Jane studied for an undergraduate degree in Anthropology at the University of Western Australia, graduating in 1979. Jane worked on cave sites in south west Australia for the Western Australian Museum and became interested in archaeology. Jane completed her PhD at the Australian National University in 1990. Her research focuses on early Indigenous groups in Australia, gendered social organisation, and the discipline of archaeology. Jane has authored a wide range of journal articles, a textbook Archaeology in Practice: A Student Guide to Archaeological Analyses with Alistair Paterson, and the edited volumes Gendered Archaeology with Wendy Beck, and More Unconsidered Trifles : Papers to Celebrate the Career of Sandra Bowdler. A review of Archaeology in Practice states that “It is rare that a book is written as a text book but also provides an important contribution to the discipline and this volume deserves this dual recognition.” Jane has been strongly involved with the Australian Archaeological Association, serving as secretary and chair of the Australian National Committee for Archaeology Teaching and Learning.