Personal Story

Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue41 1–30 June 2023

I grew up in Brisbane, Queensland, before moving to Canberra last year to complete my Honours at ANU. Canberra is a lot colder than I’m used to – I get a lot of use out of my blue Kathmandu puffer jacket (I bought it before I was informed that black puffers are the Canberra uniform). The things I miss most from home are the warm sunny weather, my family and friends, and probably most of all, my two Burmese cats. 

Before moving to Canberra, I completed my Bachelor of Science degree at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), majoring in Physics. I have always been interested in solving puzzles, and thinking as deeply as possible about any given topic. I’ve found ways to do these things through various avenues in my life, but one of the ways is through research. I was encouraged by my physics teacher in Highschool to apply for an astrophysics research project at QUT. I attended an all-girls school, and was one of three students in my physics class, so undertaking this research project in Grade 12 was extremely eye-opening for me. It was the first time I realised that you could do astrophysics as a job.

I am now studying my PhD at the RSAA (in collaboration with the CSIRO), working with Dr. Craig Anderson, Prof. Naomi McClure Griffiths, Dr. Jackie Ma, and Dr. Alec Thomson (CSIRO). I am fortunate to have such a supportive supervisory team, and I am very lucky to be involved in the emerging and exciting field of radio polarimetry. I love learning about magnetic fields in and around radio galaxies, and in galaxy groups. I met Naomi and Jackie during a research project I undertook in the CSIRO astronomy department in the Summer of 2021. After my Physics degree, I was torn between pursuing research in material physics or astrophysics, so I applied for the CSIRO project to help me make my decision. The project was in radio astronomy, using pulsars to search for ‘extreme scattering events.’ It was while I was in Sydney at the CSIRO that I fell in love with radio astronomy, so I asked around about pursuing my Honours in it. Someone recommended that I speak with Naomi, so I got in contact with her about studying my Honours at ANU. In the end, I was fortunate to receive the RSAA Bok Honours Year Scholarship, and had about a week to get back to Brisbane from Sydney and move to Canberra to start my Honours. It was an intense time, but I have no regrets about my decision, and I am excited to see what opportunities arise during my PhD.

Outside of research, I enjoy bouldering, sketching, and playing music. I play the guitar and ukulele, and I am currently learning to play the drums. I am passionate about doing my part to encourage others to pursue their interests in research, regardless of their background. I have been fortunate to meet inspiring role models that have shown me what I could be capable of. I hope to be a role model for others, and I try to do that through my tutoring role at ANU and my role on the RSAA IDEA committee. 

Sarah Bradbury