SPEAKERS

Tim Smith

Tim Smith is a Senior Heritage Officer and State Government Maritime Archaeologist, with the Heritage Branch, NSW Department of Planning (Sydney, Australia). With a Graduate Diploma in Maritime Archaeology and a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Archaeology from the University of Sydney, Tim has surveyed numerous shipwreck sites in NSW and interstate since joining the Branch in 1991.

He has worked on a range of archaeological sites in the Middle East, Greece and Italy over the past 16 years. Major sites include Pella in Jordan; I Fani in Southern Italy; and Torone - a Classical Athenian town in northern Greece where he undertook the survey of the ancient harbour.

Tim is Director - Maritime Archaeology of the Submarine Institute of Australia (SIA) archaeological expedition surveying the Australian submarine AE2, wrecked near Gallipoli, Turkey and has published widely on the work. He has participated in the 1997, 1998 and 2007 Australian expeditions to the site and participated in a range of technical workshops in Istanbul (2002, 2004 and 2008).

He is closely involved in the identification, mapping and heritage assessment of key naval historic shipwreck sites. Tim successfully led the search for the Dutch (ex-RAN) submarine K-IX wreck site near Seal Rocks, NSW in 1999 and is currently Project Manager for the located M24 Japanese midget submarine wreck site off Newport, Sydney. He has been involved in several interstate projects including the survey of the J3 and J5 submarine wrecks near Melbourne. He has coordinated heritage projects aimed at documenting the important World War One-era wreck sites in NSW such as HMAS Australia (1) and HMAS Parramatta (1).

He is a past Vice President and Secretary of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA), and current State Councillor. At the Heritage Branch, Tim develops publications and community based-projects to promote sound management of the State's underwater heritage. He also coordinates State Government compliance with their heritage management responsibilities under the NSW Heritage Act 1977.