Graham Faichney obtained his BAgrSc from Melbourne University. He went to Sydney University to obtain an MScAgr before returning to Melbourne University to study for his PhD. While there, he was appointed Lecturer in Animal Husbandry for two years while his supervisor was overseas. After obtaining his PhD, he went to the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland, for a post-doctoral year and returned to Australia to continue his research on the nutritional physiology of sheep and cattle with CSIRO in Sydney. He was awarded the degree of DAgrSc by Melbourne University for his published work.

He spent three sabbatical periods overseas, one in Cambridge, England and two in Theix, near Clermont-Ferrand, France, and reached the level of Chief Research Scientist in CSIRO. He has been a member of the National Committee for Nutrition, Australian Academy of Science; a member of the NSW Government's Animal Welfare Advisory Committee; a member of the Nutrition of Ruminants Committee of the International Union of Nutritional Sciences; a member of the CSIRO Greenhouse Mitigation and Adaptation Task Force; a member of the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Livestock Working Group; consultant to the Bureau of Resource Sciences, DPIE, on methodologies for the assessment of greenhouse gases from ruminants.

On leaving CSIRO when it changed its focus to short term commercial outcomes, he was appointed as an Honorary Research Associate in Biological Sciences at Sydney University to advise graduate students undertaking research into the nutritional ecology of native animals. His particular interest was in the tree-living leaf-eaters, i.e. Koalas, Greater Gliders, Ringtail Possums and Brushtail Possums.

He was involved in establishing the Nutrition Society of Australia and served for three years as its National Secretary and Newsletter Editor and for three years as its National President. He is an Honorary Member and a Fellow of the Nutrition Society of Australia and he is a Fellow of the Australian Society of Animal Production.