Rhoda Roberts

Rhoda Ann Roberts (8 July 1959 – 21 March 2026) was an Australian theatre and arts director, arts executive, television presenter, and actress. She was head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House from 2012 until 2021. She was also a highly respected Aboriginal elder, being afforded the title "Aunty" (Aunty Rhoda). She introduced the term "Welcome to Country" in the 1980s, giving contemporary expression to an ancient custom, and originated the idea of performing the ceremony before significant cultural events, which gained widespread acceptance in Australia. Roberts' parents, a mixed-race couple, were politically active, and Roberts was taught Aboriginal culture by her Bundjalung / Widjabul father. Roberts first studied nursing in her home town in Lismore, New South Wales, qualifying as a nurse at Canterbury Hospital in Sydney in 1979, undertaking further studies in England, and working as a nurse in India and other countries. On her return to Sydney, she studied performing arts. Roberts was a co-founder of the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust in 1987. She became the first Indigenous Australian presenter on television in 1989, appearing on the SBS Television show First In Line; she later wrote for, produced, and presented work on television. She was a producer at the Indigenous media agency Vibe Australia from 1992 until 2014. During this time, was a co-founder of the Deadly Awards; founded the Festival of the Dreaming in 1997; and was cultural advisor for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. From 2008 until 2011, she was creative director for the Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations. She also acted in, wrote, and directed numerous stage productions, including a starring role in Belvoir's 1993 production of Louis Nowra's play Radiance. Her final performance, in December 2025, was in her own play, My Cousin Frank, about her cousin, boxer Frank Roberts,...