Sobering reminders of racism and discrimination shadow Frank’s story, but the spotlight is squarely on remembrance and respect, and the resilience and resistance of Aboriginal leaders who punched above their weight in a fight rigged against them. Indigenous contribution to the sport of boxing was significant. Aboriginal athletes constituted an estimated 15 per cent of national champions in the early 20th century, and the Roberts clan itself counted many professional boxers among its ranks. Preachers provided the other main career path in the family. Rhoda freely admits having inherited that line. Her father and grandfather were both pastors, and the performer’s charisma and rhetorical skills can’t be denied. There’s something moving and deeply impressive about a spirituality that connected and reconciled Aboriginal lore with Christian belief. Religion met political and practical action in the founding of Cubawee, the self-governing Aboriginal reserve on the outskirts of Lismore where “Honest Frank” grew up.