I have been carrying out research on Indonesia for over thirty years, and in that period have observed the shifts in relations between Australia and Indonesia. My disciplinary background is mainly in history, art history, anthropology and cultural studies. As well as the Indonesian language, my research has involved drawing on sources in Balinese, Kawi (Old and Middle Javanese), and Dutch.
I am currently Program Director of Asian Studies, Director of the Australian Centre for Asian Art and Archaeology and a member of the executive of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC). I have worked at the University of Wollongong and the University of New South Wales, and held visiting positions at the University of Indonesia, Udayana University Bali, and Leiden University.