Maroochy Barambah attended the Melba Conservatorium of Music in Melbourne and was Australia's first Aboriginal Dramatic Arts graduate in 1979, completing her studies at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. Her musical career spanned the genres of jazz, rock, musical theatre and classical opera. She rose to fame for her part in the 1989 Sydney Metropolitan Opera production of
Black River, by
Julianne Schultz and
Andrew Schultz, an opera about black deaths in custody, and later starring in the
1993 film adaption which was awarded the Grand-Prix, Opera Screen at Opera Bastille, Paris. She also appeared in the indigenous musical
Bran Nue Dae, the 1981 television series
Women of the Sun and in the opera
Beach Dreaming (written for and about her by
Mark Isaacs). In 1991 she was awarded the inaugural Aboriginal performing arts fellowship by the Aboriginal Arts Committee to pursue classical opera singing as a career. In 1995, Barambah starred in the American opera
Porgy & Bess and became the first Indigenous Australian to perform in an opera at the Sydney Opera House. Barambah's translation of "
Advance Australia Fair" into Turrubul, the native language of the Aboriginal people of the Brisbane region, was performed at the
2013 Indigenous All Stars Rugby League match at Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, on 9 February 2013. On 15 November 2014, Barambah featured in the Welcome to Country ceremony at the formal opening of the
2014 G-20 Australia Summit, held in Brisbane, Australia, performing in front of national leaders and international dignitaries. ==Death==