Mary Graham

Mary Graham

Biography

ADJUNCT ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MARY GRAHAM (UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND)

Dr Mary Graham is an Adjunct Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Queensland. She grew up in South-East Queensland, and is a Kombu-merri person through her father’s heritage and a Wakka Wakka clan through her mother’s heritage. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Mary has worked across several government agencies, community organisations and universities. Mary has been a dedicated lecturer with the University of Queensland, teaching Aboriginal history, politics and comparative philosophy. Mary has written and published many prominent works, including – publications in the Aboriginal Encyclopaedia, training modules for Cross Cultural Awareness and a host of academic papers.

Presentations and Publications

Featured Paper

  • Graham, Mary (2023). ‘the law of obligation, aboriginal ethics: australia becoming, australia dreaming’. parrhesia (37) pp 1-21. Download article.

Featured Recording

Listen to Mary Graham speaking, as part of the Greenprints Exchange Workshop Series, about Indigenous philosophy and the relationist ethos.

  • Rights of Nature (2020) – Tuesday October 13 – 6pm to 7.30pm AEST- ONLINE – Public lecture – Dr Michelle Maloney (AELA) and Mary Graham (Future Dreaming, UQ, Blackcard) – “Rights of Nature, Earth jurisprudence and Caring for Country – an Australian approach to Earth Laws”. https://www.earthlaws.org.au/events/rights-of-nature-2020/
  • Workshop Series (2020) – “Connecting to Place, Caring for Country”.  During 2020 we hosted an online workshop series which focused on how human relationships with the living world can form a foundation for broader societal change and governance stability. By bringing together Aboriginal philosophy and law, with Western critiques of the current governance system, the workshop explored how ancient and emerging place-based approaches can offer an effective, practical, compassionate and successful future for Australia. The webinars featured Mary Graham, Adjunct Associate Professor of Philosophy at UQ and Kombumerri person, Ross Williams – a Bindal/Juru man and social activist and Dr Michelle Maloney, National Convenor of AELA. – https://www.earthlaws.org.au/our-programs/future-dreaming/
  • Peace and Stability Dialogue, (2019, November) – AELA and Future Dreaming co-hosted an innovative dialogue event with UQ, led by Mary Graham, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Queensland and Kombumerri person. Please visit the Dialogue Series webpage for more information.
  • Earth Arts (2018, June). AELA hosted a 4 day Earth Arts workshop for 20 non-indigenous artists, which included a day’s session with Mary Graham, to increase the understanding of First Nations culture and wisdom by non-indigenous people.
  • Auntie’s Lilla Watson & Mary Graham. (2017) https://triplea.org.au/listen/programs/lets-talk/aunties-lilla-watson-mary-graham/
  • Everything Is Connected: Mary Graham Plenary On Indigenous Conceptions Of Governance. (2017) https://www.greeninstitute.org.au/indigenous-conceptions-governance/
  • Indigenous Conceptions of Governance. (2017) https://ipan.org.au/talk-by-dr-mary-graham-indigenous-conceptions-of-governance/
  • Peoples’ Tribunal (2016). In October 2016, AELA hosted the first Australian Peoples’ Tribunal for Community and Nature’s Rights. Tribunal Panelists included First Nations Peoples representatives Professor Irene Watson and Adjunct Associate Professor Mary Graham, and included a case presented by traditional custodians of the Mardoowarra/Fitzroy River (WA). Read more information about the Tribunal.
  • Mary Graham: On Contemporary Aboriginal culture. (2014) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG_y0z6UmqU
  • Mary Graham: Aboriginal Communities in South East Queensland. (2014) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zj4SAsPBAE
  • Mary Graham in conversation with Richard Fidler. (2013) https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/07/09/3799094.htm
  • Good Culture and Precariousness. Six talks by Mary Graham. (Date Unknown)  http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/good-culture/participants/mary-graham/
Mary Graham – Earth Ethics (2017)
Mary Graham and Lesley van Moelenbroek: On Women in Aboriginal Communities. (2016)
Mary Graham, Community Worker: Biographical Interview. (2016)
Mary Graham, Co-Chairperson Murri Mura Aboriginal Corporation: On Ashington. (2016)
Achieving equity for children and families through community capacity building. Mary Graham (2016)
Mary Graham: On Autonomy. (2015)
Mary Graham: On Contemporary Aboriginal Culture (2014)
Mary Graham: Aboriginal Communities in South East Queensland (2014)
2013 Mary Graham on a Treaty. (2013) (excerpt)
2013 Lilla Watson and Mary Graham on being Australian (2013)

Journal Articles

  • Graham, M. (2023). ‘the law of obligation, aboriginal ethics: australia becoming, australia dreaming’. parrhesia (37) pp 1-21. Download article. Also available via the Parrhesia Journal.
  • Johnson, M., Brigg, M., & Graham, M. (2016). Pearson and Responsibility: (Mis-)Understanding the Capabilities Approach. Australian Journal of Politics & History, 62(2), 251–267. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajph.12248
  • Graham, M. (2014) ‘Aboriginal notions of relationality and positionalism: a reply to Weber’. Global Discourse: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Current Affairs and Applied Contemporary Thought, 4, 1: 17-22. https://doi.org/10.1080/23269995.2014.895931
  • Graham, M. (1999). Some Thoughts about the Philosophical Underpinnings of Aboriginal Worldviews. World Views Environment Culture Religion 3(2):105-118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156853599X00090

Book Chapters

  • Graham, M. & Maloney, M. (forthcoming 2023). A City of Good Ancestors: A Relationalist View of Urban Governance and Design. In Foth, M. et al. (Eds.) Designing More-than-Human Smart Cities: Beyond Sustainability, Towards Cohabitation, Oxford University Press.
  • Graham, M., & Maloney, M. (2019). Caring for Country and Rights of Nature in Australia: A Conversation between Earth Jurisprudence and Aboriginal Law and Ethics. In La Follette, C. & Maser, C. (Eds.) Sustainability and the Rights of Nature in Practice. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429505959
  • Graham, M., Brigg, M. & Walker, P. (2011). Chapter 4. Conflict Murri Way: Managing through Place and Relatedness. In Brigg, M., & Bleiker, R. (Eds.) Mediating Across Difference: Oceanic and Asian Approaches to Conflict Resolution (pp. 75-99). Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780824860967-006

Online Articles

Graham, M., & Meehan, A. (2020). Ancient Economic Foundations. In Align the Sound. https://soundcloud.com/behind_the_lines_98_3/ancient-economic-foundations-mary-graham-aimee-meehan-nena20-2


Bayles, M. (host). (2020, April 10). Dr Mary Graham – Professor, University of QLD (audio podcast). In Black Magic Woman. https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/black-magic-woman/id1505283659?i=1000471138041


Lowe, I. & Graham, M. (guests). (2018, September 26). Critical Parameters for the New Economy (audio podcast). In The Regen Narration. https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/026-critical-parameters-for-the-new-economy


Graham, M. (guest). (2018). Indigenous Conceptions Of Governance (audio podcast). In Align in the Sound. https://soundcloud.com/behind_the_lines_98_3/2-mary-graham-indigenous-conceptions-of-governance


Graham, M. (guest). (2013, January 22) Indigenous elder Mary Graham describes the essence of Indigenous perception (audio podcast). In Conversations with Richard Fidler. https://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2013/01/22/3674244.htm

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