Justine Saunders facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Justine Saunders
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![]() Saunders in a scene from TV series Number 96.
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Born |
Justine Florence Saunders
20 February 1953 Quilpie, Queensland, Australia
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Died | 15 April 2007 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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(aged 54)
Years active | 1974–2002 |
Awards | Order of Australia Red Ochre Award |
Justine Florence Saunders (born February 20, 1953 – died April 15, 2007) was a famous Australian actress. She acted in plays, TV shows, and movies. She was a proud member of the Woppaburra people, an Aboriginal group from Great Keppel Island in Queensland.
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Justine Saunders: Her Acting Career
Justine Saunders started her acting career in plays. She first appeared on TV in 1974 in a show called Rush. She became well-known in 1976 for her role as Rhonda Jackson in the TV show Number 96. Her character, Rhonda, stood up for the rights of Indigenous Australians. Later, in 1986, she became even more famous as Pamela Madigan, a social worker in the TV series Prisoner.
She also appeared in other TV shows like Skyways, Women of the Sun (1981), Farscape, Blue Heelers, and MDA. Her movie roles included The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith and The Fringe Dwellers.
Awards and Recognition
In 1991, Justine Saunders received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). This award honored her great work in acting. It also recognized her help in setting up important Aboriginal theater groups. These groups included the Black Theatre and the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust.
In 2000, she returned her medal. She did this to show her strong feelings about how the government was talking about the "Stolen Generation". This was a difficult time for her family, especially her mother.
Justine Saunders also received other awards for her talent. In 1985, she won the first-ever Aboriginal Artist of the Year award. In 1999, she was given the Red Ochre Award from the Australia Council for the Arts. This award celebrates the lifetime achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Her Early Life
Justine Saunders was born near a railway track. When she was 11 years old, she was taken from her mother, Heather. This happened as part of what is known as the Stolen Generation. She was moved to Brisbane and placed in a convent. Her mother, Heather, did not know where Justine was for over ten years. Heather spent a long time trying to find her daughter.
Justine Saunders passed away from cancer in April 2007. She was 54 years old.
Film and TV Appearances
Justine Saunders acted in many different TV shows and movies. Here is a list of some of her roles:
Title | Year | Role |
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Rush (TV series) | 1974 | Werowey |
Essington (TV movie) | 1974 | |
Ben Hall (TV series) | 1975 | Jununji |
Lukes Kingdom (TV series) | 1976 | Aboriginal girl |
Number 96 (TV series) | 1976 | Rhonda Jackson |
Pig in a Poke (TV series) | 1977 | Maureen |
The Cake Man (TV movie) | 1977 | |
The Death Train (TV movie) | 1978 | Greg's wife |
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (film) | 1978 | Nancy |
Against the Wind (TV miniseries) | 1978 | Ngilgi |
Top Mates (TV series) | 1979 | |
Skyways (TV series) | 1979 | Flight attendant Helen Smith |
Women of the Sun (TV miniserial) | 1981 | Mérida Anderson |
Silent Reach (TV miniseries) | 1983 | Allison Burnie |
Chase Through the Night (TV movie) | 1983 | Mary |
Mail Order Bride (TV movie) | 1984 | Iris |
Charleys Web (TV movie) | 1986 | Joan Lynch |
The Fringe Dwellers | 1986 | Mollie Comeaway |
Prisoner: Cell Block H (TV series) | 1986 | Pamela Madigan |
A Country Practice (TV series) | 1987 | Brenda Dwyer - episode part 1 and 2; Birds of Prey |
The First Australians (TV series) | 1988 | Co-presenter |
Touch the Sun: Top Enders (TV movie) | 1988 | Elva |
Until the End of the World | 1991 | Maisie |
G.P. | 1992 | Dolly |
The Flying Doctors | 1989-1992 | Bessie (1989)/Magistrate Krum (1992) |
Jindadee Lady | 1992 | |
Heartland (TV mini-series) | 1994 | Millie Carmichael |
House Gang | 1996 | President of Australia |
The Tower (TV movie) | 1997 | Louise |
The Violent Earth (TV mini-series) | 1998 | Aunt Junie |
Farscape (TV series) | 2000 | Altana |
Blue Heelers (TV series) | Annie Baker | |
MDA (TV series) | 2002 | Ruby McKinnon |