Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise tonight to honour the memory and life of Rhoda Roberts AO, a Bundjalung Widjabul Wia-bal elder whose presence, voice and spirit shaped not only the Northern Rivers but the cultural life of the entire nation. Rhoda was born in 1959 and raised on Bundjalung country, where her deep connections to land, culture and community were formed. That connection became the foundation of everything she did. Even as her work took her on to the national and international stages, she remained grounded in where she came from.

Rhoda's extensive career spanned several decades and encompassed a wide range of roles across broadcasting, performing arts, cultural policy and community leadership. She contributed to major national and international projects, and her expertise was sought across government, media and the arts sector, where she provided guidance on cultural policy, programming and community engagement. Many came to know Rhoda through her work in broadcasting, particularly as the first Aboriginal person to host a prime time current affairs show on SBS. At a time when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives were rarely represented in mainstream media, she played a critical role in bringing those voices into the national conversation. She helped to highlight Indigenous perspectives, challenging audiences to listen more deeply and think more honestly about the country we share. Rhoda's work in television and radio was characterised by clarity, integrity and a commitment to truth-telling.

Rhoda's work not only created space for Indigenous artists and perspectives but also reshaped institutions themselves. Rhoda Roberts was a pioneering force in the development and promotion of Indigenous arts and culture in Australia. She held numerous leadership roles in major cultural institutions and was instrumental in reshaping the way these institutions engage with First Nations artists and communities.

Of course, as we know, Rhoda coined the term 'welcome to country' in the 1980s, initially for the arts sector and then indeed for the wider community, an important protocol that is now rightly observed right across the nation. She also worked as a creative director for the Sydney Olympics Awakening ceremony in the year 2000, and was appointed the inaugural head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House in 2012. Her work with major festivals, including as a creative director for the New Year's Eve celebrations from 2008 until 2011, helped elevate First Nations voices into some of the country's biggest stages. And, of course, on the New South Wales North Coast, we were so privileged to benefit from Rhoda's immense talent in showcasing Indigenous culture through events like the Boomerang Festival and Bluesfest.

Throughout all of her endeavours and achievements, Rhoda's dedication to sharing and celebrating First Nations culture was central to all of her work. In recognition of her distinguished service to the arts and Indigenous communities, Rhoda was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia. This honour reflected not only her professional achievements but her enduring contribution to the cultural and social fabric of the nation. Rhoda understood the transformative power of culture. She recognised that storytelling is not merely an artistic practice but a means of preserving history, asserting identity and fostering understanding. Through her work, she contributed to a broader national reckoning with Australia's past and present and to a future in which First Nations voices are recognised as central, not peripheral.

Rhoda's passing is a profound loss. It's felt not only by her family and close friends but across communities, industries and indeed generations. It leaves a silence where there was once a powerful voice, a voice that spoke truth, created change and brought people together. Indeed, that's the mark of a life well lived—not just what you achieve but what you make possible for others. Whilst her absence is deeply felt, her legacy is everywhere. It endures in so many artists whose careers she supported and advanced, the institutions she helped to transform and the stories that continue to be told with honesty and pride. To Rhoda's family, I extend my deepest condolences. I acknowledge your loss and honour the life that has meant so much to many. May Rhoda Roberts rest in peace, and may her legacy continue to guide and inspire future generations.

Allegra Spender (Wentworth, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to honour the life and legacy of Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO, whose contribution to Australia's cultural life was profound and enduring. Across the arts, media and creative industries, Rhoda Roberts was a trailblazer. She reshaped institutions that had long excluded First Nations voices and insisted, often courageously, that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture belonged at the very centre of our national story. She was a guiding force in Australia's arts and cultural landscape and a creative leader whose influence extended far beyond any single role or title.

Rhoda took her responsibility as an Indigenous leader deeply and seriously. She understood leadership as stewardship, carrying culture with care, protecting it with integrity and passing it on strengthened for future generations. She spoke of obligation to country and community, and that sense of responsibility shaped every space she entered and every institution she helped to transform. Her legacy is also felt strongly in the electorate I represent. Through her leadership at the Sydney Opera House, one of our nation's most significant cultural institutions, she ensured that First Nations culture was not peripheral but central, visible, respected and embedded in the life of the city. That work resonated throughout Sydney's creative and business communities, including in Wentworth, where culture, enterprise and public life intersect every day.

Rhoda was instrumental in opening doors. She was the first Aboriginal person to host a primetime current affairs program on Australian television. She co-founded Australia's first national Aboriginal theatre company, founded major cultural festivals and played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural vision of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, sharing Indigenous country with the world at a moment when the world was watching. But what stands out most strongly in her remarkable life is her generosity. Rhoda shared knowledge freely. She mentored emerging artists, journalists and leaders. She created space for others, often quietly, without expectation of recognition. She inspired so many because she believed in people and because she led with warmth, humour and conviction. On a personal note, people across my electorate recall that Rhoda also had a wicked sense of humour and was a lot of fun to be around—a reminder that, alongside her gravitas and leadership, she brought joy, laughter and humanity into the spaces she occupied.

As has been said in tribute, her generosity enriched Australians' lives, and her wisdom enlarged our nation's understanding. For every step she took, she brought others with her, leaving a legacy not just of work but of people empowered to continue it. I extend my deepest condolences to Rhoda's family, her community and all who mourn her loss. May her memory continue to guide us, and may we honour her best by carrying forward the standard she set and the pathways she opened.

Susan Templeman (Macquarie, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Rhoda Roberts, a proud Bundjalung woman of the Widjabul and Wia-bal clan, was one of the most influential and transformative cultural leaders our country has ever produced. Her career was marked by moments that didn't just contribute to Australian culture; they helped redefine how Australia presents itself to the world.

One of the most powerful of those moments came during the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. It's difficult to think of a time when more international interest was directed towards Australia in a single moment. It was an unprecedented opportunity for Australia to show the world who we are. It was because of Rhoda's inspired work on the stunning Indigenous element of that ceremony that we told a story that celebrated and was grounded in the world's oldest living culture. I was fortunate to be at the rehearsal for that opening ceremony, and the night itself was a moment of immense national significance—a moment where First Nations culture was positioned at the very centre of our national identity. It was a powerful statement about who we are—a nation whose story began tens of thousands of years ago and continues today. It remains one of the defining cultural moments in Australia's modern history.

That level of prominence for Aboriginal culture in a public ceremony was unprecedented at the time, but it has now become a baseline expectation. That is as it should be, and it's because of Rhoda's efforts that it is. She set a new benchmark for how Australia presents First Nations culture on the world stage. That accomplishment reflects so much of what made Rhoda Roberts the extraordinary cultural leader that she was. She ensured that the representation of First Nations culture was not superficial or symbolic in the narrow sense but meaningful, respectful and engaging to the broadest possible audience.

Her contribution to the opening ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Olympics is just one part of a much grander legacy. As head of Indigenous programming at the Sydney Opera House, Rhoda brought that same clarity of purpose to one of our most important cultural institutions by embedding First Nations voices into its programming and identity. As director of the Dreaming festival, she created a space where Indigenous culture could be celebrated on its own terms—dynamic and contemporary, but deeply rooted in tradition. In no small measure, it's because of Rhoda Roberts that welcome to country is now part of our civic culture.

I worked with Rhoda in her role as creative director at Sydney for the New Year's Eve celebrations. Whether it was in her work as a curator, a producer or a mentor, she continued to open doors for other First Nations creatives, ensuring that the pathways she helped create would not close behind her. The thread that binds all her accomplishments together is a deep belief in the power of culture, a belief that storytelling and representation matter. Perhaps the greatest legacy is her demonstration that, when we tell our stories with truth and with confidence, we become a stronger, more connected nation. Her work empowered us not only to reflect thoughtfully on our past but to think deeply about who we aspire to be. Rhoda did not just help tell Australia's story; she reshaped it.

Today, as we reflect on her life, we see a legacy that is both profound and enduring. It lives on in our institutions, it lives on in the artists she supported and it lives on in the way Australia now better understands and more deeply values First Nations culture. We can best honour her memory by continuing her work of deepening that understanding and respect and by ensuring that the doors of opportunity are always open to ambitious First Nations creatives like her.

To her children—Sarah, Jack and Emily—her partner, Stephen, and the extended Roberts-Field family, and to her friends, her colleagues and the many communities she was part of, I offer my sincere condolences and my deepest gratitude. While Rhoda may now walk in another place, this place has been changed immeasurably for the better by her time here with us.