Elisabeth Kirkby

Last updated

The Honourable
Elisabeth Kirkby
OAM
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
In office
27 October 1981 –25 June 1998
Known for Number 96 (TV series as "Lucy Sutcliffe")
Military career
Allegiance Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Service / branch Auxiliary Territorial Service
Rank Stars in Battledress
Battles / warsWorld War II

Elisabeth Wilma Burton Kirkby OAM (born 26 January 1921), [1] [2] alternatively Elizabeth Kirkby, is a British-born Australian retired politician, actress, radio broadcaster, producer, director and screenwriter. [3]

Contents

Kirkby entered politics serving as State Parliamentary Leader with the Australian Democrats in the New South Wales Legislative Council from 1981 to 1998, after which she served a shorter tenure with a seat on local government, as a councillor for Temora from 1999 and 2004.

Prior to her political career Kirkby worked in the entertainment arts, having started as an Assistant stage manager in her native England in 1938 before becoming an actress in theatre, radio, television and film productions. [3] after working for some years in England, she relocated to British Malaya in 1950 and served as a radio broadcaster, producer, director and screenwriter.

She emigrated to Australia in 1965, where she continued her acting career and became known for her small screen role as Lucy Sutcliffe in the serial Number 96 . [4]

Early life

Kirkby was born in Welbeck Road in Bolton, Lancashire, (now part of Greater Manchester) north-west England to James Burton Kirkby and Frances Robinson [5] Kirkby's family moved to Turton before she was one. She grew up during the dark years of The Great Depression and noted the closure of numerous cotton mills, native to the area during this period. [6]

Having served as an assistant stage manager, she started her performance career in the United Kingdom during the second world war, where she spent three years working for the war effort with the woman's branch of the British Army the Auxiliary Territorial Service, as an entertainer, writer and producer for Stars in Battledress.

Entertainment career

Kirkby appeared in telemovies in her native United Kingdom including Mr. Bolfrey and the televised play Love from a Stranger , based on a stage production written by Frank Vosper from a novel by Agatha Christie. [7]

Kirkby emigrated to what was then British Malaya in about 1950, where she spent 15 years writing, producing and directing for radio and the arts.

She then relocated to Sydney, Australia in 1965, [4] where she wrote and produced documentaries and educational programs for the ABC, after Kirkby's stint at the ABC, she moved to commercial television appearing in guest starring drama roles. These included Rip Tide , The Rovers , in Crawford Productions' espionage drama Hunter and their police drama Homicide and in the serial The Group .

Her next role was that of Lucy Sutcliffe in the soap opera Number 96 . The character of Lucy was devised by writer David Sale, who had previously cast her in The Group. He based her and her husband Alf Sutcliffe (played by James Elliott) after his own parents from Lancashire, England, even naming the character of Lucy after his mother. "The only difference," said Sale, "was my parents from native England loved Australia, so to make it a little interesting we would have the character of Alf, as the typical whinging Pommy, who was also longing to return to the United Kingdom, despite Lucy's disapproval." [7]

Kirkby was an original cast member of Number 96 which premiered March 1972. Unsure of how long the series would last, the producers offered the original cast contracts lasting just six weeks. [8] The show became Australia's 10th highest-rated television program in 1972, was the number 1 highest rating program in 1973 and 1974, and the 6th highest rated program for 1975. [9] The episode in which it was revealed that Lucy's tumour was benign proved to be Number 96's highest-ever rated episode. In late 1973 the show had a feature film spin-off featuring much of the show's current cast, including Kirkby, reprising their television roles. Kirkby provided a commentary for the DVD release of the series alongside co-star Carol Raye and Michael Kirby [7]

After Number 96 Kirkby went into a theatre run in Melbourne, appearing in The Jockey Club Stakes alongside Robert Coote and Wilfrid Hyde White in late 1975. Kirkby and White had previously met 30 years previously in the entertainment division of the army during World War II. [10] Kirkby subsequently made guest appearances on Australian drama series such as The Outsiders and Glenview High and again appeared in Homicide before leaving the industry to enter politics,

Political career

Kirkby became a politician and was elected to the New South Wales legislative council in 1981. She was the Australian Democrats' New South Wales state leader and became the longest-serving Australian Democrat member of parliament before retiring in June 1998. She remained in politics, at a local government level, serving as a councillor in Temora Shire from 1999 to 2004. In November 2010 she sold her sheep and wheat farm in Temora, New South Wales and moved to Morning Bay on Pittwater's western foreshore, accessible only by boat.

Personal life and honours

Kirkby was married to Llewellyn Jones, a Welsh writer who died in 1961, she was married and has 3 children, a daughter and two sons, four grandchildren and a great granddaughter. [6]

Debbie Baile, her daughter became an actress and also appeared in Number 96 in 1975. [11] Baile also acted in The Young Doctors and the film Undercover .

In 2006 Kirkby earned an Arts Degree and in 2014 a PhD from the University of Sydney at the age of 93, becoming Australia's oldest university graduate. Her thesis was on unemployment during the Great Depression, and she has become an advocate for older people to learn and study. [12] [a] In 2012 she was awarded the national Medal of the Order of Australia, for "service to the Parliament of New South Wales, to the community of Temora, and to the performing arts". [14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRole
1946Mr. Bolfrey (TV movie)Jean
1947 Love from a Stranger (TV movie)Mavis Wilson
1974Number 96 (TV movie)Lucy Sutcliffe
1976Number 96 ... And they said it wouldn't last (TV documentary movie)Herself
1979Challenging Years (film short)Jenny Walker

Television

YearTitleRole
1968-1975 Homicide
Mrs. Turnbull /
Ruth Mason		TV series
1968 Hunter Claire MathisonTV series, 1 episode
1969 Rip Tide Joyce ToddTV series, 1 episode
1969 The Rovers Miss ConstableTV series, 1 episode
1971 The Group TV series, 1 episode
1972–1975 Number 96 Lucy SutcliffeTV series
1976Number 96: And They Said It Wouldn't LastHerselfTV special
1977Number 96: The Final EpisodeHerself with Number 96 castTV series, 1 episode
1977 The Outsiders Pat RyderABC TV series, 1 episode
1977 Glenview High Mrs. MackayTV series, 1 episode
1980 Players in the Gallery TV miniseries
1982 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself with Terry Norris TV series, 1 episode
1986Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten TelethonGuest - Herself with Number 96 cast: Johnny Lockwood, Bettina Welch, Pat McDonald, Vicki Raymond, Sheila Kennelly, Wendy Blacklock, Harry Michaels, Chard Hayward, Frances Hargreaves & Abigail taped appearance.TV special
1996Where Are They Now?Guest - Herself with Number 96 actor James ElliottTV series, 1 episode
2007 Where Are They Now? Guest - Herself with 'Number 96 cast: Joe Hasham, Chard Hayward, Chantal Contouri, Elaine Lee, Sheila Kennelly, Jeff Kevin, James Elliott & Frances Hargreaves TV series, 1 episode
2010 Ten News Guest - HerselfTV series, 1 episode
2012 Breakfast Herself with Number 96 actors: Elaine Lee, Vivienne Garrett, Martin Harris, Louise Howitt & David Sale (writer)TV series, 1 episode

Thesis

Notes

  1. ↑ Although she is the oldest such recipient in Australia, the world record is held by 102 year old German Jewish woman Ingeborg Syllm-Rapoport, who was awarded a doctorate from the University of Hamburg, after originally being denied by the Nazi German Government, some 77 year's earlier. [13]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Akerman, Tessa (25 January 2021). "Centenarian Elisabeth Kirkby's world war warning". The Australian. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Hon. Elisabeth Kirkby, OAM, Former Member of the Legislative Council". Legislative Council Hansard. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  3. 1 2 "50 Years On: How Number 96 changed Aussie TV forever". New Idea. 14 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 "The Real Liz Kirkby". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 June 1973. p. 13.
  5. ↑ "The Hon Elisabeth Kirkby OAM (1921- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales . Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  6. 1 2 Andrew Beardsley (29 April 2014). "Bolton-born great-grandmother becomes Australia's oldest graduate with phD at 93". The Bolton News .
  7. 1 2 3 "Giles, Nigel "NUMBER 96" published by Melbourne Books (2007) ISBN   978-1-925556-00-1
  8. ↑ Schembri, Jim (9 March 2000). "How a classic still shows the way". The Age Green Guide. Australia. p. 10.
  9. ↑ Beilby, Peter (1981). Australian TV: The First 25 Years. Melbourne: Cinema Papers. pp. 40–47. ISBN   978-0-17-005998-5.
  10. ↑ Scott, Eric (22 November 1975). "96 Star's Sentimental Reunion!". TV Week . Australia. pp. 20, 34.
  11. ↑ "A No.96 Family Affair". TV Week . Australia. 5 July 1975. p. 15.
  12. ↑ "From Number 96 to Australia's oldest PhD at 93". ABC News. 23 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "German Woman, 102, gets doctorate - 77 years after Nazis stopped her first attempt". Independent.co.uk .
  14. ↑ KIRKBY, Elisabeth Wilma – OAM, It's an Honour (Australian Government), 11 June 2012.

 

Party political offices
First parliamentary leader Leader of the Australian Democrats in New South Wales
1981–1998		Succeeded by
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