Woody Point resident Scott Hocknull is a vertebrate palaeoecologist, passionate science communicator and 3D digitisation and virtual technology advocate and practitioner in the museum community.
Scott Hocknull was born in Adelaide, South Australia. His family moved to Brisbane when he was 12. He enrolled in a B.Sc. at the University of Queensland in 1996, majoring in zoology and geology. He took his degree with Honours in 2000.
Hocknull worked at the Queensland Museum during his university studies. After graduation he became a curator in geosciences at the Queensland Museum. He became senior curator in 2002.
He has over 20 years of experience in palaeontology having published his first paper aged 16, at the time Australia’s youngest scientific author. He started at Queensland Museum in 1990 as a 12-year-old volunteer, working in the palaeontology and geology department, and then landing his first job as a Queensland Museum Interpretation Officer, aged 17. In 2000 his dream job as a palaeontologist for Queensland Museum came true, making him then the youngest museum curator in Australia at age 22. Among other honours, Scott was awarded the Young Australian of the Year in 2002, which provided him a unique platform to develop and promoted Australian vertebrate palaeontology research and community engagement, whilst leading a wide range of new areas of exploration, discovery and research.
Realising that most museum collections are hidden from public view, Scott has become a strong advocate for bringing the behind-the-scenes of museum collections and science to the public. Scott is passionate about applying new technologies to museum collections so that we can better interpret and demonstrate our natural and geo-heritage.
PeerJ talks to Dr. Scott Hocknull about a new giant sauropod, Australotitan cooperensis:
He is currently working on new 3D digital and virtual ways to better capture our fossil heritage in digital perpetuity whilst using this same technology to do robust research and engage the public by providing more in-depth experiences with Australia’s vast fossil heritage. Scott is an advocate for strong regional and remote connections between museums, especially new and developing museums that house important fossil and geological collections. Scott has developed numerous multifaceted projects that bring together industry, philanthropy, multidisciplinary science and local communities to form long-term projects in palaeontology.
Scott also mentors and supervises undergraduate and postgraduate students through Honours, Masters, PhD and volunteer programs.
In 2005, Steve Parish published a book with Authors Dr Scott Hocknull and Dr Alex Cook
National Recognition
2008 Australia 2020 Summiteer
2003 Centenary Medalist
State Recognition
2015 Rising Stars of Queensland Science
2015 10 Best of the Best of Queensland’s 50 Top Thinkers 2009 Queensland’s 50 Best and Brightest
2002 Young Queenslander of the Year
2002 National Career Achiever
2002 Queensland Career Achiever
2002 Queensland Science & Technology Achiever
Science Communication and Research Awards
2010 Highly Commended Presentation AAA
2009 Riversleigh Medal Riversleigh Society
2005 Neville Stephens Medal Geological Society of Australia.
2007 Finalist, Eve Powell Award
2003 Finalist Eureka Awards
1998 Golden Key National Honour Society
1997 Student presentation Award CAVEPS
Projects
Current Projects
Geoheritage and Regional / Remote Community Relationships.
Project PAST (Prehistoric Australia Saving Tomorrow)
Gondwanan Inheritance
Australia: as an island
May 2023 ABC Article: "ACT scanner is changing our understanding of dinosaurs and the landscape of prehistoric outback Queensland":
Dr Scott Hocknull is listed on the wall of the Redcliffe Wall of Fame:
A collection of portrait and information honouring the achievements of individuals who have influenced and shaped Redcliffe. The collection is in the Jetty Arcade at 139-141 Redcliffe Parade.
For a complete list of people who appear on the wall click on the following blog post: