Nova Peris & Her Roots: Any Sri Lankan Links?-by Michael Roberts
Source:Thuppahis
Since Nova Peris-Kneebone was one member of the Australian 4 x 100 relay team that secured a medal in the Olympic Games of 1996 ( ….. ), I raised the speculative question: does the name PERIS indicate that one of her grandparents was a Sinhalese merchant, worker or pearl-diver who was among the Sri Lankan personnel known to have particpated in trading, pearl-diving and labouring activities in the north-western, northern coastal areas of Australia from the early twentieth century and perhaps even earlier?
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Australia’s gold medal team, (left-right) Sharon Cripps, N. Peris-Kneebone, Catherine Freeman and Tania Van Heer, celebrate their victory (Photo by Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images)
371732 05: Australian gold medalist Peris-Kneebone autographs the “Nova” watch she designed for Swatch Watches June 27, 2000 in Santa Monica, CA. Peris-Kneebone, the first Olympic torch bearer on Australian soil and a member of the Aboriginal Muran Clan was on hand to discuss her part in the 17,000-mile journey the olympic tourch will make. (Photo by Jason Kirk/Online USA)
David Sansoni in Sydney has intervened usefully with the following information that challenges this line of possibility. I present it below for readers to pursue the issue.
A: The name Peris is not a typical Indigenous Australian surname but is famously associated ith the Olympic gold medalist and first Indigenous woman in federal parliament, Nova Peris. While the surname itself has non-Indigenous European origins (Welsh, Catalan, Greek, or Croatian), Nova Peris’s lineage includes Indigenous peoples from the Kiga, Yawuru, and Muran/Iwaidja groups.
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Nova Peris:
She is the well-known public figure with the surname Peris and is Indigenous.
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Indigenous Connections:
Peris is a descendant of Indigenous peoples.
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Non-Indigenous Surname Origin:
The surname “Peris” itself has various non-Indigenous European origins, such as Welsh (from “ap Erys”), Catalan (from Pere), Greek, or Croatian.
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In Summary:While Nova Peris’s family name is not Indigenous, the individual is a prominent Indigenous Australian figure, and her family has Indigenous heritage through her mother’s side.
Australia’s gold medal team, (left-right) Sharon Cripps, N. Peris-Kneebone, Catherine Freeman and Tania Van Heer, celebrate their victory (Photo by Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images)
BUT …. What does this picture of Nova and her FRIENDs suggest? HOWEVER, Victor Melder in Melbourne has now
370615 03: From right, Nicola Severino, Nova Peris-Kneebone, Evonne Cawley, Ernie Dingo, Lowitja O”Donoghue and Nicky Winmar hold the Olympic torch, June 7, 2000, ”Uluru” prior to the torch arrival at Uluru on June 8, 2000, Northern Territory, Australia. (Photo by Matt Turner/Newsmakers)
on 29 September 2025 …. served a definitive verdict:
“No, Nova Peris is not of Sri Lankan heritage; she is a prominent Indigenous Australian from the Gija, Yawuru, and Muran/Iwatja peoples. While her surname, “Peris,” has European origins, and she has documented Scottish, Irish, and Filipino heritage, her Indigenous identity comes from her family’s connections to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditions and cultures in Australia. “
