Tasma Walton

Tasma Walton (born 19 August 1973) is an Aboriginal Australian television and film actress and novelist.

Tasma Walton was born on 19 August 1973^[1] in Geraldton, Western Australia. She is of Boonwurrung descent through her mother, however she only discovered this in her late 30s.^[2][3]

Walton joined local radio station 6GE and trained as a production assistant and copywriter in Geraldton, her home town.^[4]

She was accepted into the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) but dropped out after two years.^[4]

Walton joined a small Sydney theatre company, and landed a role as the love interest of Ian Moss in the music video for Tucker's Daughter off his 1989 debut album Matchbook.^[4]

In 1995, Walton played the recurring role of Rachel Watson in Home and Away.^[4]

In 1996, Walton was cast as Dash McKinley in the police drama series Blue Heelers. Her character was introduced halfway through Season 3. She also played another character, Kim Trelor, in the same series.^[5] In the same year, she made her film debut in Fistful of Flies. Her last episode of Blue Heelers ("The Full Circle") screened in mid-1999.

In 2009, Walton joined the cast of City Homicide in the semi-regular role of criminal profiler, Claudia Leigh.^[6] In July 2013, it was announced that Walton had rejoined the cast of Home and Away in the recurring role of Jade Montgomery. She was on the show for two seasons.^[4]

In 2016, Walton appeared on three episodes of Rake. She also had a regular role on Cleverman (in 2016 and 2017). In 2018, she joined the cast of Mystery Road, reprising her role from the 2013 film of the same name. She returned to season two in 2020.

In 2023 Walton appeared in Channel Seven series The Claremont Murders,^[7] and she joined the second season of Foxtel series The Twelve. in July 2024.^[8][9]

After the success of Reckless, a series created and written by Walton, on 24 February 2026 ABC ordered a new six-part crime drama series created by her, titled Pilli Sisters PI.^[10]

Other film and TV appearances include Water Rats, Sea Patrol, The Postcard Bandit, and Perdition. She also won recurring roles in White Collar Blue and BeastMaster.

Walton has also written two works of fiction:

• Heartless (2009)
• I am Nannertgarrook (2025), an historical novel^[11]

• 1997: Winner, Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent, at the 39th Annual TV Week Logie Awards, for her role as "Constable Dash McKinley" on Blue Heelers
• 2014: Nominated, Best Actress at the 3rd AACTA Awards, for her role in Mystery Road

• Co-winner (with Robbie Arnott), ARA Historical Novel Prize, for I am Nannertgarrook^[11][12]
• Longlisted, Stella Prize, for I am Nannertgarrook^[13]

Walton was in a relationship with Danny Roberts for seven and a half years until 2004.^[14] She began dating Rove McManus in October 2007. They married in a private ceremony in Broome, Western Australia, on 16 June 2009.^[15] In December 2013, Walton and McManus announced the birth of their daughter.^[16][17]

Walton has also performed extensively on stage, including the following productions:^[26]

• Tasma Walton at IMDb