Sharyn Graham Davies
This month we are very pleased to feature the wonderful Sharyn Graham Davies, Director of the Herb Feith Indonesian Engagement Centre at Monash University.
From now on, we will only be featuring paid-up / subscribed members of IC so if you want to be featured, please sign up as a member 😊
Tell us about yourself!
I’m happy to share that I’ve fulfilled my Indonesian obligation — I’m married and mum to a 17-year-old son and a 15-year-old daughter. It’s been fascinating tracking my own journey with Indonesia: I first went at 19 as a single woman, returned at 31 as a wife, and now visit as a mum. Each phase has brought a different connection to the country.
Where does your interest in Indonesia stem from?
Growing up in Tassie, I was curious about the wider world and keen to understand what learning another language could reveal about a different culture. Indonesian was a serendipitous choice — it was the only language offered at the Launceston campus of the University of Tasmania — but it turned out to be perfect!
What is the nature of your engagement with Indonesia – are you an academic, a professional, an alumni?
I’m an academic, but I also love touristing when I can get leave! My visits are often linked to official university work, but my favourite moments are when I’m simply being an ethnographer, hanging out and observing life.
Have you ever been to an Indonesia Council Open Conference and if so, what is your fondest memory?
If memory serves, my first ICOC was the very first ICOC at the University of Melbourne in 2001, halfway through my PhD. Having just come full circle and attended the 2025 ICOC at the same venue, it’s still as special as ever. A bittersweet element is how wonderful it is to have so many Indonesians attending now, but also sad to see fewer Australians learning about or engaging deeply with Indonesia.
How do you think organisations like Indonesia Council can improve Australia-Indonesia relations?
At its core, the Council builds community. Advocating for the importance of Indonesia in Australia can feel like an endless uphill battle, but organisations like this remind you that you’re not alone in the effort.
What are some of the challenges and opportunities in the Indonesia-Australia relationship?
Tough to keep this under 100 words! The opportunities are vast — jobs, fun, friendship. The challenges stem largely from a lack of mutual understanding: Indonesians don’t often look south, and Australians frequently overlook Indonesia in favour of countries seen as more globally significant. We need to look at each other more closely and consistently.
Tell us about your favourite Indonesian food experience.
Coto Makassar! I think the first time I tried it I had no idea what was in it (probably not a bad thing) but it was delicious. It’s still a must-have every time I visit Makassar.
Do you speak Indonesian, and where did you start learning it?
Yes — I started learning in March 1994! So I’ve been speaking Indonesian longer than most of my PhD students have been alive but still have an annoying Aussie accent.
What’s your favourite Indonesian food and why?
Gado-gado. There’s just something about vegetables with peanut sauce — it’s a winning combination every time.
What’s your favourite Indonesian music, song, or writer?
I’d love to give a shout-out to my dear colleague and poet, Yacinta Kurniasih. Her poetry is political, critical, and feminist — I especially love her poem Be a Poet.
What’s your favourite Indonesian idiom?
Sambil menyelam minum air — I love this one. It’s about making the most of a bad situation: “while drowning, drink water”!
PAY IT FORWARD: What is the worst place you’ve visited in Indonesia – and why?
It has to be Pekanbaru (or as I call it, Fekanbaru) (Ed: wkwkwkw). It was my first trip to Indonesia in 1994 and I arrived by boat and bemo from Singapore. During a bemo stop in Pekanbaru, the driver offloaded someone’s bags — including mine — and forgot to put my rucksack back in. I arrived in Padang for a two-month language intensive with nothing but the clothes on my back. It turned out to be a crash course in Indonesian fashion and bartering, including getting fitted for a beautiful orange outfit to attend a wedding in Bukit Tinggi (see photo).
Suggest a Pay It Forward question for the next edition!
Can’t remember if we’ve had any toilet questions lately, but if not: What’s the most interesting toilet/bathroom/restroom experience you’ve had?