Ray Kerkhove (PhD University of Qld 2002) is currently Historian-in-Residence at Noosa, and (since 2017) a historian associated with the University of Queensland's Aboriginal Environments Centre (Dept of Architecture). In 2017 and again in 2018, he was a Visiting Fellow at Griffith University's Harry Gentle Resource Centre, which focuses on pre-1859 Queensland heritage.

Ray Kerkhove's expertise is Indigenous historical landscapes and material culture, especially of southern Queensland. This includes reconstructing conflict (battle) sites and tactics.  Ray also sometimes writes on religious history.

Ray has contributed to Native Title Connection Reports, tertiary textbooks (e.g. World History Made Graphic, Griffith University 1995), maps and educational kits. He regularly provides research, texts and themes for state and regional exhibitions, public artworks, town master plans, major developments, public signage and cultural revitalization projects. This includes the nationally-touring Gubbi Gubbi canoe project, Sunshine Plaza,  Sunshine Coast Airport, Port of Brisbane, Bulimba Barracks, Destination Brisbane, Kingsford Smith Drive, Toowoomba (Second Range) Crossing, South Bank, VIctoria Park, Life in Irons (Museum of Brisbane), and trails and signs for Picnic Point (Toowoomba) and Glasshouse Mountains. 

In 1985, Ray Kerkhove began work in Indigenous culture/history as research assistant for FAIRA (Foundation for Aboriginal & Islanders Research Action). In 1994, he devised and ran short tertiary courses on SE Qld Aboriginal culture, world religions and other topics for ACE colleges and University of Queensland. In 2002, he began working as a historian-researcher.

In 2007, Ray co-founded ICP Australia Inc, a non-for-profit organisation to assist and manage Indigenous cultural/ historical initiatives.  ICP Aust Inc brought over 30 projects to fruition, including public exhibitions, language revival, cultural excursions, books, school kits, film & DVD productions, and state-wide events. These included Bringing Kitchener Home, Wangkumarra Stories, and Heart of Earth (a Quilpie exhibition).  The organisation won the coveted 2011 Governor’s Award (Gold) National Trust of Queensland Award and 2009 Finalist placing in the Telstra Reconciliation Qld Awards for its community work with Aboriginal families. 

Since 2011,  Kerkhove has largely worked as an independent consultant, contributing to various short documentary films and historical themes for major developments in southern Queensland. For the Harry Gentle Resource Centre, he completed the first website mapping Aboriginal resistance in southern Queensland and worked on documenting unknown early explorers.

He recently published two books: Aboriginal Campsites of Greater Brisbane (2015) and The Battle of One Tree Hill (2019).

Kerkhove's other focus of religious history and religious art was part of his university studies. In the 1990s, he lived at and visited Meher Baba centres in Australia and India and wrote a number of booklets and articles on the Meher Baba movement.

From 2002 to 2004, Ray undertook archival research and oral interviews of over 80 religious groups, towards comprehensively mapping the Sunshine Coast's religious history. This work culminated in his book Soul Havens (2003),  a regional map, and an annual multi-faith arts exhibition with Noosa Regional Gallery.

Ray Kerkhove was Member of the Sunshine Coast Council's heritage advisory committee and RADF (arts) committee from 2011 to 2014. Secretary of (Brisbane Southside History Network 2013-2014, and President of Q-Earth Inc - a collective of heritage professionals 2013-2014.
He is currently an executive (ordinary) Member of PHAQ, a Member of the Royal Queensland Historical Society, Australian Historical Association and several other bodies.
Phone: 0417192169
Address: 57 Pears Street Keperra Q 4054