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1-50 of 69
- Judith McGrath was an Australian TV actress who was born and raised in Brisbane, Queensland and she was most known for her roles in Australian TV Drama Prisoner (1979) as acidic and sarcastic officer Colleen 'Po Face' Powell where she stayed for until the 1984 season before moving on and working extensively in the Australian Theatre Company before her next big role in Australian romance/medical drama A Country Practice (1981) and then working several years later in one of Australia's most beloved TV dramas All Saints (1998) which ran for 12 years and earned McGrath a logie nomination for best actress, during the series 493 episodes McGrath only missed one episode.
McGrath retired from acting in 2012 after her final on-screen role on the TV drama Winners & Losers (2011) and lived quietly until her death in 2017. McGrath died in 2017 aged 70 after a battle with lung cancer. - Deryck Guyler, born at the outbreak of WW1 in 1914 at Liverpool in England, was the only child of Elsie and Samuel Guyler. He grew up in Liverpool and had his senior education at Liverpool College. On leaving school he tried his hand at a few things including working with his father in the family jewelers business 'Green & Guyler'. However, he then left home to go to Bristol theological college to become an Anglican Minister, in those days Deryck was not a Catholic. It was not long before it became obvious to the 'powers-that-be' he would make a better actor than a Parson!!!! So, he eventually joined the Liverpool Repertory Company in 1935 which became his training ground for a very successful career in theatre, radio and television.
During the war, however, he was called up to join the RAF Police and served there for a time before being invalided out and then rejoined his profession. As all the theatres had been closed down due to wartime, he was sent out on ENSA (Entertainment National Services Association) to entertain the troops. It was during this time that he met and married his wife Paddy, who was also working on ENSA with her two sisters as a three handed singing harmony act, 'The Lennox Sisters'. They were married on 15th Sep 1941 so, at the time of his death Deryck and Paddy had just celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary. They had two sons, Peter, born 26th April 1943 during the war and Chris, born after the war on 15th June 1948. Soon after their son Peter was born, Deryck converted to the Catholic faith and became an active member of the 'Catholic Stage Guild'. They also had another wedding ceremony, as Paddy was also a Catholic, and son Peter was in the front row of the church.
Just after the war, in 1946, Deryck joined the famous war time radio show ITMA ('It's That Man Again') and was with the show until its finish in 1949, due to the death of its star Tommy Handley. It was during this time that he was renowned for bringing to the radio, for the first time, the Liverpudlian accent with his immortal character "Frisby Dyke". Not long after this television started and Deryck began pursuing his very successful career in this new medium of entertainment. Due to the excellent quality of his voice he started in television, as many did, doing 'voice-overs' for many, many commercials which was his 'bread and butter', but then, he went on to become as well known for his face as he was for his voice in many TV series including Three Live Wires (1961), Room at the Bottom (1966), Best of Enemies (1968) and the well known Sykes (1972) series with Eric Sykes, Hattie Jacques and Richard Wattis. There were many other series that followed, supporting such other stars as Michael Bentine in It's a Square World (1960) and Harry Worth in his own series and then, of course, the TV series he's probably best known for, Please Sir! (1968) as the cantankerous school janitor 'Norman Potter'!!
It was in 1982 that he went out to New Zealand to star in a series written by an English TV scriptwriter Vince Powell called "An Age Apart"; it only went to 'air' in New Zealand. So, after a long successful career lasting over 50 years he then decided to retire 'down under' in Australia to be near his younger son Chris and his family, Deryck's three grandchildren, Paul, Mark and Cathryn. Deryck and his wife Paddy arrived in Brisbane on 5th November 1993, and lived in the tree-lined suburb of Ashgrove until about September of 1997. In October of that year, due to a few unfortunate falls at home attributed to his frailty and ailing legs, he had to go into a nursing home to be cared for, his wife Paddy being too small and frail herself to care for him. Regrettably due to his frailty; he had to be content with a wheelchair to get around. Paddy moved to 'Forest Place' Retirement Village, attached to the nursing home, and naturally, visited him daily. Additionally, the rest of the family often visited him in the nursing home where he was looked after admirably by the nursing home staff at 'Forest Place' until the evening of 7 October 1999 when he passed away very peacefully at about eight o'clock whilst wife Paddy and son Chris, with his wife, were at his bedside to say their final 'Goodbyes'.
His funeral service was held at St. Mark's Catholic Church, Inala on the 13 October 1999 and he was cremated at Mt. Gravatt Cemetery. In 1995 there was a wonderful 10 minute tribute to Deryck, made by Danny Baker and the BBC, which the family used as a part of the eulogy delivered by his son Chris at his funeral service at St. Mark's. Deryck's wife Paddy also passed away on 6 January 2002 and their ashes are now buried side by side in the "Guyler" family 'garden seat' estate in the peaceful surroundings of "Mount Thompson Memorial Gardens" in the Brisbane suburb of Holland Park. - Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Mark Toia was a director and writer, known for Monsters of Man (2020), UFO Man and The last Yowie. He died on 23 October 2023 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Writer
- Additional Crew
Michael Noonan was born on 19 September 1921 in Sumner, New Zealand. He was a writer, known for The Flying Doctor (1959), Riptide (1969) and December Boys (2007). He died on 4 March 2000 in Brisbane, Australia.- Actor
- Writer
A Drama graduate of the University of Queensland, Bille Brown is a well-known Shakespearean actor. He began with the Queensland Theatre Company and, later, was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Strathford and London. While with the RSC, he was one of its few commissioned writers.
Bille Brown AM has been recognised twice in the Australian Honours System. On 1 January 2001 he was granted the Centenary Medal "for distinguished service to the arts" and on 26 January 2011, Bille was named as a Member of the Order of Australia "for service to the performing arts as an actor and playwright, and to education". The latter honour is denoted by the post-nominal "AM" after his name.- Carol Burns was born on 29 October 1947 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She was an actress, known for Prisoner (1979), The Mango Tree (1977) and Tracks (2013). She was married to Alan Lawrence. She died on 22 December 2015 in Woolloongabba, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Tui Bow was born on 19 October 1906 in Hawera, Taranaki, New Zealand. She was an actress, known for Frenchman's Farm (1987), Sunshine of Paradise Alley (1926) and The Irishman (1978). She was married to Robert Bow. She died on 25 March 1993 in Alderley, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Alan Edwards was born on 17 January 1925 in the UK. He was an actor, known for The Children of the New Forest (1955), The Black Arrow (1951) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1955). He died on 14 January 2003 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Billy J. Smith was born on 4 January 1946 in Herston, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He died on 27 February 2019 in Herston, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
John Dommett was born in 1946 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was an actor and producer, known for The Box (1974), Frightful Movie (1968) and Matlock Police (1971). He died on 8 January 2004 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Steele Rudd was born on 14 November 1868 in Drayton, Queensland, Australia. He was a writer, known for On Our Selection (1920), Rudd's New Selection (1921) and Dad and Dave: On Our Selection (1995). He was married to Violet Christina Brodie. He died on 11 October 1935 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Music Department
- Composer
- Writer
Ronald Hanmer was born on 2 February 1917 in Reigate, Surrey, England, UK. He was a composer and writer, known for Pet Sematary (2019), Mystery at the Burlesque (1949) and The Year My Voice Broke (1987). He died on 23 May 1994 in Brisbane, Australia.- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Never comfortable in front of the camera, Chris left Blue Peter after only 21 months. He became a journalist. As a war correspondent in Beirut, Lebanon he disappeared for 18 days. In 1995 in the Balkans working for ITN as a journalist for Channel 4, he was brutally beaten up by Serb civilians protesting over Kosovan Albanians.- Arundel Nixon was born in 1907 in England, UK. He was an actor, known for That Certain Something (1941). He died on 4 April 1949 in Brisbane, Australia.
- Writer
- Producer
Left school at 15; became commercial artist, film cartoonist, laundryman and bushworker. First novel won second prize in Australia's biggest literary contest, launching his writing career. Novel "Peter's Pence" one American Edgar Allen Poe Prize as best crime novel of 1974.- Jack Seccombe was born on 19 January 1919 in Australia. He was married to Norah Seccombe. He died on 5 October 2006 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Writer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Additional Crew
Colin Thiele was born on 16 November 1920 in Eudunda, South Australia, Australia. He was a writer, known for Sun on the Stubble (1996), O Processo do Rei (1990) and Storm Boy (1976). He was married to Rhonda. He died on 4 September 2006 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Margo Dydek was born on 28 April 1974 in Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland. She died on 27 May 2011 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- For 70 years, Babette Stephens worked as an actor in theater, radio, TV and film. She was also a director, artistic director, talk show host, TV game show panelist and acting teacher. Her last acting student was Dwayne Lawler. In 1972, she was awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) - which she received personally from Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace - for her services to theater. In 1994, she was awarded the AM (Member of the Order of Australia) for her services to the performing arts. Little wonder she was known as the "Grand Dame of Theater." She was given a standing ovation at her funeral by a final audience of more than 500 members of the entertainment industry. Her biography "Never Upstaged: Babette Stephens, her life and times," was published in 2004.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Grant McLennan was born on 12 February 1958 in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. He was an actor, known for Kingpin (1996), Something Wild (1986) and Summer Storm (2004). He died on 6 May 2006 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Sam Cutler died on 11 July 2023 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Make-Up Department
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Patricia Hutchence was born on 6 July 1929 in Australia. She was a writer, known for Death Race 2000 (1975), Two Worlds Colliding and The Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976). She was married to Kell Hutchence, ? Burgess and Ross Glassop. She died on 22 September 2010 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Ronald Richard Beck was the first child of Richard Joseph and Pearl Eileen Beck and had a brother Rex Bernard (1918-1983) and a sister Maxine Joan (1924-1998). Ron grew up in Adelaide and performed in local theatrical productions before joining J C Williamson's as a principal comedian in 1938/9. During the war years he joined Colgate-Palmolive's Radio Production unit in 1942/2 and produced and directed local stars including Gracie Fields, Roy Rene (Mo), Willie Fennell, Hal Lashwood, Kathy Lloyd, Harry Griffiths and many others. In 1948 he started his independant radio production company, Ron R Beck Pty Ltd. In that era he used great talents many including those above as well as Hayes Gordon, Pat Hodgins, Al Thomas, Jim Tregonning, Rita Puncefort, Doroth Foster (Ada & Elsie) and many others. He continued producing, writing and directing in the Golden Years of Australian Radio from then until 1958, when television took over. Moving to other pursuits, in manufacuring, promotions, investing and retailing Ron was, in 1969, approached by the third Television network (0/10) to be Executive Producer for a Police Drama. In January 1970 "The Long Arm" commenced production of a 13 episode series at Channel 0 Melbourne. It starred Robert Bruning, Barbara Mason, Tony Ward, Sandy Harbutt, Lyndal Moor, Sean McEuan, and many other leading Australian performers. Directors included: Colin Eggleston, David Eastman, Michael Pate, Rob Weekes and others. A second 13 episode series was commissioned, but the Channel cancelled after about 8 or 9 episodes were in the can in favour of a Crawford Productions concept of a Rural Police Drama called "Matlock Police", produced initially by Michael Pate. Ron, having by then large land holdings West of Melbourne, near Ballarat, went into semi retirement in 1972. He and wife Betsy moved to Brisbane in 1987 and lived in comfort until his death in 1990.- Regularfoot surfer Keith Paull was born in 1946 in Queensland, Australia. Paull first began surfing at age fourteen. Keith initially made a name for himself in the surfing community after he beat world champions Midget Farrelly and Nat Young at the 1968 Australian National Titles. In the wake of this particular triumph Paull went on to finish runner-up in the 1968 Bells Beach event, won the small wave portion of the 1969 Peru International Surfing Championships, and finished third in the 1970 Australian National Titles. Moreover, Keith was a well respected surfboard shaper who started his own company called Keith Paull Surfboards and Harmony Surfboards in Australia's Gold Coast circa 1970. Alas, Paull also had long undiagnosed schizophrenia that was further compounded by his experimenting with LSD in the early 1970's. Keith eventually quite surfing and surfboard shaping altogether in 1976 due to his ever-worsening mental state. Paull died alone at age fifty-seven in his sleep in a hostel in Brisbane, Australia in 2004.
- Music Department
- Actor
- Additional Crew
Joseph Ward was born on 22 May 1932 in Preston, Lancashire, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Gondoliers (1972), The Sunday Drama (1977) and Lost Empires (1986). He died on 27 April 2019 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Composer
- Music Department
- Actor
John Sangster was a central figure in Australian jazz. He began playing traditional jazz with Graeme Bell and his Australian Jazz Band on trombone, later taking up the cornet, then drums. He toured with Bell (1950-55), playing in Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and Korea. While in England he appeared in two Royal Command Performances, and recorded his first composition while playing on the Humphrey Lyttelton/Graeme Bell recordings. In the late 1950s Sangster began playing vibraphone, and played other percussion instruments, including many of his own invention. After leaving Bell's band, Sangster joined the Don Burrows Group, with whom he was to record several compositions.In the 1960s Sangster formed his own quartet and with them experimented with group improvisatory jazz, after he became interested in the music of such American jazz musicians as Sun Ra and Archie Shepp- William Webb was born on 21 January 1887 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. He was married to Beatrice Agnew. He died on 11 August 1972 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Born Robin Andrew Cordwell, the son of Robin and Judith Cordwell, he went by the name Andrew to prevent confusion with his father, and was known as Drew to his friends. He always had a love for the Stage and Screen. He performed in some shows in high school, and whilst acting wasn't to become his profession, he kept a close eye on the upcoming releases - especially musicals. His love for movies included watching every movie that won the Best Picture Oscar since its inception, and for the last 20 years, all the movies nominated in that category. Later in his short life he was able to contribute to the film industry by becoming an independent Film Producer. Unfortunately, he passed away not long after his 44th birthday due to complications from cancer, before he could contribute more.
- Soundtrack
John Curro was born on 6 December 1932 in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. He was married to Carmel Cusack. He died on 6 November 2019 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Lala Górska was born on 31 May 1931 in Warsaw, Warszawskie, Second Polish Republic [now Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland]. She was an actress, known for Rapsodia Baltyku (1935), His Big Love (1936) and Bohaterowie Sybiru (1936). She was married to Stanislaw Grajczonek. She died on 8 October 2020 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Pahnie Jantzen's musical career began at 14 with a family group in his home town - Wanganui, New Zealand. He became a carpenter and moved to Australia: working in various towns, and played at night in a number of groups.
He based himself in Brisbane when Greg Doolan invited him to join the Wak as bass player. The magic Maori brought Louis Armstrong's music alive, and provided an insight into Stevie Wonder.
When Wickety Wak retired in 1990 Pahnie admitted to feeling a little lost. For 16 years he'd had his 'family' of four brothers with him and they were constantly flying here and driving there, with almost every day in a different town. After a year Pahnie settled into life without Wak and started his solo career, which included a short stint with the band, Three Dimension. Pahnie appeared in made for TV movie called 'Survive the savage seas completed in 1992. The part played was of 'first Mate' . After completing a brief acting stint he later joined Peter and Robbie in Out of Wak.
Pahnie performed with his wife Ngaire in the highly successful duo Pinkke Champagne.From 1995 onwards Pahnie performed in a duo with either Rob Rosenlund or Tony Jeffrey .
On March the 28, 2013 Pahnie passed away from a brief battle with cancer, he was age 74. - Johann Ofner died on 23 January 2017 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Visual Effects
Ashley Wilkie was born on 3 June 1961. He is known for Ready or Not (2018) and Wombat (1983). He died on 3 May 2001 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Bill Brown was born on 31 July 1912 in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. He died on 16 March 2008 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Charles Lisner was born on 12 March 1928 in France. He was an actor, known for On Tour with the Arts Council (1962). He died on 16 June 1988 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Sam Watson was born on 16 November 1952 in Queensland, Australia. He died on 27 November 2019 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Lionel Van Praag was born on 17 December 1908 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He was an actor, known for Money for Speed (1933). He died on 19 May 1987 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Dale Spender was born on 22 September 1943 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. He died on 21 November 2023 in Brisbane, Australia.
- Sylvia Newland was born in 1905 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She was an actress, known for Those Who Love (1926). She died on 6 August 1987 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Actor
- Writer
Manmeet Alisher was an actor and writer, known for Helpless (2016). He died on 28 October 2016 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Margreta Elkins was born on 16 October 1932 in Brisbane, Australia. She was an actress, known for Lucrezia Borgia (1977), Ninety Years On (1964) and Norma (1978). She was married to Henry Elkins. She died on 1 April 2009 in Brisbane, Australia.
- Con Byrne was born on 25 May 1910 in Yea, Victoria, Australia. He died on 25 November 1993 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Michael Roche was married to Jenny. He died on 30 July 2019 in New Farm, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Darla Townend was born on 11 February 1916 in Queensland, Australia. She was an actress, known for The Moth of Moonbi (1926). She died in 1965 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Art Director
- Set Decorator
Charles Porter was born on 17 May 1910 in Greenwich, London, England, UK. He was an art director and set decorator, known for The Package (2009). He was married to Joy Welch. He died on 14 April 2004 in Mount Ommaney, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Soundtrack
Levi Kereama was born on 9 August 1983 in Australia. He died on 4 October 2008 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.- Don Henderson was born on 17 January 1937 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was an actor, known for The Stringybark Massacre (1968). He was married to Sally Watson and Marian Henderson. He died on 20 August 1991 in Auchenflower, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- John Herron was born on 4 September 1932 in Home Hill, Queensland, Australia. He was married to Jan Kenny. He died on 25 February 2019 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
- Pit Ginsburg was born on 28 August 1941 in Brisbane, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Lust in the Dust (1984). He died on 4 September 2011 in Brisbane, California, USA.
- Betty McQuade was born on 26 August 1941 in Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland, UK. She died on 26 December 2011 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.