Professor Bindi Bennett
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Professorial Research Fellow
Campus
Mt Helen Campus
Biography
Dr Bindi Bennett (she/her) is a K/Gamilaroi woman, mother and social worker and is a Professorial Research Fellow at Federation University living, playing and working on Jinibara lands.
She is a social justice scholar, a compassionate radical and activist requesting transformational change who is committed to improving and growing cultural responsiveness, re-Indigenising Western spaces, understanding and exploring Indigenous Knowledge Systems in research and exploring the human-animal bond.
More about Bindi
Qualifications
- PhD, Australian Catholic University
- Bachelor of Social Work, Australian Catholic University
- Graduate Certificate in Indigenous Research and Leadership, University of Melbourne
- Certificate in Adolescent Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry (Sydney)
Areas of interest
- Social justice
- Transformational change
- Growing cultural responsiveness
- Re-Indigenising Western spaces and curriculum
- Human social and emotional wellbeing
- Exploring Indigenous Knowledge Systems in research
- Exploring the human-animal bond
- Natural disasters
- AI Governance
- Simulation based learning and cultural safety
- Climate justice and Indigenous wellbeing
- Neurodiversity-affirming practice
- Re-Indigenising
Areas of expertise
Bindi is an experienced PhD supervisor and PhD, ARC and MRFF assessor in the areas of cultural responsiveness, alienation and stigma consciousness, social and emotional wellbeing, intersectionality and culturally safe care.
Grants
- 2025: Evaluation of Department of Families, Fairness and Housing Strengthening Qualification Pathways into Specialist Family Violence Work Project ($40,000)
- 2025: Evaluation of VACCHO’s Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation Social and Emotional Wellbeing Traineeship Pilot program ($80,324)
- 2025: Australian Centre for Student Equity and Success, established First Nations position UNE, Manna, First Nations Network ($49,000)
- 2025: The Peregrine Center The Lighthouse Program extension ($90,774)
- 2025: Australian Research Council Indigenous Discovery (IN260100020),” What makes a Culturally Responsive First Nations Mental Health Program?” ($436,214)
- 2025: The Peregrine Center “Co-Designing a Dog Wellbeing Program: Bridging Gaps in Mental Health Support for Indigenous Children in Remote Communities” ($44,448)
- 2025: NHMRC MRFF Mental health research “A community-based mental wellbeing and preparedness program for fire, drought and extreme weather events” ($996,269)
- 2024: Department of Families, Fairness and Housing “Strengthening qualification pathways to specialist family violence work” ($1,000,000) 
- 2024: MRFF TCR Climate-related health impacts and effective interventions Project title 'Building Climate Resilience and Protecting Mental Health: A Community-based Preventative Mental Health Intervention for Bushfire, Drought and Extreme Weather Events to improve health outcomes' ($5,000,000.00)
- 2024: The Peregrine Center Project title 'The Lighthouse Program' ($50,784)
- 2024: Kendall Grants Program Project title ‘Global Perspectives on LGBTQ= Affirming Practice’ ($10,000)
- 2023: Australian Research Council Indigenous Discovery (IN230100002) Project title:Utilising Simulation to develop culturally responsive social workers ($751, 596)
- 2020: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Project Title: Building emancipatory practice and theory: Indigenous and anti-oppressive perspectives in international, decolonizing dialogue ($343,915)
- 2020: QLD CorrectionsProject Title: Developing an evidence-informed and culturally safe treatment program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males convicted of sexual offences ($245,000)
- 2019: USC First Year grants Project Title: Enhancing First Year Social Science Students' Well-being, Empowerment, Learning Outcomes and Retention by Enabling Professional Identity and Transformative Agency (TAFFY), (A181183). USC ($30,000)
- 2018: Australian Research Council Discovery Indigenous (IN180100023) Project Title:Cultural responsiveness: measuring and evaluating social work practice ($373,754)
- 2017: Recipient of an Endeavour Indigenous Scholarship Project Title: Investigating the use of horses in therapy ($27,500)
- ($30,000) 2016: ACU learning and teaching Project Title:Indigenous curriculum leadership
- 2015: ACU Faculty of Health Sciences New Unit funding Project Title:Developing specific resources for SWTP 318 Working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples ($11,000)
Awards
- 2025: British Journal of Social Work Editor’s Choice: Bindi Bennett, Donna Baines, Mareese Terare, Amanda Howard. (2025). Emancipatory decoloniality as leadership in social service organizations: Insights from indigenous and anti-oppressive yarnings, The British Journal of Social https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcaf104
- 2024: “Decolonization and trauma-informed truth-telling about Indigenous Australia in a social work diversity course: a cultural safety approach” published in vol.33 (3) of Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work Best Paper
- 2023: Wiley top cited article “Indigenous food sovereignty assessment-A systematic literature review”
- 2023: Australian Research Council (ARC) College of Experts
- 2019: University of Sunshine Coast: Vice-Chancellor and President’s Award for Excellence in Research (Early Career Researcher)
- 2017: Endeavour Indigenous Scholarship Award
- 2016: FHS Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Learning and Teaching (Early Career) for ’the provision of expertise in Indigenous curriculum development in social work by improving specialized resources, developing assessment tools, case studies and a dedicated Indigenous unit’
- 2015: ASW most read article in 2015: Bennett, B. (2015). 'Stop Deploying Your White Privilege on Me!' Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement with the AASW. Australian Social Work, 58(1), pp19–31
- 2011: Norm Smith Award for Research Publication in Social Work for publication: Bennett, B., Zubrzycki, J., Bacon, V. (2011). What do we know? The experiences of social workers working alongside Aboriginal people. Australian Social Work, Special Edition, Social Work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Vol. 64, No.1, 20–37
Current
- PhD student, Federation University, ‘Aboriginal LGBTIQSB+ Social and Emotional Wellbeing: Re-making engagement with us at the centre’, supervisor.
- PhD student, Federation University, ‘Intersectionality in Assisted Reproductive Treatment – a First Nations Perspective’, supervisor.
- PhD student, Federation University, ‘A Teaching Guide for Australian Health Professionals on providing culturally-safe care to First Nations Australians’, supervisor.
Specialist roles
- 2024: Ordinary Director, board of the Australian Association of Social Workers
Professional association memberships
- Board of the Australian Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW)
- AASW National Research Committee (2022–2024)
- Orygen First Nations Advisory Board
- Indigenous Allied Health Australia
- National Research Committee AASW
- Manna First Nations Advisory Group
- Bennett, B. (2025, May 16th). Emancipatory Decoloniality as Leadership in Social Service Organisations: Insights from Indigenous and Anti-Oppressive Yarnings [Keynote address]. From oppression to decolonization: Reclaiming Sovereignty for indigenous social work, Taiwan. 
- Bennett. B. & Dalziel, M.V. (2024). We are our own Experts {Newsletter}. The National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth  and Justice. Federation University. Utilising Simulation to Develop Culturally Responsive Social Workers.
- Bennett. B. & Bodkin-Andrews, G. (2021). Continuous Improvement Cultural Responsiveness Measurement tools. Retrievable from https://www.bindibennett.com/
- Bennett, B. (2021). Journal Editorial Policies and Guidelines: Publication of content pertaining to Indigenous peoples. AASW editorial board. University of the Sunshine Coast.
- Moore, T., Bennett, B., & McArthur, M. (2007). They've Gotta Listen: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Young People in Out Of Home Care. Institute of Child Protection Studies.
- Baines, B, Bennett, B., & Lee, B. (Host). (2025). Yarning about Yarning – Knowledge Mobilization in an International Decolonizing Dialogue (No.11) [Audio podcast episode]. In The Knowledge Exchange - A Partnership-In-Action podcast. https://blogs.ubc.ca/swkx/episodes/episode-11/
- ‘Empowering rural communities facing climate disasters’ (2024). Available at https://www.federation.edu.au/about/news/news/empowering-rural-communities-facing-climate-disasters/
- Bennett, B. (2024) Social Work Leaders: Celebrating Excellence of PhDs, Australian Association of Social Workers event.
- Baines, D., Bennett, B., Kendal, B & McGhie. T. (2024) Emancipatory Dialogue: Indigenous & Anti-Oppressive Decoloniality Worldviews. Video one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=K9rVaC9lf7A&feature=youtu.be
- Baines, D., Bennett, B., Kendal, B & McGhie. T. (2024) Emancipatory Dialogue: Indigenous & Anti-Oppressive Decoloniality Worldviews. Video two. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6_WN8AB3uoQ&feature=youtu.be
- Bennett, B. (2024). YarninBlack, Girrayway Ganyi Consultancy
- Bennett, B. (2023). Shaping the next Wave of research. Available from https://www.federation.edu.au/about/news/news/shaping-the-next-wave-of-research/
- Bennett, B & Baines, D (2023).. Decolonizing Social work. The critical Social Worker.
- Bennett, B. (2023). The Whale: A Blak Perspective. Indigenous. Available at https://indigenousx.com.au/the-whale-a-blak-perspective/
- Bennett, B. (2023). A call out to the Allies. School of Social Work, The University of British Columbia. Available at https://socialwork.ubc.ca/news/a-call-out-to-the-allies/
- Bennett, B. (2022). Future for Indigenous higher education. Campus Morning Mail
- Bennett, B. (2022).The Courage to feel uncomforatble: what Australians need to learn to achieve real reconciliation. The Conversation. Available at https://theconversation.com/the-courage-to-feel-uncomfortable-what-australians-need-to-learn-to-achieve-real-reconciliation-183914
- Bennett, B & Menzel, K. (2021). University student reviews provide a place for anonymous racism: is it time for univerisities to stop?. School of Social Work, The University of British Columbia. Available at https://socialwork.ubc.ca/news/university-student-reviews-provide-a-place-for-anonymous-racism-is-it-time-for-universities-to-stop/
- Bennett, B. (2021). “Nothing about us without us: social work with Aboriginal peoples”. Macmillan International Higher Education (MIHE) Blog.
- Bennett, B. (2021). “Being an Aboriginal academic-it’s like the Hunger Games’. School of Social Work, The University of British Columbia. Available at https://socialwork.ubc.ca/news/sowk-blog-being-an-aboriginal-academic-its-like-the-hunger-games/
- Bennett B. (2020) “If I’m not at the table I’m on the menu”. The University of Sydney SSHARC research. Available at https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/news-and-events/news/2020/09/24/not-at-table-on-menu.html
- Bennett, B. (2019). ‘Working with Aboriginal Peoples', The Social Work Toolkit, Red Globe Press, London.
- Bennett, B. (2018). ‘Horses can help facilitate wellbeing for Aboriginal peoples’ Indigenous X. Available at https://indigenousx.com.au/bindi-bennett-horses-can-help-facilitate-wellbeing-for-aboriginal-peoples/#.WnzrsnaWaUk
- ‘Equine therapy can help Aboriginal university students’. Shorthouse, J. (2018). ABC. Available at https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-02-09/equine-therapy-for-first-nation-people/9415596
- Bennett, B. (2018). ‘Social worker using horses to attract Indigenous Australians to study’ 7 News Sunshine Coast.
- Bennett, B. (2018). ‘Equine therapy ‘could help our indigenous’ Sunshine Coast Daily.
National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth and Justice
Bindi is a member of the The National Centre for Reconciliation, Truth and Justice leadership team. Established in February 2023, the Centre is Australia’s leading academic reconciliation think tank. Read about their research team, projects and annual lectures.
- Publications
The How of Doing Decoloniality in Social Work: Indigenous and Antioppressive Yarning
- Journals
- DOI reference: 10.1080/0312407X.2025.2547734
The Lighthouse Project: A Nurse Led Co-Design Online Educational Strategy for Supporters of Rural and Regional Children with Unmet Mental Health Needs in Australia
- Journals
- DOI reference: 10.1080/01612840.2025.2605642
Self-love is not going to fix us or the colony: Reclaiming fat Blak embodiment
- Journals
- DOI reference: 10.1080/21604851.2026.2635232
Editorial: Exploring digital mental health solutions for domestic violence victims in the post-pandemic era
- Journals
- DOI reference: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1816776
Creating Visual Artefacts for First Nations Peoples: Addressing the Gaps in AI-Generated Visual Depictions of Diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
- Journals
- DOI reference: 10.1080/14443058.2026.2653232