o - P ac ific ▁region . ▁ ▁Education ▁O ' Con nor ▁studied ▁arch ae ology ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁New ▁England ▁( Austral ia ) ▁and ▁graduated ▁with ▁hon ors ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁She ▁further ed ▁her ▁studies ▁at ▁the ▁ ▁University ▁of ▁Western ▁Australia ▁where ▁she ▁received ▁her ▁Ph D ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁ ▁Career ▁O ' Con nor ▁was ▁a ▁ ▁lect urer ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Western ▁Australia ▁( U WA ) ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 9 4 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 4 , ▁she ▁accepted ▁a ▁research ▁fellow ship ▁at ▁Australian ▁National ▁University ▁( AN U ) ▁in ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Arch ae ology ▁and ▁Natural ▁History . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁she ▁was ▁promoted ▁to ▁the ▁Head ▁of ▁the ▁Department ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁was ▁made ▁a ▁full ▁Professor . ▁ ▁O ' Con nor ▁has ▁conducted ▁arch ae ological ▁projects ▁in ▁the ▁Northern ▁Territ ory ▁of ▁Australia , ▁Kim ber ley ▁( West ern ▁Australia ) ▁Indones ia , ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea ▁and ▁Tim or ▁L este . ▁Her ▁research ▁find ings ▁have ▁demonstrated ▁the ▁first ▁evidence ▁of ▁ancient ▁people ▁living ▁in ▁ ▁the ▁Kim ber ley ▁region ▁over ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago . ▁Her ▁investig ations ▁have ▁also ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁earliest ▁indic ation ▁for ▁rock ▁art ▁production ▁in ▁Australia ▁ ▁Import ant ▁arch ae ological