Frank Roberts, a Widjabul Wia-bal and Githabul man, known as ‘Honest Frank’, was Australia’s first Aboriginal Olympian. A man of incredible integrity and determination, Frank’s skills in a boxing ring saw him selected for the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. In My Cousin Frank at the Sydney Opera House, his first cousin, artistic and cultural leader and Widjabul Wia-bul woman of the Bundjalung Nation, Rhoda Roberts AO, tells the story of her cousin, her family life growing up and the country that Australia was and, in many ways, continues to be.
The Roberts’ were known as ‘The Fighting Family of Lismore’, with many members of Rhoda’s family talented boxers. Frank, affectionately referred to by Rhoda as Frances, grew up on Cubawee Aboriginal Reserve, a self-managed Aboriginal settlement situated on the land of the Bundjalung people at Lismore. After joining Allan Daley’s boxing club in Sydney, Frank demonstrated his remarkable abilities by winning 20 of 25 fights, as well as state and national championships, with his selection to the Olympic team cementing his position as a world-class athlete. Yet, despite this, as we hear from Rhoda, he was unable to travel to Tokyo as an Australian citizen. At this time in Australia, Aboriginal Australians were not granted citizenship rights, and this would remain until after the 1967 referendum. Frank was forced to travel overseas as a British subject on a British passport.
While competing for his country on a national stage, the Lismore Council and the Aborigines Protection Board bulldozed Cubawee, claiming it was an “eyesore”. So by the time Frank returned to Australia, his home was gone. I can’t even begin to imagine how heartbreaking that must have been for him. Rhoda talks about how her cousin, who returned from Tokyo, has changed. He had gained a new perspective. While away he was seen as an elite athlete, even being invited to the home of Emperor Hirohito alongside Dawn Fraser – the only Australian athletes to be extended this honour. To then return to a country that did not recognise you as a citizen and to discover your home destroyed – what must that have felt like?
Despite these immense challenges, Frank was seen as a man of unbelievable strength with a deep connection to his Country and his family. A man who fought as much outside the ring, through advocacy, as he did inside it. A man who embodied the words of his Grandfather Frank Snr, who, according to Rhoda, always said “Stand tall. Head up. High up.”
Rhoda Roberts AO is a profound storyteller. A NORPA production, My Cousin Frank is an engaging and inspired story of resilience and family. The staging reminiscent of a lounge room during a family slide night, the production creates a sense of intimacy and connection. The audience is being granted access to the Roberts’ family lore, and it is a privilege to bear witness to such remarkable stories. A fitting tribute to a truly remarkable man, this is storytelling at its absolute best.
FIVE STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
My Cousin Frank will perform at the Sydney Opera House until 6 December 2025.
For more information and to purchase tickets head to the Sydney Opera House website.
Reviewer attended on Wednesday 3 December 2025.
Photo credit: Stephen Wilson Barker (unless otherwise stated)
