Rhoda Ann Roberts AO (born 1959) is an Australian actress, director and arts executive.
Rhoda Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rhoda Ann Roberts 1959 (age 64–65) Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Spouse | Steven Field |
| Children | 3 |
Early life and education edit
Born in Canterbury Hospital in Sydney in 1959,[1] Bundjalung woman Roberts grew up and completed Year 10 in Lismore, then moved back to Sydney, where she qualified as a nurse at Canterbury Hospital in 1979.[2][1]
Career edit
Roberts co-starred with Rachael Maza and Lydia Miller in Belvoir Street Theatre's 1993 production of Louis Nowra's play Radiance.[3]
In 1989, she presented the SBS Television program First In Line[4] along with Michael Johnson.[5] Roberts was employed as presenter of Vox Populi, an SBS Television program, in 1990,[6] becoming the first Indigenous Australian to present a prime time current affairs program.[7]
In 1995 she founded the Festival of Dreaming and was its director until 2009.[8]
Roberts has been Head of Indigenous Programming at the Sydney Opera House since 2012.[2][9]
Recognition edit
Roberts was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours for "distinguished service to the performing arts through a range of leadership and advocacy roles in the development, promotion and presentation of contemporary Indigenous culture".[10]
She was honoured with one of the 2017 Centenary Sue Nattrass Awards presented at the 18th Helpmann Awards.[11][12]
In September 2021, Roberts was named as the inaugural elder-in-residence at SBS Television. The new position, in which the office-holder is intended to be a "guide and counsel" on Indigenous content, had an initial term of one year, with the possibility of a two-year extension.[13]
Penny Tweedie's image of Roberts is held by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.[2]
Personal life edit
Was married to actor Bill Hunter from 1993 to 1999. Roberts married Steven Field, and they have three children.[14]
References edit
- ^ a b "The power of creation". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 December 2008. Archived from the original on 20 June 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
- ^ a b c "Rhoda Roberts, b. 1960". National Portrait Gallery people. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "Radiance". AusStage. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ Baker, Candida (25 January 2019). "'I want to teach our knowledge. I want to bridge the gap'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
- ^ Ginsburg, Faye (1994). "Embedded Aesthetics: Creating a Discursive Space for Indigenous Media". Cultural Anthropology. 9 (3): 365–382. ISSN 0886-7356.
- ^ Ien Ang, Gay Hawkins, Lamia Dabboussy (2008). The SBS Story: The Challenge of Cultural Diversity. University of New South Wales Press. pp. 52–54. ISBN 9780868408392. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Sundays on ABC TV - Meet the Panellists:Rhoda Roberts". ABC Television. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2003. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
- ^ "Rhoda Roberts AO". Live Performance Australia. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ "No Aboriginal Disadvantage". Sydney Opera House. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
- ^ "Ms Rhoda Ann Roberts". It's An Honour. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
- ^ "2017 Centennary Sue Nattrass Award | Helpmann Awards". 26 April 2018. Archived from the original on 26 April 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ Macklin, Helen (17 July 2018). "Bluesfest congratulates Boomerang curator Rhoda Roberts on outstanding achievement award". The Music Network. Retrieved 7 January 2021.
- ^ Slatter, Sean (20 September 2021). "Rhoda Roberts named inaugural SBS Elder in Residence". IF Magazine. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
- ^ Pendergast, Kirra (2 February 2016). "People to know – Rhoda Roberts". Common Ground North Coast. Retrieved 11 July 2021.
External links edit
- Rhoda Roberts at IMDb
- Elder In Residence Oration 2023 on SBS on Demand (video, 51 mins)
