Fiona Foley

Fiona Foley is an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland's School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry and a Principal Research Fellow (DECRA). She maintains a dual career as both an academic historian and a leading contemporary artist with national and international recognition. Her work bridges scholarly research and artistic practice to explore Indigenous Australian history, particularly focusing on colonial policies and their ongoing impacts.

Her research interests center on Indigenous perspectives on Australian colonial history, with particular focus on the Queensland Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act (1897). Foley explores how art functions as political act, truth-telling mechanism, and memorial practice, with significant attention to frontier wars, Aboriginal resistance, and the politics of commemoration. Her work demonstrates how Indigenous knowledge systems challenge dominant historical narratives and contribute to national reconciliation processes.

Analyzing her publication record reveals consistent engagement with themes of Indigenous sovereignty, colonial violence, and artistic resistance across multiple formats including scholarly monographs, journal articles, and public commentary. Her work spans historical analysis, art criticism, and political commentary, demonstrating how creative practice and academic research can work together to address Australia's colonial past and present.

Major Awards & Recognition:

• Queensland Premier's Award for a Work of State Significance (2021) for Biting the Clouds
• Highly Commended, NSW Premier's Literary Awards (2022)
• Elected Honorary Fellow, Australian Academy of the Humanities
• Recipient of ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA)

Foley actively supervises graduate students working on projects related to Indigenous history, truth-telling, and artistic practice. Her current ARC-funded DECRA project Investigating the Agency of Aboriginal Frontier War Memorials examines how memorial practices can unite conflicting versions of Australian history. She has received multiple research grants including funding from the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund for projects on art, knowledge, and Indigeneity in university settings.

As both an academic and practicing artist, Foley maintains connections between scholarly research and public engagement through her artwork collections in major institutions including The British Museum and the Hood Museum of Art. Her 50 solo exhibitions and 175 group shows have brought Indigenous historical perspectives to global audiences, demonstrating the power of art to communicate complex historical narratives beyond academic contexts.