Therese Apolonio

Ms Therese Apolonio is a researcher at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and research co-ordinator for the Indigenous Land and Justice Research Group. As a first-generation settler of Filipina descent, her work focuses on Aboriginal land restitution, renewable energy potential on Aboriginal land, and climate justice. She holds an honorary appointment at the Centre for the Advancement of Indigenous Knowledges, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), after serving as a research officer there from 2018–2023.

• Education: BA (First Class Honours in History) and BSc in Psychology from the University of Sydney (2018)
• Current Projects: Funded by the James Martin Institute ($125,000) and Boundless ($75,000) to explore renewable energy opportunities on NSW Aboriginal land estates

Her research interests intersect Aboriginal governance, land/water rights, treaty-making, climate adaptation, and the history/philosophy of science. She collaborates with Local Aboriginal Land Councils, government, and industry stakeholders, and contributes to policy analysis and media coverage of Aboriginal political narratives. Awards include the 2018 Charles Trimby Burfitt Prize for Australian pre-1900 historical research.

She is affiliated with the UNSW Environment & Society Group, Australian Historical Association, First Nations Clean Energy Network, and NSW Decarbonisation & Innovation Hub. Research activities include archival/oral history work for NSW State Library exhibitions, coordination of the Yaliwunga Indigenous Research Program for students, and editorial assistance for publications like Does the Media Fail Aboriginal Political Aspirations?