VU lecturer Gary Foley is a renowned Aboriginal activist, writer, historian and performer.

"As a young man, I suffered from prejudice – I was expelled from school at 15. But I stood up for what I believed in, and after decades of being an activist for my people, and gaining my honours degree and extensive teaching experience, I’m now a confident academic, soon to complete my own PhD.

Lectures always are performances. It’s just that some of us are better at it than others … and only some of us get our own one-man show at the Sydney Opera House!

What I love about VU is that not only is it flexible and innovative, I find the demographic of students here very interesting to teach. For our new arrivals, the Aboriginal stories are relatable to their own experiences of displacement.

I tell my students to go out and change the world."

Read more of Foley’s story in VU’s Connections Magazine.

Position

Lecturer, Indigenous Education

Find out more about Indigenous studies courses at VU