An archaeologist at the Australian National University has been elected to the British Academy, widely seen as one of the world's top honours for academic achievement.
Professor Sue O'Connor has made breakthroughs in the knowledge of how people lived in this region of the world tens of thousands of years ago. Her work has helped answer questions about how human beings came to live in what is now Australia.
At caves in East Timor, for example, she discovered evidence of the occupation by modern human beings there 42,000 years ago. There were traces of food, including turtles, tuna and giant rats. She also found stone tools and shells used for decoration in the limestone shelter.
The discovery gave weight to the theory the island was stepping stone for ancient peoples to reach Australia from South-East Asia.
The British Academy was set up in 1902. Its fellows down the years have included Winston Churchill and Maynard Keynes. Its current fellows in include Mary Beard. Prof O'Connor is only the third Australian archaeologist to be so honoured.
She grew up in Cornwall in the south-west of Britain. Her enthusiasm for archaeology was fired by Bodmin Moor which is full of ancient graves and remnants of life before the Romans got to Britain.
It is a misty mysterious place which ignited her passion for uncovering the secrets of past civilisations.
She has spent much of her life down a hole in mud but her discoveries illuminate how ancient human beings migrated.
"It's a fantastic honour both personally and it's also a great credit to the ANU for all the support and for all the time that I've been here," she said.
"It has allowed me to do a lot of impactful research in Australia and the islands to our north."
The president of the British Academy, Julia Black said: "Since the academy was created in 1902, our fellows have been the lifeblood of the organisation, representing the very best of our disciplines - and we would not have the impact we have without their expertise, time and energy.
"I very much look forward to working closely with our new fellows; the breadth and depth of their expertise adds so much to the academy."
