19 Facts About Nova Peris

Nova Maree Peris was born on 25 February 1971 and is an Aboriginal Australian athlete and former politician.

Nova Peris later switched sports to sprinting and went to the 1998 Commonwealth Games and 2000 Olympic Games.

Nova Peris was elected to the Australian Senate at the 2013 federal election, after then Prime Minister Julia Gillard named her as a "captain's pick", installing her as the preselected Labor candidate over incumbent Labor senator Trish Crossin.

Nova Peris lived with her family in a Housing Commission unit in Fannie Bay, an inner northern suburb; though her family descends from the Gija people people of East Kimberley, the Yawuru people of West Kimberley and the Muran Clan of the Iwatja people of West Arnhem Land.

Nova Peris is said to have frequently ran away from school, with sport being her main interest.

Nova Peris remained in this highly successful team until 1996 when they won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Nova Peris was a representative in the Australian Women's Hockey team at the 1996 Summer Olympics, becoming the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal.

Nova Peris was named Young Australian of the Year in 1997.

Nova Peris continued to represent Australia on the athletics track, running over 200 metres at the 1999 World Athletics Championships and 400 metres at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

On 22 January 2013 the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced she would invite Nova Peris to join the Australian Labor Party and stand as a candidate for the Senate in the Northern Territory at the 2013 election.

On 7 September 2013 Nova Peris became Australia's first Indigenous woman elected to federal parliament.

Nova Peris announced on 24 May 2016 that she would not nominate to re-contest her Senate seat at the 2016 federal election.

Fairfax and the ABC reported that Nova Peris was one of the frontrunners being considered to replace Jason Mifsud as head of diversity for the Australian Football League.

Nova Peris has actively supported the Australian Republic Movement since 1999, serving as one of its two Deputy Chairs by 2022, and its co-chair from March 2023.

Nova Peris has been a vocal supporter of Israel, of the Australian Jewish Community, and has been recently noted for her public advocacy against antisemitism.

Nova Peris told the Times of Israel that she could not "just sit back and see young Jewish kids being attacked the way that they are".

Nova Peris was eliminated on Day 10 and finished in 21st place.

From this time, Nova Peris has three children: Jessica and Destiny and Jack.

Nova Peris's son Jack is a footballer for the Essendon Football Club.