Rhoda Roberts | |
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Born | Rhoda Ann Roberts 1959 (age 64–65) Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1986–present |
Spouse | Steven Field |
Children | 3 |
Rhoda Ann Roberts AO (born 1959) is an Australian actress, director and arts executive.
Born in Canterbury Hospital in Sydney in 1959,[1] 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.[2][1]
Roberts co-starred with Rachael Maza and Lydia Miller in Belvoir Street Theatre's 1993 production of Louis Nowra's play Radiance.[3]
In 1989, she presented the SBS Television program First In Line[4] along with Michael Johnson.[5] Roberts was employed as presenter of Vox Populi, an SBS Television program, in 1990,[6] becoming the first Indigenous Australian to present a prime time current affairs program.[7]
In 1995 she founded the Festival of Dreaming and was its director until 2009.[8]
Roberts has been Head of Indigenous Programming at the Sydney Opera House since 2012.[2][9]
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".[10]
She was honoured with one of the 2017 Centenary Sue Nattrass Awards presented at the 18th Helpmann Awards.[11][12]
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.[13]
Penny Tweedie's image of Roberts is held by the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.[2]
Was married to actor Bill Hunter from 1993 to 1999. Roberts married Steven Field, and they have three children.[14]