After graduating with a BSc in Materials Conservation from the University of Canberra, Australia, Thea worked as a conservator in the Hong Kong Museum of History, 1984-6, and the British Museum, 1986-1999.

Since then she has been a student in the School of Computing Science, University of Newcastle, and obtained a BSc in Information Systems and an MSc in System Design for Internet Applications.

Currently, she is doing a Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Peter Ryan.