John von Sturmer
Senior Fellow
After a time in Paris studying French structuralist thought, in 1969 John commenced anthropological fieldwork in western Cape York Peninsula. This formed the basis of his Ph.D research. In 1970 he was appointed the first lecturer in Aboriginal Studies at the University of Queensland, in association with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies, Canberra. In the 1970s he was active in the promotion of Aboriginal dance and ceremonial life. From 1978 – 1984 he was the director of the project to monitor the social impact of uranium mining on the Aborigines of the Northern Territory and served on many inter-governmental committees. In more recent years he has been involved in negotiating the nexus between government, big business and traditional owner groups. He has a long interest in Aboriginal art and continues to advise the Warburton Art Project in Western Australia. Sine 1994 John has worked as an independent researcher, based in Sydney. He has taught and practised as a psychoanalyst.