The stay is being supported by sponsorship from the Rotary Club of Hamilton Victoria and the Rotary Club of Durham.
A connection has also been forged with the Rotary Club of Deniliquin.
''I'm from Western Victoria. I grew up on a farm at Hamilton,'' Ball said.
''The Hamilton Rotary Club are like my sponsors, with the Rotary global scholar system. They sponsored me to go off to the UK and complete my PhD out of Durham University (in Northeast England, almost Scotland).''
Ball, who completed an undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne, is a self-proclaimed “bit of a city kid, but I come from the country as well''.
As a Rotary Global Grants Scholar, Ball is conducting field work for a PhD thesis in anthropology.
“This is the field work where I'm collecting the data that will be turned into a thesis,.
“I think the easiest way to describe my thesis is I'm interested in how rural communities are negotiating change.
“Thinking about how like the weather is changing and, as a result, how farming is changing and how politics is changing in rural Australia and how people's values and thoughts about the future are kind of shifting.''
“This is a type of anthropology. Anthropology being like the study of how people make meaning in the world and how culture changes.''
The researcher believes rural Australia deserves more academic attention.
“I think rural Australia is a little bit under researched, and I think that there's a lot of value to be gained.
“I think that people are actually coping with a lot of extreme weather and a lot of fluctuations in the economy really well so I think there's a lot of value from understanding how communities like Deniliquin are coping with change.''
Ball arrived in September, and will spend a full year in Deniliquin.
“I'll be here until about October next year, so a full year to see the seasons change and see the whole process.''
The Riverina's irrigation systems are of particular interest to Ball.
“Also the Riverina, for me, is like a real side of curiosity because I don't come from irrigation.
“The dynamic between irrigation, water policy, farming and rural economies is really interesting to me.''
Ball has already been impressed by the local community's adaptability.
“I'm pretty impressed with the ingenuity of people. I think people are taking a lot of really different approaches responding to environmental issues and water issues, there's a real creativity.''
Through connections with the Rotary Club of Deniliquin, Ball has been able to participate in local service work and community activities.
“Rotary has been my main contact, and they have been incredibly generous hosting me here.
“Every person is a connection to another person, so I'm just meeting people as I go and building a sense of how community networks are connected here.''
Ball has already joined various local organisations, including the film society and women's community garden.
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