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The PhD journey – life over 3,399 days

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On March 29th, 2017 I was awarded my Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of South

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Dr David Sweet with my ‘mate’ and special associate supervisor, Dr Nigel Starck.

Australia at the Graduating Ceremony.  The official conferral was in October 2016.  This higher degree research journey had numerous twists and turns, became frustrating, a joy (often in a few hours of each other), was challenging and above all I learnt so much.  I completed the PhD part-time, which prolonged the agony and the pleasure.  Probably the biggest learning curve has been accepting how little I know.  However, that understanding only opens up the options for further challenges in the realm of research.  Following are some of the (edited) highlights and challenges of my epic journey.

The journey

  • 3,399 days from start to completion
  • Started as a two volume Professional Doctorate
  • 83+ versions written
  • Wrote 230,000 words
  • Final version as a PhD is 109,728 words (inc footnotes and Reference List)
  • 52 people interviewed
  • 57 photographs used
  • 798 references
  • 230 other books devoured
  • Thesis examined by one Australian and one Canadian academic

Allied activities

  • 47 sessions with a PhD reading group
  • 6 papers accepted and published
  • 28 presentations delivered
  • 5 international conferences attended and papers presented
  • 182 books added to my own library
  • 2 bureaucratic challenges with the University
  • only spat the dummy a few times

Teaching

  • 11 undergraduate Courses/Subjects taught
  • 5 Post Grad subjects taught
  • 1 honours supervised student to completion
  • 1 honours student advised to reconsider
  • 7 years teaching off-shore
  • 11 teaching trips to Hong Kong and Singapore
  • Mentored 7 students (2 international)

The Family

  • 2 more grandchildren – 5 in total
  • 4 weddings (3 as the photographer)
  • 2 – 90th birthdays celebrated
  • 1 Golden wedding anniversary celebrated (not mine)
  • 4 deaths, my 2 sisters, 1 brother-in-law, 1 19 year-old nephew
  • 5 hospital admissions for me
  • 10 days in ICU at Modbury hospital
  • 2010 – 7.5 hours of micro-surgery for cancer on my face
  • many other highs and lows of life as well
  • Produced 5 photo-books
  • Completed 10.5 hours of oral history interviews in addition to my PhD interviews

There is life after a PhD

  • Traded a caravan, purchased a Motor Home
  • Reduced teaching to 2-3 subjects
  • Working on 5 research projects
  • Research-Study tour to Berkeley (California), Concordia and Western Universities (Canada) is set for August 2017.

A New Appointment

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There is no such thing as a free lunch – well that is a common ‘tongue in cheek’ statement from those who have the opportunity to eat on someone’s expense account.  For me it was not so much as a free lunch but a very successful presentation at the recent conference I attended at the University of Vienna.

Entrance to the historic University of Vienna, with Vienna university colleagues Lisa, Christine and David.

The historic University of Vienna, I’m with Vienna university colleagues Lisa, Christine.

The subsequent request came as a surprise, but not for a free lunch.  I was approached to join the editing team, led by Associate Professor Ian Conrich, and have now been appointed as one of two assistant editors for the Journal of New Zealand and Pacific Studies.  My colleague, Jenny Wagner, a former PhD candidate at UniSA who has returned to the US to complete her thesis, is the other assistant editor.  I will be Jenny’s support until I learn the ropes and take on a little more responsibility to ease her workload.

Jenny Wagner: Vienna Natural History Museum, July 2015.

Jenny Wagner: Vienna Natural History Museum, July 2015.

The journal is published by Intellect Journals (ISSN 2050 4039) and is a newer academic publication in its third year.  This is a trans-displinary peer reviewed journal.  Disciplines covered include the humanities and the social sciences and subjects such as cultural studies, history, literature, film, anthropology, politics, and sociology.