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.

Australasian Association of Philosophy AAP, ‘Mary Graham – Metaphysical Identity: Time For An Australian Philosophy?’ (YouTube, 9 September 2025)
UQ Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, ‘The Hunt for an Australian Philosophy: A Conversation with Mary Graham & Stephen Muecke’ (YouTube, 17 May 2025)
UQ Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, ‘Holding, Thoughts on Body and Country, in Place: A Conversation with Mary Graham & Ariel Salleh Pt.2’ (YouTube, 17 May 2025)
UQ Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, ‘Holding, Thoughts on Body and Country, in Place: A Conversation with Mary Graham & Ariel Salleh Pt.1’ (YouTube, 17 May 2025)
Australian Earth Laws Alliance, ‘Indigenous philosophy and ‘Relationist Economics’ with Mary Graham’ (YouTube, 12 September 2023)
ANU TV, ‘Coral Bell School Inaugural Annual Lecture on Indigenous Diplomacy’ (YouTube, 7 March 2023)
Australian Philosophy Research Group, ‘Aboriginal Political Philosophy: A Conversation with Mary Graham & Morgan Brigg’ (YouTube, 2 May 2022)
CASSE NSW Inc, ‘Adjunct Assoc Prof Mary Graham’s presentation at the Online Workshop of April 23rd’ (YouTube, 29 April 2022)
The Royal Society of Victoria, ‘The Land and its Laws of Obligation’ (YouTube, 31 March 2021)
Mary Graham – Earth Ethics (2017)
 Cross-Cultural Working Group on ‘Good Culture’ and Precariousness, ‘Mary Graham, Victoria Gallagher and Fiona Rowley: Women and Community’ (YouTube, 15 June 2016)
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

  • Mary Graham and Morgan Brigg, ‘Indigenous International Relations: Old Peoples and New Pragmatism’ (2023) 77(6) Australian Journal of International Affairs 590, doi:10.1080/10357718.2023.2265847
  • Morgan Brigg and Mary Graham, ‘Holding Contradictions: Toward the Lawful Carriage of Indigenous Diplomacy’ (2023) 77(6) Australian Journal of International Affairs 682, doi:10.1080/10357718.2023.2275707
  • 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.
  • Morgan Brigg and Mary Graham, ‘Approaching First Nations Diplomacy from the Australian Continent’ (2023) 77(6) Australian Journal of International Affairs 585, doi:10.1080/10357718.2023.2265849
  • Morgan Brigg, Mary Graham and Martin Weber, ‘Relational Indigenous Systems: Aboriginal Australian Political Ordering and Reconfiguring IR’ (2022) 48(5) Review of International Studies 891, doi:10.1017/S0260210521000425
  • Edward Synot, Mary Graham, John Graham, Faith Valencia-Forrester, Catherine Longworth and Bridget Backhaus, ‘Weaving First Peoples’ Knowledge into a University Course’ (2021) 50(2) The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education 222, doi:10.1017/jie.2019.29
  • 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

  • Mary Graham and Michelle Maloney, ‘A City of Good Ancestors: A Relationalist View of Urban Governance and Design’ in Marcus Foth et al (eds), Designing More-than-Human Smart Cities: Beyond Sustainability, Towards Cohabitation (Oxford University Press, 2023) 241, https://doi.org/10.1093/9780191980060.001.0001
  • Mary Graham and Morgan Brigg, ‘Indigenous Public Policy Futures: A Manifesto for Relationalist Public Administration’ in Nikki Moodie and Sarah Maddison (eds), Public Policy and Indigenous Futures (Springer Nature Singapore, 2023) 13
  • 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

‘First Law and Songlines’ The Other Others (Spotify, 22 April 2021) https://open.spotify.com/episode/3q0WY4VBhhs38iHTtTA3Nd.

‘Stability, security and survival: a conversation with Mary Graham’ The Philosopher’s Zone (ABC Radio National, 11 December 2024) https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/philosopherszone/stability-security-and-survival-mary-graham/104459060

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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