Doris Rosetta Elizabeth Mendoza

Doris Rosetta Elizabeth Mendoza (11 September 1899 – 20 May 1986), also known as Dot Mendoza, was an Australian pianist, composer, drama coach and theatre director. She was associated with J. C. Williamson's company, the Minerva Theatre and Phillip Street Theatre.

Family and early life Mendoza was born on 11 September 1899 in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. Her parents were Frederick Herbert Mendoza and Phoebe Mendoza .

Mendoza was born with a congenital dislocation of both her hips. She had 35 operations before she turned 6 and was unable to walk until being treated by a specialist in Vienna, Austria. She had a permanent limp and underwent further treatment for osteoarthritis in the 1950s.

Mendoza's daughter June Mendoza became a portrait painter known for her portraits of British royalty, politicians and musicians. She also had a son, Peter. who began playing the piano aged 4 Her father was a tenor and she accompanied him during his concerts from the age of 7. Mendoza won a scholarship to study a bachelors degree in music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, when aged 17, studying under Edward Goll. She toured with Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova in Australia 1926, with Australian composer Manlio Bavagnoli in Australia in 1928, In 1929, Mendoza performed piano duets with Stephanie Grey during the Melbourne Comedy Theatre's Brewster's Millions season. She was also associated with the international tours of Italian soprano Toti dal Monte and Italian conductor Mario Rossi.

Mendoza was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia) for services to the performing arts.

In 2015, a road in the Moncrieff suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, was named Mendoza street in her honour.