Professor Suzi Hutchings

Biography

I am a Central Arrernte woman. My mother’s family are from Alice Springs in Central Australia. My family are listed as claimants on the Arrernte Native Title claim, which was successfully negotiated in the Federal Court of Australia in May 2000.

I entered academia via an unconventional path. After completing my PhD in 1995, I worked as a consultant anthropologist for 18 years operating solely as Director of my anthropological research consultancy business, SJ Hutchings Consulting Services. As a consultant anthropologist I have worked on native title claims, Aboriginal heritage consultancies, and family and criminal law matters for Aboriginal claimant groups, representative bodies and government departments in Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and Western Australia. I have continued consulting on native title and justice issues for First Nations communities and organisations while also being employed as a senior Indigenous academic at a number of Universitys since 2013. I have held research and teaching positions in Aboriginal education units at the David Unaipon Centre for Indigenous Research at the University of South Australia; Wirltu Yarlu at the University of Adelaide and previous to 2013 at Yunggorendi Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Program at Flinders University. From 2016 to February 2024 I held the position of Associate Professor at RMIT University where I co-ordinated and taught courses on Indigenous Policy and I co-ordinated the Capstone in the Master of Public Policy.  I produce and host Subway Sounds for PBS 106.7FM Community Radio in Melbourne. From 2009 to 2016 I produced and hosted Crossing Tracks Radio Show for Radio Adelaide Community Radio. 

I am a previous president and member of the presidential team of the Australian Anthropological Society from 2021-2023.  I am currently a member of the Ilbijerri Theatre Board on which I hold the position of Treasurer.  I am also a member of the PBS Community Radio Board and I head the Board's Indigenous initiative.  I am also a member of the Australian Anthropological Society Conference organising committee for the 2025/2026 conference to be held in Mparntwe/Alice Springs, Northern Territory.