An Indigenous actress was refused by a taxi. Four times.

Ningali Lawford-Wolf is an accomplished Australian actress. She has starred in acclaimed films including Rabbit Proof Fence, Bran Nue Dae and most recently, the AACTA nominated Last Cab to Darwin. 

She is currently in a production of The Secret River and after rehearsals on Saturday night, she was refused a ride by four taxi drivers.

Lawford-Wolf spoke to Triple J’s Hack last night, sharing her experience, and it’s deeply unsettling irony considering the subject matter of The Secret River.

Andrew Bovell’s play, adapted from the novel of the same name by Kate Grenville, tells the story of confrontations between the Dharug people of Northern Sydney, and the non-Indigenous people who settle on their land. “This play, to me, is a story of healing… It’s trying to reconcile the atrocities of the past,” Lawford-Wolf told Tom Tilley.

She was out the front of the Sydney Theatre Company on Saturday night, having just finished dress rehearsals for the production.

“I was the only person in the rank,” Lawford-Wolf told Hack, “and I saw a taxi coming… I waved it down.”

The actress had no problem hailing the taxi. Her issues began after it approached. “It turned in and as I looked up to grab the door, it sped off!” she said.

The same thing happened again, and again, and again. Four taxis, empty, with their availability lights on, approached Ms Lawford-Wolf and then refused to drive her.

They refused because of her race.

Eventually, a fifth taxi did approach, at which point the driver saw a group of non-Indigenous people leaving a restaurant. That taxi picked the diners up instead.

As a second group of diners left the venue, Ms Lawford-Wolf approached them, explaining her predicament.

“The non indigenous people had to hail a taxi for me,” she told Hack. “And I am grateful for it, but the fact is I don’t need nobody to catch me a taxi if I’m at an appropriate place. Not only that, yes I’m Indigenous, but I’m a woman and I’m alone.”

When Tilley asked her about the disappointing link between her current theatrical endeavor and the discrimination she experienced, Ms Lawford-Wold answered, “It’s quite insulting. It disheartens you.”

Tilley also asked The Secret River director, Neil Armfield, what he thought about the incident.

His response:

“It is the most horrible irony.”

You can listen to the full episode of Hack featuring Ningaly Lawford-Wolf HERE.