Elaine Crombie facts for kids

Elaine Crombie is an amazing Aboriginal Australian actress. She is well-known for her work on stage and television. Elaine is also a talented singer, songwriter, comedian, writer, and producer.

Early Life and Learning

Elaine Crombie is a Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara woman. Her family comes from South Australia. When she was just six weeks old, her mother, actress Lillian Crombie, moved to Sydney. Lillian wanted to follow her dreams in acting.

Elaine and her brother were raised by her mother's foster parents in Port Pirie. Lillian and her brother were part of the Stolen Generations. This was a sad time when many Aboriginal children were taken from their families.

As a teenager, Elaine had some tough times. She left high school at 16. Then, she went to Adelaide University to study music. She attended the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music. After two years in Adelaide, she moved to Brisbane. There, she met her father, famous rugby league player Sam Backo, for the first time.

In Brisbane, Elaine continued her studies. She spent 18 months at the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts.

Her Acting Journey

Elaine's big break came when she got a part in The Sunshine Club. This play was directed by Wesley Enoch. It toured around Queensland and played at the Sydney Opera House in 2000. In 2003, she toured England. She performed in The Cherry Pickers. This was the first play written by an Aboriginal person.

After performing in Sydney and Brisbane, Elaine started a family. She had two sons. After her second child was born, she went through a difficult time. She decided to move back to South Australia with her boys. They lived there for several years. They also spent time in Sydney for her acting jobs. By 2016, they had been living near Wollongong for two years.

Elaine has appeared in many TV shows. One of her first roles was in 8MMM Aboriginal Radio in 2015. This was a comedy about an Aboriginal radio station. She also played Kitty in Kiki and Kitty in 2017. You might have seen her in Black Comedy or as Bev in Top of the Lake.

She also acted in the movie Top End Wedding (2019).

In 2019, Elaine created her own show called Janet's Vagrant Love. It premiered at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Two years later, she performed a simpler version at the Adelaide Fringe. The show combined personal songs and stories. She described it as being about "Love, loss, childhood trauma & raising blak men".

Elaine also helped host the National Indigenous Music Awards 2020 in Darwin.

She starred in a touring play called The 7 Stages of Grieving. This play was directed by Shari Sebbens. It was supposed to happen in 2020. But it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. It finally toured in mid-2021. It was performed in Sydney, Adelaide, and Canberra. The show ended with a special message. Elaine and the directors encouraged the audience to take "seven actions of healing".

In 2022, Elaine performed in Wudjang: Not the Past. This was a Bangarra Dance Theatre production. It premiered at the Sydney Festival. It then toured to Hobart and Adelaide. Also in 2022, Elaine directed a play called Bungambrawartha. This was in Albury-Wodonga.

In early 2024, Elaine played Gindara in Baleen Moondjan. This show was part of the Adelaide Festival. It was created by Stephen Page. The performance took place on a huge stage. It had giant "whalebones" on the beach at Glenelg. It combined dance, storytelling, and songs. The songs were in English and Aboriginal languages.

Awards and Recognition

Elaine has won some important awards!

• In 2019, she won the Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. This was for her role in Barbara and the Camp Dogs.
• In 2020, she won the Dreamtime Award for Actor of the Year.

Other Important Roles

Elaine also works behind the scenes. She is a First Nations Organiser for the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). This group helps people in media and entertainment.

She is also on the First Nations Advisory Committee. This committee is part of the South Australian Film Corporation. It helps guide projects by First Nations people.

Documentary About Elaine

In 2019, a short documentary film called Crombie Crew was made. It was part of a series called Deadly Family Portraits. This film focused on Elaine and her mother, Lillian. It showed their lives and connection.