Jack Golson

Jack Golson AO (13 September 1926 – 2 September 2023) was a British-born Australian archaeologist who carried out extensive field work in Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia.

In 1954, he lectured at the archaeology department of Auckland University in New Zealand where he began studies on pre-history in the Pacific Islands.

[2] In 1957, he carried out the first systematic survey of archaeological remains on Savai'i island in Samoa.

[3] In 1961, he was appointed Fellow in Prehistory at the Australian National University[4] and carried out research in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

[6] In the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours Golson was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for "service to education, particularly in the fields of pre-history and archaeology research in Asia and the Pacific Region".

Golson excavating in Vailele , north coast of Upolu island in Samoa , 1957. Visiting the site are members of the I'iga Pisa family.
Jack Golson at ANU in 1987 after receiving Terra Australis 12, 'Early Tongan Prehistory' by Jens Poulsen, from the printer.