About Erine Dingo

Ernie Dingo is a famous Aboriginal actor. He has earned enormous respect as a performer capable of extraordinary
versatility. His talents as an actor, television host, reporter and comedian have made him one of Australia's best known and most loved performers.
On 31 Jul 1956, Ernie Dingo was bron at Bullaroo Station, out of Mullewa. The second of nine children, Ernie was given the name Oondamooroo, meaning shield in the Wadjarri language of the Yamatji people. Raised by his mother and grandmother, the family name Dingo was the result of his maternal grandfather's activities as a dogger and tracker.
In 1970 Ernie came to Geraldton region of Western Australia where he boarded at John Frewer Hostel for three years whilst attending Geraldton Senior High School. At high school Ernie excelled in long-distance running and all sports. Then he moved to Perth when he was 17 and his first job was as an apprentice sign writer, which he says developed from his interest in painting.
In 1973 and 1977, Ernie was selected for the state basketball team and was also very involved in traditional Aboriginal dancing.
In 1978, he joined the Middar Aboriginal Dance Theatre and made his first trip
overseas on the company's tour of Germany, which he says "was a real eye-opener".
In 1979, Ernie went to Victoria, where he spent several years as an Aboriginal Culture Officer, teaching self-awareness, self-esteem and as he says, “Anything related to Aboriginal heritage”.
In 1983, Ernie retured to Perth and he becamed heavily involved in acting again with his first major parts being in two of Jack Davis's plays, Kullark and The Dreamers.
In 1984, he toured Sydney and Melbourne with State of Shock, and productions of Merakee the Peacemaker, Jedda, Redfern, Wily's How and several children's
programmes.
In 1987, Ernie's first leading role came when he played Robert Tudawali in the SBS telemovie Tudawali, for which he received a nomination for best actor in the Australian Film Institute's awards for that year. International stardom came with a small part in Crocodile Dundee II in 1988.
In 1990, Ernie was awarded the General Division of the Order of Australia by Her Majesty the Queen.
In 1992, Ernie has been with the top tating Seven Network program The Great Outdoors since it began and he was the host of The World Around Us on the Seven Network from 1998 until 2001. He has fronted numerous other Seven productions, including two Olympic specials and Melbourne's Comedy Gala.
In 1994, he was voted "Aboriginal of the Year" by the NAIDOC Committee and "Personality of the Year" by the Australia Caption Centre.
In 1997, he was declared one of Australia's Top 100 "national living treasures" and in 1999, Ernie worked on the hit Seven Network production Kidspeak, a funny and candid insight into the things children do and say. He was a roving reporter and Andrew Daddo was the host.
In 2000, he was presenter for The Great Outdoors and in 2004 he was again recognised for his work when he was awarded the Deadly Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Film and Television".
Ernie Dingo is married to writer Sally Dingo and they have two children, Wilara and Jurra.