Ms Amanda Wells
Casual Academic
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
- Email:amanda.wells10@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:0499112356
Career Summary
Biography
Amanda Wells is an environmental historian whose work explores the relationships between people, landscapes, and more-than-human worlds in twentieth-century Australia. Her doctoral research focused on the Riverland region of South Australia, examining how citrus growing, irrigation, pests, and civic planning shaped regional identities and everyday environmental knowledge. Drawing on approaches from history, anthropology, and geography, she investigates how material practices, scientific ideas, and ecological change co-produced the places people came to call home.
Her current projects extend this work into comparative studies of agriculture, infrastructure, and environmental governance. She is developing a monograph from her doctoral thesis and continues to contribute to broader conversations about environmental change, rural communities, and the cultural histories of land. Amanda also works in regional higher-education support, promoting inclusive learning and student success.
Amanda is based in the Barossa Valley in South Australia, living and working on unceded Ngadjuri Country.
Qualifications
- Graduate Diploma in Humanities, University of New England
Keywords
- Agricultural History
- Australian History
- Citrus History
- Environmental History
- More-Than-Human History
- South Australian History
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 430307 | Environmental history | 100 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Casual Academic | University of Newcastle School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci Australia |
Professional appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/10/2021 - 4/12/2021 |
Moderator Moderator for the virtual Australian Historical Association's 2021 annual conference, hosted by the University of New South Wales. |
The University of New South Wales Australia |
Teaching appointment
| Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|---|
| 1/4/2021 - | Sessional Academic | School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences | University of Newcastle Australia |
Teaching
| Code | Course | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| HASS2000 |
BA Practice School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences | University of Newcastle |
Moderator | 20/2/2023 - 30/6/2023 |
| HIST1051 |
The Australian Experience College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
Marking | 1/3/2024 - 30/6/2024 |
| HIST2006 |
Australian Underworlds: Histories of Crime in Australia College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
Marking | 8/7/2025 - 28/11/2025 |
| HASS2000 |
BA Practice School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences | University of Newcastle |
Co-Moderator | 1/7/2022 - 1/12/2022 |
| HIST3221 |
Food and Drinks in Global History College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
Marking | 1/7/2023 - 30/11/2023 |
| HIST3621 |
Maps and Dreaming: Aboriginal-Colonial Relationships in Australian History College of Human and Social Futures | University of Newcastle |
Marking | 3/7/2023 - 30/11/2023 |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Journal article (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 |
Robin L, Wells A, Leal C, Baço J, Brito C, Carvalho P, Lidström S, Meyer T, Münster U, Rigby K, Swart S, Vieira N, 'Transdisciplinary Histories and the Rise of the Environmental Humanities', Global Environment, 18, 138-172 (2025)
|
||||
| 2025 |
Wells A, 'Halting Chowilla Dam: salt, science, and River Murray politics in the 1960s', History Australia, 22, 679-700 (2025) [C1]
|
Media (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Wells A, 'Review of Hore, Jarrod, Visions of Nature: How Landscape Photography Shaped Settler Colonialism.', (2023) | ||
| 2022 | Wells A, ''Place of Spirits': Persistence and Deep-Time Entanglements in Colonised Place', (2022) |
Thesis / Dissertation (1 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Wells A, 'Citrus worlds: a more-than-human history of South Australia's Riverland Region, 1948-1970' | Open Research Newcastle |
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 3 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $4,000 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20223 grants / $4,000
2022-2023 SAHF Grant$3,000
Funding body: History Trust of South Australia
| Funding body | History Trust of South Australia |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Amanda C. Wells |
| Scheme | South Australian History Fund |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2023 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | External |
| Category | EXTE |
| UON | N |
HSSA 2022 Grant$700
Funding body: Historical Society of South Australia (HSSA)
| Funding body | Historical Society of South Australia (HSSA) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Amanda C. Wells |
| Scheme | HSSA Grant Scheme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | External |
| Category | EXTE |
| UON | N |
Jack Cross Fellowship$300
Funding body: Friends of the South Australian Archives (FSAA)
| Funding body | Friends of the South Australian Archives (FSAA) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Amanda C. Wells |
| Scheme | Jack Cross Fellowship |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2022 |
| Funding Finish | 2022 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | External |
| Category | EXTE |
| UON | N |
Ms Amanda Wells
Positions
Casual Academic
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
College of Human and Social Futures
Casual Research Assistant
School of Law and Justice
College of Human and Social Futures
Casual Research Assistant
School of Humanities, Creative Ind and Social Sci
College of Human and Social Futures
Contact Details
| amanda.wells10@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | 0499112356 |
Connect with me
