Biography

Stephen Mullawalla Dodd was an Arrente man from Central Australia. As a young man, he worked as a stockhand on cattle stations as a horsebreaker. Steve was also a rodeo rider who appeared at rodeos in many states and was a member of the Rough Riders' Association for many years. He sang and played guitar - mainly country and western as well as folk music. He first appeared in "The Overlanders" (1946. Chips Rafferty noticed him on the set and this opened the door to a small part. Steve appeared in such films as "Bitter Springs" (1950) and "Kangaroo" (1952). Steve put his acting career on hold and volunteering for service in the Korean War and was the first Aboriginal from South Australia to sign up and go to Korea. After completing his service, Steve returned to his acting career. By 1985, he had 55 combined acting credits in both television and on the silver screen. In 2013, The Deadly Awards presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award and described him as "an actor that created a pathway for others across the entire arts and music sectors to follow, at a time when typecasting stereotypes and discrimination was the 'norm' in Australia's arts industry." - https://servingcountry.com.au/portfolio/steve/