Cairns

Distinguished and Famous people from Cairns

Wilma Reading

Cairns-born singer Wilma Reading began performing with her sisters before developing a solo career that took her to Tokyo, Las Vegas, London and beyond. Her international work included touring with Duke Ellington and appearing on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. Much of that career unfolded overseas, leaving her less widely recognised at home than her achievements might suggest. She was inducted into the National Indigenous Music Awards Hall of Fame in 2019. Her Cairns beginnings place a local musical family behind a remarkably international performing life.

Christine Anu

Singer and actor Christine Anu was born in Cairns in 1970, with family connections to the Torres Strait. Dance training later took her to Sydney and work with Aboriginal and Islander performance companies. Her debut album Stylin' Up, released in 1995, included My Island Home and Party, and she won the ARIA award for best female artist in 1996. Her career has also included musical theatre and film. The Cairns connection is her birthplace, preceding the training and performances that brought her national recognition.

Elizabeth Barden

Portrait painter Elizabeth Barden moved to Cairns in 1990 and established her artistic life there. Solo exhibitions at Cairns Regional Gallery in 1999 and 2003 helped present that work locally. Her portrait Waiting for Zipporah depicts Christine Anu awaiting the birth of her daughter; it entered the National Portrait Gallery's collection in 2004. The painting brings two Cairns connections together, with a locally based artist portraying a singer born in the city. Barden's association is a sustained working life in the region.