RIP Steve Dodd

By Adam Wright

November 11, 2014

ABORIGINAL actor and Korean War veteran Steve Dodd died on Monday morning.

Mr Dodd lived in St Georges Basin for more than 20 years but throughout his life, lived and worked around Australia.

For about 70 years he played the role of an indigenous Australian character in movies and advertisements.

Wikipedia credits his movie career to Chips Rafferty who in 1946 noticed Mr. Dodd on the set of The Overlanders and gave him a small role.

He later appeared alongside Jack Thompson in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.

By 1985 he had acted in 55 movies or TV series. Later films saw him on screen with Tom Selleck in Quigley Down Under and Keanu Reeves in The Matrix.

In 2013 he was awarded the Jimmy Little Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sydney Opera House.

Before his time on film he worked as a stockman, horse breaker and rodeo rider.

Mr. Dodd served two years in the Korean War with 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

In June this year Mr Dodd was the guest of honour at Shoalhaven High School’s NAIDOC Week celebrations. He unveiled a plaque in honour of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men and women who fought for their country.

Basin View residents Robin and Halyna Rossall considered themselves his family after striking up a friendship with Mr Dodd about 20 years ago.

“Halyna used to cook food and put it in his freezer. He loved her pea and ham soup,” Mr Rossall said.

“We became very good friends over the years.

“He was 85 years old but he was sharp mentally. Steve had a super personality.

“I’ve got a photo of him advertising Nike shoes. He told me he walked into the film studio naked but with Nikes on.

“The photographer said you can’t pose for the picture like that, so from behind his back he took a stuffed goanna and covered his privates.

“He had a marvellous sense of humour.

“He was a wonderful personality and such a great friend.”

A memorial service for Mr Dodd will be held on Monday at Blackett Park, St Georges Basin, at 11am.

Born: 6/1/1928, Dodnadatta, Australia

Died: 10/11/2014, Basin View, New South Wales, Australia

The Overlanders - 1946

Quigley Down Under – 1990 (Kunkurra)