Dennis Foley identifies as a Koori; his matrilineal connection is Gai-mariagal of the Guringah language group, and his father is a descendant of the Capertee/Turon River people, of the Wiradjuri.
He completed his doctoral thesis at the University of Queensland. He has lectured across a broad range of disciplines that include Indigenous Australian studies, visual art, literature, history, education, government and business studies. He has been a Fulbright scholar and the recipient of numerous academic awards and scholarships. In 2009, part of Professor Foley's life story was featured in the National Museum of Australia's exhibition From Little Things Big Things Grow: Fighting For Indigenous Rights 1920-1970.
