Rhoda Roberts facts for kids

Rhoda Ann Roberts AO (born 1959) is an Australian actress, director and arts executive.

Early life and education

Born in Canterbury Hospital in Sydney in 1959, 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.

Career

Roberts co-starred with Rachael Maza and Lydia Miller in Belvoir Street Theatre's 1993 production of Louis Nowra's play Radiance.

In 1989, she presented the SBS Television program First In Line along with Michael Johnson. Roberts was employed as presenter of Vox Populi, an SBS Television program, in 1990, becoming the first Indigenous Australian to present a prime time current affairs program.

In 1995 she founded the Festival of Dreaming and was its director until 2009.

Roberts has been Head of Indigenous Programming at the Sydney Opera House since 2012.

Recognition

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".

She was honoured with one of the 2017 Centenary Sue Nattrass Awards presented at the 18th Helpmann Awards.

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.

Penny Tweedie's image of Roberts is held by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.

Personal life

Was married to actor Bill Hunter from 1993 to 1999. Roberts married Steven Field, and they have three children.