Rachael Zoa Maza , also credited as Rachael Maza Long, is an Indigenous Australian television and film actress, and stage director. She is known for her role in the 1998 film Radiance, and worked with Company B and Wesley Enoch in Sydney for many years. She was artistic director of Ilbijerri Theatre Company from 2008 to 2025.
Early life and education Rachael Zoa Maza is of Dutch, Torres Strait Islander (Meriam Mir) and Aboriginal Australian heritage, the daughter of Bob Maza, also an actor. She has a younger sister Lisa, and their father would encourage them to play guitar and sing together.
She is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Career
Stage Maza has numerous stage credits (sometimes credited as Rachael Maza Long), since at least 1992. She worked with Company B and Wesley Enoch for many years, with her performances at the Belvoir St Theatre including leading roles in Conversations with the Dead and The Dreamers. She again worked with Enoch in The Sapphires, staged by the Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Festival.
She directed Lou Bennett's play Show Us Your Tiddas! in 2007. In 2009, she appeared on stage with her younger sister, Lisa Maza, in a play that they had co-written. They were also sisters in the play. Also in that year, the sisters co-created Sisters of Gelam, which incorporated cabaret, puppetry, dance, and spoken word to present a story about two sisters who travel to the Torres Strait Island of Mer, their grandfather's Country.
From 2008 to 2025, Maza was artistic director and co-CEO of Ilbijerri Theatre Company. In 2024, for Ilbijerri, she co-directed the musical Big names, no blankets about the formation of the Warumpi Band. Her co-director was Anyupa Butcher, the daughter of band member Sammy Butcher.
In February 2026, Maza is appearing on stage with her sister Lisa at the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne, in the world premiere of Jada Alberts' play Black Light, directed by Alberts.
Television and film Maza's first outing on Australian television was in the ABC Television series Heartland in 1994. She and Lillian Crombie, who also appeared in the series, were fresh out of acting school at that time. The series was written by Aboriginal Australians ans starred many Aboriginal actors, as well as Cate Blanchett in her first screen outing.
She worked as a TV presenter on ABC Television's weekly show focusing on Indigenous Australians, Message Stick. and SBS's ICAM in 1997–1998.
Maza has numerous credits as an actor in television series, including Wentworth, Winners and Losers, Halifax f.p., Stingers, SeaChange, Heartland (in which her father also had a role), A Country Practice, and Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries.
She acted in the films Cosi (1996), Radiance (1998), and Lilian's Story (1996).
Other activities Rachael and Lisa Maza played and sung together as the Maza Sisters, performing at several festivals and events, including the Dreaming Festival in 2009 and the 150th anniversary of the National Gallery of Victoria in 2011.
Maza was deputy chair from 2014, and then, from 2016, chair of The Black Arm Band theatre organisation until it closed down in December 2017.
In September 2024, Maza was appointed co-chair, with Philip Watkins (CEO of Desart), of First Nations Arts, a newly-established division of the Australia Council, for a term of four years.
Recognition and honours In 2020 Maza was made a Member of the Order of Australia, for significant service to the performing arts as an artistic director.
Awards Year Award Work Category Result2002 Green Room Awards Holy Day Best Female Actor in a Leading Role (Drama) Sydney Theatre Critics Circle Awards Radiance Best Performance
Personal life Maza has a son, Ariel, with actor Tom Long.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Type 1996 Cosi Nurse at Concert Feature film 1996 Lilian's Story Shade Feature film 1996 Fistful of Flies Dr Powers Feature film 1996 Goblin Market Short film 1998 Radiance Cressy Feature film 1999 Burnout Short film 2009 My Year Without Sex Intensive Care Nurse Feature film 2009 Aunty Maggie and the Womba Wakgun Aunty Maggie Short film 2009 Nia’s Melancholy Nana Short film
Television Year Title Role Type 1987 Frontier Marnie Kennedy Miniseries, 3 episodes 1993 A Country Practice Ruth Forbes TV series, 8 episodes 1994 Heartland Leila Sutton Miniseries, 8 episodes 1995-2002 ICAM Presenter TV series 1996 Naked: Stories of Men Jessica TV series, 1 episode 1999 SeaChange Mrs Armistead TV series, 1 episode 1999 Stingers Meagan Quinn TV series, 1 episode 2000 Round the Twist Genevieve TV series, 1 episode 2000 Halifax f.p. Church Singer TV series, 1 episode 2001 The Micallef Program Vanessa O’Malley TV series, 1 episode 2002 Marshall Law Davina Miniseries, 1 episode 2002 Message Stick Presenter TV series 2009-10 Rush Detective Carroll TV series, 2 episodes 2013 Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries Cora Derrimut TV series, 1 episode 2016 Winners and Losers Veronica Sewell TV series, 5 episodes 2016-17 Wentworth Imogen Fessler TV series 2017 Newton’s Law Judge Pauline Evans Miniseries, 1 episode 2017 The Secret Daughter Aunty Mim TV series, 3 episodes 2022 Beep and Mort Mae (voice) TV series 2022 Fisk Bridget TV series, 1 episode 2022 Looking Black Self TV special 2023 Crazy Fun Park Winnie TV series, 1 episode
Stage
Actor Year Title Venue 1992 The Grace of Mary Traverse The Studio Theatre, Subiaco 1993 Made in Spain La Mama Theatre 1993 Radiance Belvoir Street Theatre 1994 Ninni Enmore Theatre 1995 Tongues of Stone Belvoir Street Theatre 1996 The Commission / The Aboriginal Protesters The Performance Space Redfern & German tour 1997 The Tempest (Miranda) Australian tour - Bell Shakespeare Company 2001 Aliwa! Subiaco Theatre Centre 2001 The Twilight Series Collins Street Baptist Church 2001 Holy Day (lead role) Malthouse Theatre, The Playhouse Adelaide 2002 Enuff Malthouse Theatre 2002 The Dreamers (lead role) Belvoir Street Theatre 2003 Conversations with the Dead (lead role) Belvoir Street Theatre 2003 The Bridge Trades Hall New Ballroom 2003-04 Stolen Victorian tour 2004 Riverland Brisbane Powerhouse 2004 Yandy Octagon Theatre 2005 The Sapphires MTC, Sydney Festival, Belvoir Street Theatre, Playhouse Melbourne 2005 Riverland The Curtin Theatre 2007-08 Show Us Your Tiddas! Australian tour 2008 Jacky Jacky in the Box Federation Square 2009 A Black Sheep Walks Into A Baa Melbourne Town Hall 2006-09 Chopped Liver Australian tour 2009 Sisters Of Gelam Malthouse Theatre 2010 Black Sheep: Glorious Baastards Melbourne Town Hall 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 Jack Charles V The Crown Australia/NZ/UK tour 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 Coranderrk: We Will Show the Country La Mama Theatre 2012 Foley Sydney Opera House, Fairfax Studio 2012, 2015 Beautiful One Day Belvoir Street Theatre, Cremorne Theatre 2014 20 Questions Belvoir Street Theatre 2015-16 The Rabbits Australian tour 2016, 2018, 2020 Jack Charles V The Crown Fairfax Studio, Canadian tour, NZ tour, Online 2017 Which Way Home Belvoir Street Theatre 2019 The Honouring La Mama Theatre 2018-19 My Urrwai The Butter Factory Theatre, Belvoir Street Theatre 2020 Black Ties Australia/NZ tour 2026 Black Light Malthouse (world premiere)
Director Year Title Venue Chopped Liver Australian / international tour 2003-04 Stolen Victorian tour 2007-08 Show Us Your Tiddas! Australian tour 2008 Jacky Jacky in the Box Federation Square 2009 Sisters Of Gelam Malthouse Theatre 2009 A Black Sheep Walks Into A Baa Melbourne Town Hall 2010 Black Sheep: Glorious Baastards Melbourne Town Hall 2012 Foley Sydney Opera House, Fairfax Studio
References
External links
Rachael Maza Long on AusStage