior Archaeologist
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Stefania (Stef) Aquilino is a Senior Archaeologist and Cultural Heritage Consultant with training in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology (Hons) and Oral History methods, and Australian archaeology. She brings international research experience and a strong operational background shaped by business ownership, team leadership, and complex stakeholder engagement.
Stef is committed to ethical, community-led heritage outcomes that centre Traditional Owner authority and ensure cultural knowledge is represented accurately and respectfully in project documentation. With extensive marketing experience and a professional photography practice, she strengthens field recording and client-facing deliverables through high-quality visual documentation and clear, accessible reporting.
She loves working on Country because the calm, grounded feeling reminds her of her home in Italy among loved ones. Stef brings that same sense of presence, care, and purpose to every project.
Kristen Tola
Archaeologist
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Kristen holds a BA (Hons) from University of Newcastle, Masters in Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies (Heritage Practice) from Deakin University, and a Graduate Certificate in Archaeology from Flinders University. She also holds a non-award Certificate in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Sydney. Kristen has extensive experience in Aboriginal archaeology and has previously worked as a heritage consultant in New South Wales, where her work involved managing archaeological assessments for telecommunications infrastructure upgrades across complex sites.
Kristen is interested in integrating archaeological practice with Aboriginal cultural values grounded by community knowledges, cultural protocols, and collaborative outcomes. She has a complementary background in cultural heritage management, including over 15 years working as a museum professional, and applies this experience to inform her approach to archaeology and cultural heritage management.
She is a member of the Australian Archaeological Association (AAA), Australian Museums and Galleries Association of Australia (AMaGA), and an Associate Member of the International Council on Monuments (ICOMOS).
Bonnie Hughes
Business Manager
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With over 15 years of administration experience, Bonnie oversees Big Island Research’s business management and daily operations, ensuring that Big Island Research operates smoothly. With a keen eye for detail and a strong focus on efficiency, Bonnie plays a key role in optimising processes and implementing solutions to drive our business forward.