Noel Tovey

Noel Christian Tovey AM (25 December 1934 – 11 August 2025) was an Australian dancer, actor, mentor, director, and choreographer. He was the artistic director for the indigenous welcoming ceremony at the Sydney 2000 Olympics.

Noel Tovey AM
Born	(1934-12-25)25 December 1934 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	11 August 2025(2025-08-11) (aged 90)
Occupations	Dancer actor mentor director choreographer

Early life

Born in Melbourne, the son of an Aboriginal/ New Zealand mother and British-born father of African-American and English descent, Tovey endured sexual abuse, neglect and poverty throughout his childhood and adolescence.

Career

Despite this hardship he went on to become successful in the theatre in both Australia and Great Britain, including appearing in the world premiere of Oh! Calcutta!. He taught at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and co-founded the London Theatre for Children before returning to Australia in 1990.

He played the lead role in Skipping on Stars based on the life of indigenous tightwire walker Con Colleano, performed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus.

In 2004, Hodder Headline Australia published his autobiography Little Black Bastard ISBN 0-7336-1798-0.

Personal life and death

Tovey was openly gay and spoke out for the rights of LGBT elders.^[1] Tovey was imprisoned for homosexual acts in Pentridge gaol in 1951 and raped by two of the guards. In June 2010 Tovey was recognised for his contribution to the LGBT community by becoming the 2010 recipient of the {also} Foundation For All of Us Lifetime Achievement Award. In January 2015, Tovey was made a member of the Order of Australia.^[2] Also in 2015, Tovey was inducted to the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll.^[3]

Noel married Barbara Hickling and they had a daughter Felicity in 1961 (deceased).^{[citation needed]}

Tovey died on 11 August 2025, at the age of 90.^[4]