WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name and image of a person who has died.
Vale Rhoda Anne Roberts AO
8.7.1959 – 21.3.2026
The CBAA and the community broadcasting family are saddened by the passing of Rhoda Roberts AO, who died from cancer on Saturday 21 March 2026. She passed away on Country with her family by her side.
She is survived by her partner Stephen Field and children Sarah, Jack and Emily. CBAA offers our condolences to Rhoda’s family, friends, and colleagues.
Rhoda was a proud Widjabul Wia-bal woman of the Bundjalung Nation and a respected cultural leader, broadcaster and advocate. Throughout her life she worked to elevate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices across media, arts and community.
She was born on 8 July 1959 at Canterbury Hospital in Sydney and was raised in Lismore on Bundjalung Country with her twin sister Lois and brothers Phillip and Mark. Rhoda's father, Frank Roberts Jnr, was raised on Cabbage Tree Island under the Aboriginal Protection Board system and later became a pastor and activist involved in the campaign for the 1967 referendum.
As a young woman, Rhoda was discouraged from continuing her schooling, refused entry to nursing training on her first attempt, and advised against pursuing journalism because of her race. She overcame these barriers, completing her nursing training and later travelling overseas before moving into media, performance and cultural work, where she became a pioneer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices.
Rhoda’s connection to community media began early, including volunteering at Radio Redfern, an Aboriginal community radio initiative in Sydney, on the program In the Mix.
Her later work with indigenous-led community media also included the Koori Mail, contributing to the development of a strong and independent First Nations media sector and ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories were heard across the country.
Her impact in First Nations media was also felt through her work with Vibe Australia, contributing to programs including Deadly Sounds, a weekly one-hour Indigenous radio program which was distributed to over 200 community radio stations nationally first via cassette and later through CBAA’s Community Radio Network and the National Indigenous Radio Service.
Rhoda was one of the first Indigenous presenters on Australian television, co-presenting First in Line and later hosting Vox Populi on SBS, becoming the first Indigenous Australian to present a prime-time current affairs program.
Rhoda also held senior leadership roles across the arts and cultural sector, including as a co-founder of the Aboriginal National Theatre Trust, Artistic Director of the Festival of the Dreaming, Head of Indigenous Programming at the Sydney Opera House, and as Elder-in-Residence at SBS.
Rhoda remained a generous supporter and a familiar face to First Nation’s community broadcasters, particularly throughout her life sharing her knowledge at sector events including most recently at CBAA’s 2023 conference and First Nations Media Australia’s 2025 CONVERGE conference. She was an advocate for strong, independent First Nations media.
As Rhoda put it at the 2023 conference, "You lose nothing when you share."
Her contributions were recognised with honours including her appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2016 for distinguished service to the performing arts, Indigenous leadership and cultural advocacy.
Community broadcasters will feel Rhoda’s loss deeply, she was a leader, mentor and friend. Her work and achievements leave an ongoing legacy for Australian and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media, arts and culture.