My B.A is in Egyptology with Coptic from Liverpool University (UK), including introductory Akkaddian and the Prehistory of Europe; my PhD is from University College London on ancient Egyptian painted ceramics. Whilst undertaking the latter I was also G. A. Wainwright Research Fellow in Near Eastern Archaeology at the University of Oxford (1976-81). Subsequent to this research I held post-doctoral research fellowships at The University of Melbourne and Macquarie University, and then was a contract lecturer at The University of Melbourne and Monash University, and Curator of Mediterranean Antiquities at Museum Victoria. I have taught the archaeology, history and language of ancient Egypt at Monash University since 1990, and am co-founder of its archaeology of the ancient Mediterranean programme. I am an advisor to the National Gallery of Victoria and associate of Museum Victoria.

I have participated in archaeological fieldwork in Jordan (1971-3), Syria (1973), the Sinai (1976) and Egypt (annually since 1974); in the latter I have worked at Malkata, Saqqara and in the Dakhleh Oasis, and on material also from Memphis and Karnak North. Since 1978 I have been a co-investigator on the Dakhleh Oasis Project responsible for the study of the ceramics from the prehistoric to late Roman periods. In 1986 I commenced excavations at the Roman period settlement of Ismant el-Kharab and in 2000 at the multi-period site of Mut el-Kharab, both in Dakhleh Oasis; these excavations are on-going. The excavations have been funded through the Dakhleh Oasis Project, The Australian Research Council, Monash University, the Egypology Society of Victoria, Australians Studying Abroad and Columbia University.