Rhoda Roberts, a Visionary Arts Leader and Cultural Advocate, Dies at 66
Rhoda Roberts, a Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung Nation, a prominent arts leader, broadcaster, and cultural advocate, has died at the age of 66. She passed away peacefully in hospital on Saturday afternoon after a seven-month battle with ovarian cancer.
Roberts was recognized for her significant contributions to Australian arts and media, including formalizing the term "Welcome to Country" and her work promoting First Nations cultures.
Early Life and Education
Born on July 8, 1959, in Camperdown, Sydney, Rhoda Roberts was raised in Lismore, northern NSW, on Bundjalung Country. She was a twin, born to Frank Roberts, an Aboriginal pastor and civil rights activist, and Muriel (née Fleming), a non-Indigenous artist. Her parents faced challenges marrying due to the Aboriginal Protection Board, and Roberts experienced racial discrimination, including "color bars," during her childhood in Lismore. Her father, a key figure in the 1967 Referendum and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, encouraged his children to maintain their cultural knowledge.
Roberts completed Year 10, becoming one of the first Indigenous students in her area to do so. Initially aspiring to be a writer and journalist, she pursued nursing after facing discouragement for university study. After being initially denied nursing training locally, she was accepted in Sydney, qualifying as a registered nurse in 1979. She then worked in emergency nursing in London for five years.
Media and Broadcasting Career
Upon returning to Australia, Roberts became involved in the arts and media. She volunteered at Radio Redfern and, in 1989, became one of the first Aboriginal presenters on prime-time Australian television, co-hosting SBS's "First in Line." She later hosted "Vox Populi," becoming the first Aboriginal person to host a prime-time current affairs program, and co-founded "Deadly Sounds" in 1992, a radio program that ran for 21 years. Roberts also presented ABC radio show "Awaye!" and television programs "A Sense of Place" and "A World of Difference." She served as SBS's first Elder-in-residence.
Contributions to Indigenous Arts and Culture
Roberts dedicated her career to promoting and preserving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, focusing on language, dance, and ceremony.
"Welcome to Country"
In the 1980s, she introduced and formalized the term "Welcome to Country," giving modern significance to the traditional ceremony for acknowledging Indigenous custodianship of land. She established protocol manuals for the arts industry related to this practice.
Arts Leadership
In 1988, Roberts co-founded the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust. She launched the Dreaming festival/Garrabadu in 1995 and served as director of the Festival of the Dreaming in 1997.
Sydney Opera House
In 2012, she was appointed the inaugural head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House, a position she held for nine years. During this tenure, she initiated Dance Rites, a First Nations dance competition, and supported the inclusion of Bangarra Dance Theatre and The Deadly Awards.
Sydney Olympics
Roberts served as creative director for the Indigenous segment "Awakening" for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony.
Other Works
Her work included producing "Yarrabah the Musical" with Opera Australia, directing the Boomerang festival, and becoming creative director of the Parrtjima festival of light in Alice Springs in 2017. She also wrote a one-woman play, "My Cousin Frank," focusing on her relative and Australia’s first Aboriginal Olympian, boxer Frank Roberts.
Personal Life and Recognition
In 1994, Roberts became the guardian of her niece, Emily, following her twin sister Lois’s car accident. Her marriage to actor Bill Hunter ended in 1998. In 2011, Lois disappeared, and her remains were later found, with her death remaining unexplained.
For her distinguished service to the performing arts, leadership, advocacy, and promotion of contemporary Indigenous culture, Roberts was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2016. She served on numerous boards throughout her career.
Rhoda Roberts is survived by her partner, Stephen Field, and her children, Emily, Jack, and Sarah.