Geof Hill discusses the provenance of research supervision practice and the authors' practitioner provenance that led us into initiating the community of practice. Geof holds a Reader position in the School of Education (HELS). Previously he held a Senior Researcher position as Coordinator of Research Supervisor professional development at Queensland University of Technology (Australia). He facilitated online and face-to-face communities of practice for academics to help them advance their understanding and practice of research supervision. This field of inquiry emerged from his doctoral inquiry into Higher Education Degree Research practices and, over the course of his tenure in this position. He instigated a new online professional development program for research supervisor professional development at Queensland University of Technology. He led an online professional development program for research supervisors in Southern Cross University Graduate School of Management.