Kurt is an active member of the archaeological community in Australasia, and includes membership with the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, the New Zealand Archaeological Association and the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Kurt’s PhD research focused on British colonial vessels dated between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with specific interests in shipwright behaviour, technology, hull assembly and vessel development.

Other areas of interest include, ship abandonment sites, shipwreck recording methodologies, in situ preservation, site formation studies and underwater cultural heritage management. For publications, see https://flinders.academia.edu/KurtBennett

He has both led and participated in a multitude of varying archaeological projects ranging from assessments and surveys through to complex maritime and terrestrial excavations both domestically and internationally.

As part of the archaeological process there is significant focus on documenting sites and artefacts to retain valuable information that would otherwise be lost. Matthew has, as a function of his employment, undertaken archaeological recording of artefacts and sites. He has then disseminated information to the public to ensure that information is made freely available; most recently Te Nihinihi Mission Station, the HMS Buffalo and school presentations about Maritime archaeology as a discipline.

Matthews research spans multiple areas within archaeology, most recently concentrating on Swedish fishing structures, early NZ Mission Stations.

His major interests within maritime archaeology are public outreach, GIS mapping, remote sensing, documentation, site formation processes and in-situ preservation of archaeological sites.