Francis Markham

Francis Markham is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR) at the Australian National University. His work focuses on integrating critical geographic theory with quantitative methods, particularly Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to address Indigenous public policy challenges. Current research examines the Indigenous-settler wealth gap linked to historical dispossession and intergenerational wealth transfers.

Research interests include Indigenous social/economic policy, political economy of Australian settler-colonialism, commercial gambling industries, and spatial analysis of policy impacts. He collaborates extensively with First Nations organizations to ensure research benefits Indigenous communities.

Key publications analyze energy transition disparities, language-wellbeing connections, and gambling policy impacts. His work appears in journals like Nature Energy and Social Science and Medicine.

Francis has led/co-investigated 20 projects since 2015, including evaluations of Closing the Gap methods, OCHRE Local Decision Making frameworks, and Indigenous water rights. Current projects include a 3-year study on Indigenous wealth disparities (2024-2027).

Notable contributions include critiques of remote area allowance policies, analyses of incarceration spending, and submissions to parliamentary inquiries on Indigenous Voice and environmental justice.