Meet the team

Joshua Davis began his independent consulting career as a sole trader in 2018 before establishing Trace Archaeology as a company in 2020. Since then, he has built it into Trace Enterprises — one of Western Australia's most respected multidisciplinary heritage, environmental and planning consultancies. As an archaeologist and anthropologist by training, Joshua brings deep technical expertise to the leadership of the firm alongside the commercial acumen and relationship-building capability that have driven its growth.

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Joshua has extensive experience conducting Aboriginal heritage surveys, ethnographic assessments and cultural heritage management across WA and the NT — and has built strong, trusted relationships with Aboriginal Corporations, Traditional Owner groups, Native Title Holders and the mining, development and government clients whose projects intersect with their country. His understanding of both sides of the heritage conversation — the cultural values at stake and the commercial and regulatory pressures on proponents — is central to how Trace operates.

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As CEO, Joshua focuses on business development, strategic growth and the expansion of Trace's national footprint. He is committed to building a firm that sets the standard for integrated heritage, environmental and planning consulting in Australia — not just in WA.

Katie has been part of the Trace Enterprises story since May 2021, when she stepped in to build the operational and financial foundations the business still runs on today. Drawing on many years of management experience, she established the systems and internal infrastructure that allowed Trace to grow from a small practice into a multidisciplinary consultancy spanning archaeology, ecology, and planning.

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Her influence is still felt across the business — in processes that run smoothly, finances that are kept in order, and a culture of doing things properly the first time. While Katie has stepped back from day-to-day operations, she remains a trusted sounding board and advisor, helping shape the direction of the company as it continues to grow.

Rochelle joined Trace Enterprises in 2021, bringing 30 years of executive-level experience to the role of COO. She spent 15 of those years managing a fast-paced aviation company in NSW, overseeing the planning, coordination, and execution of large-scale helicopter operations across remote sites throughout the state. Her work included importing multi-million-dollar aircraft and international crews to support government emergency services through the summer fire seasons — operations that depended on her ability to build and maintain strong working relationships across Federal, State, and Local Government.

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That background translates directly to Trace. Running complex, high-stakes operations in remote environments — with tight timeframes, multiple agencies, and no room for error — is exactly the skill set a multidisciplinary heritage and environmental consultancy needs. As COO, Rochelle oversees Trace's day-to-day operations, finances, and tendering, keeping projects running smoothly across all three of our service areas.

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Rochelle holds a Bachelor of Business from the University of Wollongong.

Sujan leads Trace's environmental practice as Principal Consultant and Manager. He is a field conservation ecologist by training, with more than 20 years' experience in ecology and conservation biology. His consultancy expertise spans fauna and flora surveys, targeted surveys for threatened and priority species, impact assessments on native species and ecosystems, habitat assessments, species monitoring, aquatic ecology, identification of indicator species for long-term monitoring programs, and project development and management.

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Before joining Trace, Sujan built a successful academic career in the United States as a biology professor and aquatic ecologist, with a strong record of published research. He holds a PhD in Environmental & Conservation Sciences from North Dakota State University, along with post-doctoral research experience. His work has centred on the ecology, conservation, and recovery of endangered species, and the ecology and management of invasive species — with field research taking him from North American deserts to South American tropical rainforests and the dry forests of South Asia.

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‍That fieldwork has given him deep, hands-on experience with birds, terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates, and tropical amphibians and reptiles, backed by strong skills in research design, statistical analysis, mathematical modelling, and technical writing. He remains an active researcher, contributing to collaborative projects on North American freshwater crayfish, South Asian reptiles and amphibians, and conservation policy in Ecuador and Sri Lanka.

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‍Sujan is also a committed citizen scientist, developing and leading projects that promote environmental stewardship among young people and the wider community.

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Sujan's Linkedin Profile: Click Here

Nikolai is Trace's Principal Consultant – Heritage, bringing more than a decade of experience delivering heritage, land access, and stakeholder engagement services across Western Australia's mining, energy, infrastructure, and government sectors.

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His career has spanned senior heritage and land access roles with both mining organisations and Native Title representative bodies — a dual perspective that's rare in the industry. He has worked closely with Traditional Owner groups, PBCs, government agencies, and project proponents to coordinate cultural heritage surveys, prepare ethnographic reports, manage heritage compliance, negotiate land access outcomes, and support culturally informed decision-making.

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Nikolai's expertise covers heritage survey planning and coordination, Aboriginal heritage legislation, Native Title processes, Cultural Heritage Management Plans, stakeholder engagement, and project risk management. He has contributed to major mining, renewable energy, and infrastructure projects across Western Australia and Queensland, and understands heritage management across the full project lifecycle — from early exploration and approvals through to operations, rehabilitation, and mine closure.

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He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology and Anthropology from the University of Sydney, a Diploma of Education, and a Diploma of Science in Land Rehabilitation — a combination that underpins his ability to communicate across diverse stakeholder groups, facilitate genuine consultation, and deliver heritage advice grounded in both technical expertise and cultural understanding. His focus is always on respectful, collaborative, and practical outcomes that balance cultural values with responsible development.

Cane is a qualified town planner and project manager with more than 30 years' experience across land use planning, subdivision, policy development, transport, infrastructure, sustainability, and research. His career has spanned the development of industry plans, policies, and strategies, alongside the management of complex projects through to implementation.

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What sets Cane apart is his deep working knowledge of government processes. Having spent decades navigating both strategic and statutory planning frameworks, he understands exactly what decision-makers need to see — and how to move an application or proposal through the system efficiently. For clients, that means planning advice grounded not just in what the regulations say, but in how approvals actually get done.

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At Trace Planning, Cane works with landowners, developers, and businesses on development applications, subdivisions, rezoning, and strategic planning matters, bringing the same rigour to a single-lot subdivision as to a regional strategy. He is driven by a genuine commitment to good planning outcomes — communities that are safe, sustainable, and well-designed, where development responds to real community needs rather than working against them.

Braden brings over two decades of research, teaching, and curatorial experience to his work in heritage and archaeology.

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He completed his Master of Professional Archaeology at the University of Western Australia in 2017. His thesis focused on the location and documentation of the material remains of the 6-inch guns at the Second World War-era coastal artillery battery at Bickley Point, Rottnest Island, combining archival research with fieldwork to reconstruct the site's wartime history. Following his postgraduate studies, Braden served as a curatorial assistant at the Australian Army Museum of Western Australia from 2017 to 2022, where he contributed to the care, interpretation, and presentation of military heritage collections.

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Before transitioning into archaeology, Braden built an extensive career in education, teaching English at Curtin University of Technology, the University of Western Australia, and the State University of New York. This background gives him a strong foundation in research communication, critical analysis, and the ability to translate complex technical findings into clear, accessible reporting — skills he now applies directly to heritage assessment and stakeholder engagement.

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Braden holds a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in History and English (2003), a Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (2006), and a Graduate Diploma in Communications (2012). Together, his academic training and professional experience across archaeology, museum curation, and education equip him with a well-rounded, detail-oriented approach to heritage investigation and documentation.

Olga is a botanist with more than a decade of experience spanning environmental consulting, the Western Australian Herbarium, and local government. She specialises in flora identification and applied taxonomy, underpinned by a deep understanding of plant biology, physiology, and ecology — the kind of expertise that comes from working with WA's flora at the state's foremost botanical institution.

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Olga has delivered flora and vegetation services across multiple WA bioregions, including targeted surveys for Priority and Threatened species, detailed site and vegetation assessments, and rigorous sampling and data collection. What sets her apart is what happens after the fieldwork: she is highly skilled in statistical analysis, data interpretation, vegetation mapping, and spatial investigation, turning field data into robust, defensible ecological reporting.

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Her taxonomic credentials are the real thing. Olga co-authored the formal description of Convolvulus pyrophilus, a post-fire ephemeral species, and contributed to an updated key to WA's Convolvulus species — both published in Nuytsia, the state's botanical journal. She remains active in taxonomic research, including current work on Gastrolobium phrase names.

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Olga holds a Bachelor of Science in Botany & Genetics from the University of Western Australia and a Diploma of Conservation and Land Management. Her earlier career as an engineer with Kazakhstan's national electricity grid operator instilled the structured planning, disciplined documentation, and cross-team coordination that now shape her methodical approach to project work.

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Known for her attention to detail, safety-first field practices, and calm reliability in remote environments, Olga is also an experienced mentor to team members and volunteers, and a natural collaborator within multidisciplinary project teams.

Anthony is an environmental scientist with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and Honours in Environment and Agriculture, where his research focused on native mammal behaviour. He brings a strong foundation in ecological restoration, environmental compliance, and data analysis, with early-career experience advancing habitat restoration projects and conducting ecological research to support sustainable land management across Western Australia.

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His hands-on experience with fauna runs deep — including the handling of native mammals, birds, and reptiles through extensive volunteer conservation work. Anthony is also a proficient GIS analyst, having delivered spatial products in both environmental consulting and Defence settings, giving Trace's ecological reporting a strong mapping and spatial analysis capability.

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Before moving into the environmental sector, Anthony served five years as a Reconnaissance Soldier in the Australian Defence Force. It's a background that translates remarkably well to ecological fieldwork: operating self-sufficiently in remote terrain, navigating difficult country, maintaining precision under pressure, and getting the job done safely regardless of conditions. Few consultants arrive on a remote survey site better prepared.

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Anthony combines that operational discipline with genuine scientific rigour, bringing a practical, solution-focused approach to every project — from fauna surveys and habitat assessments to spatial analysis and compliance reporting.

Emily brings a powerful combination of skills to Trace: formal training in cultural anthropology, proven experience in community engagement, and a professional background managing complex cultural projects. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from the Australian National University, where she specialised in First Nations art history, and is completing a Master of Social and Public Policy at Macquarie University, focused on evaluating service delivery to culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

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Her work is grounded in ethical site management, meaningful stakeholder engagement, and inclusive policy development. Across roles in local government and the non-profit sector, Emily has delivered heritage assessments, heritage reporting, public consultation programs, and service evaluation in multicultural settings — expertise that sits at the heart of Trace's heritage practice, where genuine consultation and cultural understanding drive project outcomes.

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Emily's earlier career in the arts saw her supporting Australian artists and coordinating international art fairs, sharpening her skills in strategic planning, community outreach, and curatorial logistics. Managing high-profile events, diverse stakeholders, and culturally significant material has given her a rare fluency in working at the intersection of culture, community, and delivery — exactly where heritage consulting lives.