As the daughter of Charles Perkins, Rachel Perkins grew up in a politically active family. She regularly took part in demonstrations and dicussions on Aboriginal affairs. Perkins began her media career in Alice Springs working for the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA). In 1991 she moved to Sydney to work for SBS Television where she produced a number of documentaries including the award-winning Blood Brothers.
In 1995, Perkins was awarded the first Indigenous scholarship to study producing at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS). She has subsequently worked for the Australian Film Commission and as a film director.
In 2011, Perkins was awarded the Australian International Documentary Conference Stanley Hawes Award in recognition of her contribution to documentary filmmaking in Australia.