Rhoda Roberts facts for kids

Rhoda Ann Roberts is a highly respected Australian director, arts leader, TV presenter, and actor. Born in 1960, she is a proud Bundjalung woman and an Aboriginal elder, often called "Aunty Rhoda." She has held many important roles, including leading Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House from 2012 to 2021. Rhoda also helped start the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust in 1987. She has worked on television, produced radio shows, and created big cultural events like the Festival of the Dreaming. She was even a cultural advisor for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

Early Life and Learning

Rhoda Roberts was born in Sydney in 1959. She grew up in Lismore, where she finished Year 10. Later, she moved back to Sydney and became a qualified nurse in 1979.

Rhoda's Amazing Career

Rhoda Roberts helped create the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust (ANTT) in 1987. This group was formed after a big meeting of Aboriginal playwrights. The ANTT helped showcase Indigenous stories and talent. Rhoda has always admired her friend Lydia Miller, who also worked with the ANTT, for sharing knowledge about their culture. Rhoda also had the idea to start Welcomes to Country before events, which many arts groups now do.

In 1989, Rhoda became the first Indigenous person to present a show on prime-time TV with First In Line on SBS Television. The next year, she presented Vox Populi, a current affairs program. She also made documentaries for SBS.

From 1992 to 2014, Rhoda worked at Vibe Australia, an Indigenous media agency. She produced and hosted Deadly Sounds, a national radio show. She also worked for Network 10 and ABC Radio National.

Creating Big Festivals

In 1997, Rhoda started the Festival of the Dreaming, an Indigenous arts festival in Sydney. She was the artistic director until 2009. This festival was so successful that it led to her directing other large cultural events.

For the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Rhoda was the Indigenous Cultural Advisor. She was in charge of "The Awakening," the Aboriginal part of the opening ceremony. From 2008 to 2011, she was also the creative director for the Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations, which she considers a great achievement.

In 2012, Rhoda became the head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House. This special job was created just for her. She stayed in this role until 2021. While there, she hosted Deadly Voices from the House, a weekly program with live talks and a podcast.

Stage Shows and Performances

Rhoda has been involved in many stage productions:

• In 1988, she acted in Akwanso, Fly South, which toured different cities.
• In 1993, she co-starred in Radiance, a very important play that helped bring more Indigenous plays to the stage.
• She performed in a one-woman show called Please Explain in 1998 and created Bible Boxing Love, which toured in 2008.
• Rhoda directed the opera Miracle in Brisbane in 2009 and BodymARKS in 2010.
• In 2012, she wrote and directed Yarrabah the Musical for Opera Australia.
• Her production Natives Go Wild was shown at the Sydney Opera House in 2019.
• In 2024, Rhoda presented a new play called My Cousin Frank about her cousin, Frank, who was the first Aboriginal Australian to compete in the Olympics as a boxer. The play tells a family's story through tough times and celebrates their history.

Other Important Work

Rhoda has taken on many other roles and activities:

• She taught windsurfing from 1979 to 1982.
• In 2010, she was a consultant for the Garma Festival.
• After the musician Ruby Hunter passed away, Rhoda directed tribute concerts called Nukkan Ya Ruby. She is also an ambassador for the Archie Roach Foundation.
• She helped create Dance Rites, a dance competition for Indigenous dancers.
• Rhoda is the creative director of Rhoda Roberts Gallery & Events and the festival director of the Boomerang Festival at Byron Bay.
• She works as a consultant for many arts organizations, including NIDA and Opera Australia.
• Rhoda has also worked with museums and First Nations groups around the world.
• She has served on many important boards, helping guide groups like the Sydney Opera House Trust and Australia Day council.
• In 2024, she was appointed to First Nations Arts, a new part of the Australia Council that supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts.
• Rhoda has also written a novel called Tullymorgan.

Awards and Special Recognition

Rhoda Roberts has received many awards for her contributions:

• 1997: Sidney Myer Facilitator's Award
• 1998: Deadly Award for Broadcasting
• 2016: Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) – a very high honor for her work in the performing arts and promoting Indigenous culture.
• 2017: Centenary Sue Nattrass Awards
• 2019: Ros Bower Award from the Australia Council

Her image is held by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. Actress Deborah Mailman has praised Rhoda for her strong leadership and for opening doors at the Sydney Opera House for Indigenous people and their stories. In 2021, Rhoda was named the first elder-in-residence at SBS Television, where she guides and advises on Indigenous content.

Personal Life

Rhoda Roberts has three children. Her eldest daughter, Emily, is her twin sister Lois's biological daughter, whom Rhoda raised from birth.

Rhoda married actor Bill Hunter in 1993. They lived together and raised Emily. They later separated but remained friends.

Her current partner is Steven Field, a landscape designer. They have two children together, Jack and Sarah. They are building a home in Bundjalung country.

Rhoda also has a cousin named Frank, who was a champion boxer. The Roberts family was known as "the fighting family of Lismore" because many of them were boxers.