Robert Tudawali

Robert Tudawali (1929–1967) was an Australian actor, born and raised on Melville Island in the Northern Territory. He became the first Aboriginal film star as a result of playing the lead role, Marbuck, in Jedda.

A leading Australian rules footballer as a youth, he alternated several times between Aboriginal and white society. Tudawali used the name Bobby Wilson in Darwin. Under this name he took part in the TV series Whiplash.

Tudawali also served as Vice-President of the Northern Territory Council for Aboriginal Rights, and, working with trade unionists and author Frank Hardy, fought to highlight the poor wages and conditions of Aboriginal stockmen in the Northern Territory, which culminated in the Wave Hill walk off in 1966. Tudawali had organised to give a series of talks to unionists throughout Australia in support of the stockmen when the Northern Territory administration banned any travel by Tudawali due to the tuberculosis he was suffering at the time.

Tudawali died of severe burns on 26 July 1967 following an incident on Bagot community, Darwin.