Our team comprises 10 permanent staff as well as a core pool of trusted casuals and sub-contractor specialists who we work with on a regular basis.
Bec Parkes BA(Hons), PhD
M.AACAI, M.AICOMOS, M.EIANZ
Director/Principal Archaeologist
Bec Parkes is the founding Director of Lantern Heritage. She has worked in the cultural heritage management sector for over 25 years. The vast majority of that work has been in NSW, but has also included work in the ACT, Victoria and South Australia. Bec has extensive experience managing large scale archaeological investigations and has a reputation for integrity and leadership.
Bec has worked on numerous high-profile State and Nationally significant projects across NSW, and has a comprehensive knowledge of the different levels/types of legislation and the ways in which they afford protection to Cultural Heritage.
She is the current Vice-Chair of the NSW/ACT Chapter of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologist Inc (AACAI), after five years serving as the Chair of the Chapter.
Christine Gant-Thompson MA (Hons)
Principal Archaeologist
Christine has over 15 years’ experience working in cultural heritage management with seven years of experience working in Aboriginal cultural heritage (ACH) regulation in Heritage NSW. The majority of Christine’s work experience is in ACH in NSW with historic archaeology on the side.
Michael Lever PhD, MAACAI, MPHA
Senior Archaeologist
Michael is primarily interested in the heritage and archaeology of Aboriginal peoples, with his first extensive outback survey in 2005 and first consulting employment in 2011. He has worked across Victoria and NSW in both Aboriginal and historical heritage, conducting and managing projects ranging in size from single residence applications to State Significant Developments.
In addition, Michael has a specialisation in the processing, identification and analysis of historical artefacts, having conducted such work for the large artefact assemblages resulting from the CBD and South East Light Rail project, and the Central Railway Station Metro project.
Michael brings to his practice many decades of experience in interpersonal relations and communication strategy, with a belief that sincerity and goodwill can resolve most potential differences.
He is the current Secretary of the NSW/ACT Chapter of the Australian Association of Consulting Archaeologist Inc (AACAI), after five years serving as the Treasurer of the Chapter.
Jo Dibden BA (Archaeology and Palaeoanthropology)
Senior Archaeologist
Jo Dibden is a senior archaeologist at Lantern Heritage. A Heritage specialist with considerable leadership abilities and expertise in Aboriginal cultural heritage. Organised and detail-oriented with high standards of performance who is committed to professional ethics and standards of practice.
Jo has successfully led archaeological investigations on large scale projects such as Snowy 2.0 and NSW Wild Dog Fence Extension Project as well as many smaller scale projects. Specialized in remote area work.
Conor McAdams BSc (Hons), MPhil, PhD
Geoarchaeologist
Conor McAdams is Lantern’s geoarchaeologist and (palaeo)environmental specialist. He has worked in archaeology since 2014 and in the NSW cultural heritage management sector since 2020. Conor is an expert in reconstructing processes of archaeological site formation and has applied this knowledge to complex archaeological sites with sediment records that date from the Victorian period to the late Pleistocene (42,000 years ago).
Conor predominantly provides advice in Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment projects. He has worked on numerous State significant projects across NSW, using his knowledge of relevant heritage legislation to deliver outcomes that satisfy the needs of clients, while minimising impacts to the cultural heritage values of Aboriginal people, places and objects.
Rebecca Värttö BA, GCert, MA
Historical Archaeologist
Rebecca has over a decade of field experience on a range of archaeological sites. She has worked on a wide range of projects both overseas and within the areas of the Pilbara and the Kimberley (WA), Arnhem Land (NT), Grampians (Victoria) and other locations.
Rebecca has particular expertise and experience in the identification and recording of Aboriginal sites including rock art, petroglyphs, stone artefacts and Aboriginal burials including excavating Aboriginal burials and repatriation of human remains. Rebecca has project managed both historical and Aboriginal heritage projects in her time at Lantern Heritage.
Majella Hammersley BA, BArch Prac (Hons)
Archaeologist
Majella is an archaeologist with four years experience in cultural heritage management and consulting archaeology, having originally taken up a graduate/intern role at Lantern Heritage while still an undergraduate. Her research specialised in the significance and occurrence of Australian multicultural heritage.
Majella has worked on historical and Aboriginal archaeological projects in a variety of formats and currently assists and supports completion of due diligence and ACHAR services. Her primary roles within this include facilitating Aboriginal consultation and liaising with communities; report writing and field assessments; background archaeological and ethnographic research; data entry and management of submissions for AHIMS and report library systems.
Glenn Merrick G Cert
Assistant Business Manager/Trainee Archaeologist
Glenn has ten years of environmental project management experience in both local and state government settings and has experience in consulting and involving Aboriginal people in project work.
In the past three years at Lantern Heritage Glenn has facilitated Aboriginal consultation and Aboriginal liaison across many projects, and has assisted project managers with WHS, logistics, administration support and field work logistics as well as assisting with test and salvage excavation and site surveys.
Emma Jones Bachelor of Arts (Archaeology), Master of Archaeological and Evolutionary Science
Archaeologist
Emma is an archaeologist at Lantern Heritage with three years’ experience in consulting archaeology in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal (historical) archaeology. She has also contributed to research projects in Central Australia, Jordan, and Greece. She is currently completing her master’s at Australian National University, specialising in Australian archaeobotany.
Beverley Atkins BA(Comms)
Office Manager
Beverley is our Office Manager, responsible for ensuring the business runs as smoothly as possible. She has an extensive background in administration and logistics having run her own corporate even management business for 12 years. Prior to that she worked in various government and non-government organisations doing public relations and policy development for 20 years.
Beverley keeps the wheels turning at Lantern, making sure staff are where they need to be and have the equipment and resources they need to complete the job with the minimum of fuss.