Lillian Crombie facts for kids

Lillian Crombie (1958 – 3 January 2024) was an amazing Aboriginal Australian actress and dancer. She was known for her work on stage, in movies, and on TV.

Early Life and Training

Lillian Crombie was born in 1958. She belonged to the Pitjantjatjara/ Yankunytjatjara people from central Australia. When she was seven, she was taken from her parents and never saw them again. She grew up in a loving home with foster parents in Port Pirie, South Australia.

Lillian started her dance training at the Port Pirie Ballet School. At 16, she won a scholarship to Dance Concert Limited in Sydney in 1975. There, she learned and performed many cultural dances. In the same year, she also took a dance and drama course at the National Black Theatre in Redfern.

In 1976, she was one of the first students to join the National Aboriginal and Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA). Soon after, she joined their performance group, the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT).

Lillian then won another scholarship to study at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. She also trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) and the Eora Centre. She learned modern dance, jazz ballet, and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance.

Acting and Dance Career

In 1977, Lillian toured with AIDT on its first international tour to Nigeria. She performed alongside other talented dancers like Wayne Nicol and Michael Leslie.

Lillian met film director Baz Luhrmann at NIDA in 1983. Later, she got a role in his 2008 movie Australia.

In 1988, Lillian was part of a four-woman dance troupe called the African Dance Group. They performed a show called AKWANSO (Fly South) at the Adelaide Festival of Arts. The show featured stories of racial prejudice, followed by a dance by all four women.

Other Important Work

After her brother passed away, Lillian started The Lillian Crombie Foundation (TLCF) in 2015. This foundation helps people who need to travel for "Sorry Business". "Sorry Business" is about attending funerals, grieving, and healing. The foundation offers money, emotional support, and culturally respectful care. Lillian was inspired to start it when a friend couldn't afford to travel home for her mother's funeral.

In October 2020, Lillian started dance workshops for children in Port Pirie. These workshops taught classical ballet, hip hop, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance, and drama. She planned to open the Lillian Crombie School of Dance and Drama.

Lillian also planned to create a documentary film and a book about her life.

Personal Life

Lillian Crombie was a survivor of the Stolen Generations. This was a sad time when many Aboriginal children were taken from their families. She was the mother of actress Elaine Crombie. Lillian had some health issues and needed kidney dialysis. She passed away on January 3, 2024, at 66 years old.

In 2019, a short TV documentary called Crombie Crew was made. It was part of a series called Deadly Family Portraits and focused on Lillian and her daughter Elaine.

Awards and Recognition

In 2019, Lillian Crombie received the Equity Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award. She shared this award with Ningali Lawford-Wolf. Wesley Enoch, a well-known theatre director, called her "a pioneer of Australian Theatre." He said she helped make it possible for many Indigenous stories to be told.

Performances

Lillian Crombie performed in many theatre productions. These include shows with Company B at the Belvoir Street Theatre and the Sydney Theatre Company. She also performed with Bangarra Dance Theatre in Clan and in Rainbow’s End at Riverside.

Film and Television Roles

Lillian Crombie appeared in several films and TV shows:

• The Place at the Coast (1987) - Mrs. Lundy
• Ring of Scorpio (1990) TV
• Deadly (1991) - Sally
• Jindalee Lady (1992)
• The Secret Life of Us (2003)
• Lucky Miles (2007) - Evie
• Days Like These (2007 telemovie) - Mum
• Double Trouble (2008) - Milly (13 episodes)
• Australia (2008) - Bandy Legs