Merwez Whaleboat is an Australian actress.
Early life
Whaleboat, the eldest daughter of Donald (a pastor and teacher) and Dulcie Whaleboat is a
Torres Strait Islander
Torres Strait Islanders ( ) are the Indigenous Melanesians, Melanesian people of the Torres Strait Islands, which are part of the state of Queensland, Australia. Ethnically distinct from the Aboriginal Australians, Aboriginal peoples of the res ...
who was born in Townsville. Her native language is Mercian, an Eastern Islands dialect, and she became more articulate at English while studying drama at Heatley High School, Townsville. Prior to that, she attended Currajong State School at primary level.
She left Townsville to "find her feet", but settled on Murray Island, where her parents lived, to raise her three kids and externally study a double bachelor degree in Arts and Education (majoring in drama and literature) at Melbourne's
Deakin University
Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974 with antecedent history since 1887, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia and a founding father of Australian Fede ...
, where she is member of the Golden Key National Honour Society. She wrote and performed a one-woman play ''Dad, Me and Uncle Koiki'' while studying.
Career
For Whaleboat's performance in ''
RAN Remote Area Nurse
''RAN (Remote Area Nurse)'' is an Australian television program (drama series) that aired on SBS (Australian TV channel), SBS on 5 January 2006. The series was filmed entirely on Yorke island, Torres Strait, Masig Island (Yorke Island) in the ...
'' she was nominated for the 2006
Australian Film Institute Award for Best Guest or Supporting Actress in a Television Drama.
Other roles include
Warwick Thornton
Warwick Thornton is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. His debut feature film '' Samson and Delilah'' won the Caméra d'Or at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival and the award for Best Film at the Asia Pacific Screen Awar ...
's film ''
The Darkside'' and the TV productions ''
The Straits
''The Straits'' is an Australian television drama series for ABC1 filmed in Cairns, the Torres Strait Islands and other Far North Queensland locations.
The series is based on an idea by actor Aaron Fa'aoso and produced by Penny Chapman and Hel ...
'' (2012), ''
Mabo'' (2012) and ''
Blue Water Empire
''Blue Water Empire'' is a three-part Australian dramatised-documentary series aired on ABC TV in 2019, which gives an insight into the history of the Torres Strait Islands. The series features the history of the islands from the pre-colonial ...
'' (2019).
A big lover of literature, Whaleboat is also a published poet, her poems "King Kebisu" and "Coconut Sails" feature in the anthology book "Mangoes on Fire" launched by the Tropical Writers Group of Cairns. She also wrote the poem "Markai", meaning 'ghost/spirit' (2009).
Personal life
Whaleboat is mother to three daughters, Swana, Tei-ri and Diari.
She became a teacher at
Shalom Christian College in Townsville.
Filmography
Film
As director
[https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/p/merwez-whaleboat/46351?stxt=]
Television
Awards and nominations
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whaleboat, Merwez
Living people
Australian television actresses
Australian film actresses
Year of birth missing (living people)