Noel C. Tovey Noel C. Tovey i(A71039 works by) (a.k.a. Noel Christian Tovey; Noel Tovey)
Born: Established: 1934 Melbourne, Victoria, ;
Gender: Male
Heritage: Aboriginal
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

BiographyHistory

The childhood experiences of Noel Tovey were cruel and painful. He was subjected to a violent environment where he suffered an array of abuse, was abandoned by his parents and grew up on the street. The abuse and discrimination continued and Tovey was seventeen when he was sentenced to jail. At this point in the life of Noel Tovey, he was close to defeat when he turned his life around by pursuing a career in acting and dancing.

His work in the radio, television and theatre industry led him to England in 1960 where he became a respected choreographer at Sadler's Wells Opera. Before his return from England, Tovey had established a leading Art Gallery in London with his former partner David who died. Tovey became more conscious of his identity as an Indigenous Australian and sought to connect and work closer with the Aboriginal community upon his return to Australia in 1991. Along with working on boards and in committees over the years, Tovey was the Artistic Director for the Indigenous Welcoming Ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Most Referenced Works

Personal Awards

2016 recipient Order of Australia Member of the Order of Australia (AM) For significant service to the performing arts, to Indigenous performers, and as an advocate for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex community.
2014 shortlisted Human Rights Medal
2006 Australia Council Literature Board Grants Grants for Developing Writers $25,000 for literary non-fiction

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon Little Black Bastard : A Story of Survival Sydney : Hodder Headline Australia , 2004 Z1123470 2004 single work autobiography

'Noel Tovey has an amazing story. A street kid in the slums of Carlton, he survived a childhood - buffeted by the horrors of poverty, sex abuse and neglect - which would have killed some, and certainly twisted most beyond hope. This is the story of how he lived and survived the years of childhood and adolescence - and all along the way held on to a sense of hope and optimism which allowed him to realise his potential as a dancer and choreographer in London and the United States.

Little Black Bastard is also a journey back to the Melbourne of the late 1940s and 1950s - and wonderfully evokes the sights and sounds and social mores of the times. It is a rare memoir, which truly shows the power of the human spirit.' Source: Publisher's blurb.

2006 shortlisted Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Prize for Indigenous Writing
2004 shortlisted Human Rights Awards Literature Non-Fiction Award
Last amended 23 Jul 2024 14:17:59
Other mentions of "" in AustLit:
    X