She was the first non-matriculated mature-aged student to study at the Australian National University in 1973, and graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Arts. In 1975 Eatock attended the "Alternative Tribune to the International Women's Year World Conference" in Mexico City. From 1978 to 1981 she was a project officer in the Aboriginal Unit of the Department of Social Security, and she was also a lecturer at Curtin University (1991–92, community development) and James Cook University (1997, Aboriginal studies).