Associate Professor Steve Kinnane

Co-Chair of Indigenous Studies, Nulungu Research Institute

BA (Hons) Sustainability, Murdoch University

Email: stephen.kinnane@nd.edu.au
Phone: 08 9192 0670

  • Biography

    Steve Kinnane has been an active researcher and writer for more than 20 years as well as lecturing and working on community cultural heritage and development projects. His interests are diverse encompassing Aboriginal history, creative documentary (both visual and literary), and tensions surrounding the ideals of sustainability and the relationships between individuality, community, country, economy and human development. Steve is a Marda Marda from Mirrowoong country in the East Kimberley. He Lectured at Murdoch University in Australian Indigenous Studies and Sustainability; completed a Visiting Research Fellowship at the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS), Canberra, and was currently Senior Researcher for the Nulungu Research Institute of the University of Notre Dame Australia, Broome. Steve remains involved with Nulungu as an Adjunct Research Fellow.

    He co-wrote and produced The Coolbaroo Club (1996) an ABC TV documentary, awarded the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Human Rights Award for the Arts, and collaborated with Lauren Marsh and Alice Nannup on the completion of When the Pelican Laughed, (1992) the story of Mrs Alice Nannup (Fremantle Arts Centre Press). His book, Shadow Lines was awarded the WA Premier’s Award for Non-Fiction 2004, the Federation of Australian Writer’s Award for Non-Fiction 2004, The Stanner Award 2004, and was short-listed for the Queensland, South Australian Premier’s Awards. Recent publications include the chapter ‘Indigenous Australia’ (in collaboration with Anna Haebich) for the Cambridge History of Australia, the chapter ‘Blood History’ for the First Australians book accompanying the First Australians Television Series, and reports and chapters examining sustainable livelihoods and how communities are changing the future by confronting systemic impediments, addressing priorities and developing regionally relevant solutions.

  • Publications

    Research Reports/ Reviews/ Evaluations

    • Thorburn, K., Ward, J., and Kinnane, S. (In Press) 'Making the intangible count? Metrification of the value of cultural activities', in Strakosh, E,  Sullivan, P and J. Lahn (eds) Bureaucratic Occupation: Government and First Nations Peoples. ANU Epress: Australian National University, Canberra.
    • Kinnane, S., Cultural Solutions in the Kimberley, Position Paper for the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC), 2017. Kinnane, S. and Noske, C. (eds.) (2016) Westerly, Volume 60, Issue 1. 4.
    • Kinnane, S. (2016) ‘Stories from the front,’ in,(Kinnane, S. and Noske, C., (eds.)) Westerly, Volume 60, Issue 1.
    • Golson, K. and Kinnane, S., ‘An Evaluation of Broome Circle’s Money Management and Financial Counselling Programs, Broome Circle.
    • Sullivan, P. and Kinnane, S., ‘An Evaluation of the Kimberley Aboriginal Law and Culture Centre (KALACC), Cultural Governance Programme 2013-2015, KALACC.
    • Kinnane, S., Kennedy, G., Clements, J., and Marshall, M., ‘Cultural and Natural Resource Management Feasibility Study Report,’ Regional Development Australia Kimberley, Broome.
    • Kinnane, S., Wilks, J., Thomas, S., Wilson, K., and Hughes, T., 'Can't be what you can't see:' the transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to higher education, Final Report, Office for Learning and Teaching, Department of Education, Sydney, 2014.
    • Kinnane, S., Wilks, J., Thomas, S., Wilson, K., and Hughes, T., 'Can't be what you can't see:' the transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to higher education, Literature Review, Office for Learning and Teaching, Department of Education, Sydney, 2014.
    • Raven, M., Katz, I., Griffiths, A. and Kinnane, S., 'Renewed Strategic Framework for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Wellbeing, Department of Health, 2013. (And associated lit review, reports and discussion paper)
    • Kinnane, S., Golson, K., and Henderson-Yates, L., A Twenty Four Month Evaluation of the Impacts of the Restriction of Take-away Alcohol in Halls Creek, Drug and Alcohol Office, 2012.
    • Griffiths, S., and Kinnane, S., Kimberley Aboriginal Caring for Country Plan, Kimberley Language Resource Centre, Halls Creek, WA, 2010.
    • Kinnane, S., Kimberley Aboriginal Caring for Country Plan – Lit Review, Kimberley Language Resource Centre, Halls Creek, WA, 2010
    • Kinnane, S., Kimberley Aboriginal Caring for Country Plan – Discussion Paper, Kimberley Language Resource Centre, Halls Creek, WA, 2010.
    • Kinnane, S., Golson, K., and Henderson-Yates, L, A Twelve Month Evaluation of the Impacts of the Restriction of Take-away Alcohol in Halls Creek, Drug and Alcohol Authority, WA, 2010.
    • Kinnane, S, Henderson-Yates, L, and Parker, H., A Twenty Four Month Evaluation of the Impacts of the Restriction of Take-away Alcohol in Fitzroy Crossing, Drug and Alcohol Authority, WA, 2010.
    • Kinnane, S, Henderson-Yates, L, and Parker, H., A Twelve Month Evaluation of the Impacts of the Restriction of Take-away Alcohol in Fitzroy Crossing, Drug and Alcohol Authority, WA, 2009.
    • Kinnane, S (et al) 'Sea Countries of the South' Indigenous Interests in the South West Marine Region, National Ocean's Office, Department of Environment and Heritage, 2006.
    • Kinnane, S., Beyond Boundaries: Exploring Indigenous Sustainability Issues withina Regional Focus Through the State Sustainability Strategy, A Sustainability Research Group Discussion Paper for the Sustainability Policy Unit of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, WA Government, 2002.

  • Chapters

    • Wilks, J., Wilson, K., and Kinnane, S., ‘Promoting engagement and success at university through strengthening the online learning experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students living and studying in remote communities,’ in, Frawley, J., Larkin, S., Smith, J., Indigenous pathways and transitions to higher education; from policy to practice, Springer, NY, 2016.
    • Kinnane, S. ‘A Long slow dance: The nation’s history’, in, Price, K., Knowledge of Life: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia, Cambridge University Press, 2015.
    • Kinnane, S., ‘Tracks’, in, Morgan, S., Remembered by Heart, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 2014.
    • Haebich, A. and Kinnane, S., 'Indigenous Australia' (Ch 14), Cambridge History of Australia, Volume Two; The Commonwealth of Australia, Cambridge University Press, UK, 2013.
    • Kinnane, S., (Ch) Blood History, in, 'First Australians,' Perkins, R. and Langton, M. (eds), Melbourne University Press, 2008. (The volume was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History, 2010.)
    • Kinnane, S., Indigenous Sustainability: Rights, Obligations and a Collective Commitment to Country,' in, Castellino, J., and Walsh, N., International Law and Indigenous Peoples, The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Human Rights Library, Vol 20, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, Leiden/Boston, 2005, pp 159-193.
    • Kinnane, S., 'Recurring Visions of Australindia', (Ch. 1) in, Country: Visions of Land and People in Western Australia, (eds) Trinca, M., Haebich, A. and Gaynor, A., Museum of Western Australia and the Center for Western Australian History, University of WA, 2002.
    • Kinnane, S, 'Vingettes,' in, Croft, B., South West Central, Exhibition Publication of the Art Gallery of Western Australia, 2002.

  • Journals

    • Kinnane, S., Harrison. J, and Reinecke, I., ‘Finger Money: the black and white of stolen wages’, in Haebich, A. and Shultz, J. (eds), Looking West, Griffith Review Issue Number 47, University of Queensland Press.
    • Kinnane, S and Read, P., Indigenous Knowledge in the Workplace, National Centre for Indigenous Studies, ANU, Journal of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Canberra.
    • Kinnane,S. and Marsh, L., 'Ghost Files: the missing files of the Department of Indigenous Affairs (DIA) archive,' in, 'History and Native Title,' (ed) Choo, C., Studies in Western Australian History, Issue 23,Center for Western Australian History, University of Western Australia, 2002.

  • Books

    • Kinnane, S., Shadow Lines, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, Fremantle, Western Australia, 2003.
    • Kinnane, S., Marsh, L., and Nannup. A., When the Pelican Laughed, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, Fremantle, Western Australia, 1992.

  • Documentaries broadcast

    • Kinnane, S. and Marsh, L., The Coolbaroo Club, ABC TV Documentary, 1996.

  • In the media