TRAILBLAZING BROADCASTER AND CULTURAL LEADER RHODA ROBERTS PASSES AWAY

Widjabul Wieybal woman of the Bundjalung Nation, Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO, has died on Country, with her family confirming she passed away peacefully following illness.

She is being remembered as one of Australia’s most influential cultural leaders, whose work reshaped how First Nations voices are represented across media, the arts and public life.

In a statement, SBS, where Ms Roberts was the inaugural SBS Elder in Residence, said her passing would be felt deeply by family, community and the many people she connected with throughout her life.

“Rhoda will be remembered as one of Australia’s most influential arts and creative sector leaders,” the broadcaster said.

“A pioneer and cultural authority, she helped reshape representation across the arts and media and championed First Nations voices across the nation.”

Roberts made history in 1989 as co-host of First in Line, becoming one of the first Aboriginal presenters on prime-time Australian television, and later hosted the current affairs program Vox Populi.

Across her career, she worked with both SBS and the ABC, using media to broaden national conversations and bring greater visibility to First Nations perspectives.

She was also widely recognised for helping formalise the use of “Welcome to Country” at major events, drawing on cultural practices she had witnessed growing up.

Roberts described the ceremony as an act grounded in respect and protocol.

“It makes people feel welcome … it’s about good manners,” she said in a previous interview.

Beyond broadcasting, her influence extended across major national and international events.

She served as creative director of The Awakening, the Indigenous segment of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony, and led the Festival of the Dreaming in the lead-up to the Games.

She also co-founded the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust, helped establish the Dreaming Festival, and later held senior creative roles, including Head of First Nations Programming at the Sydney Opera House and Creative Director of Parrtjima Festival.

In 2016, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for her contribution to the performing arts and for advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.

SBS Director of First Nations, Tanya Denning-Orman, said Roberts inspired generations of storytellers and leaders.

“She did not just lead change, she galvanised a sector, nurturing and guiding the leaders who are carrying that work forward,” she said.

SBS Chair Dr Nicholas Pappas said her leadership left a lasting mark on the nation’s cultural life.

“She expanded what is possible in Australian media, and her influence will continue for years to come,” he said.

Roberts was SBS’s inaugural Elder in Residence, a role that embedded cultural knowledge and leadership within the organisation.

SBS Acting Managing Director Jane Palfreyman said her legacy would continue to guide the network.

“She was a true trailblazer … immeasurably generous in sharing her knowledge, wisdom and spirit,” she said.

In December last year, despite being unwell, Roberts performed her play about her cousin Frank, the first Aboriginal man to compete at the Olympics as a boxer at the Tokyo Games in 1964.

Roberts is survived by her children, family and community, who have been acknowledged as central to her life and work.