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Elisabeth Kirkby

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The Honourable
Elisabeth Kirkby
OAM
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
In office
27 October 1981 – 25 June 1998
Succeeded byArthur Chesterfield-Evans
Councillor for Temora, New South Wales
In office
1999–2004
Personal details
Born
Elisabeth Wilma Burton Kirkby

(1921-01-26) 26 January 1921 (age 103)
Bolton, Lancashire (now Greater Manchester) England
CitizenshipAustralian
Political partyProgressive Alliance
(2003-2004)
Other political
affiliations		Democrat
Children3
ResidenceMorning Bay
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
Occupation
  • Politician
  • actress
  • radio broadcaster
  • writer
  • commentator
  • producer
  • director
  • sheep and wheat farmer
Known forNumber 96 (TV series as "Lucy Sutcliffe")
Military career
AllegianceUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Service / branchAuxiliary Territorial Service
RankStars in Battledress
Battles / warsWorld War II

Elisabeth Wilma Burton Kirkby OAM (born 26 January 1921),[1][2] alternatively Elizabeth Kirkby, is a British Australian retired politician. Kirkby entered politics serving with the Australian Democrats in the New South Wales Legislative Council as State Parliamentary Leader from 1981 to 1998, after which she served a seat on local government, as a councillor for Temora from 1999 and 2004.

Prior to her political career Kirkby worked in film, television and theatre, starting from 1938 as an assistant stage manager in her native England[3] before becoming a radio broadcaster, producer, director and screenwriter in Malaysia. She emigrated to Australia, where she became known for her small screen role as Lucy Sutcliffe in the serial Number 96.[4]

Early life

Born in Bolton, Lancashire, (now part of Greater Manchester) north-west England to James Burton Kirkby and Frances Robinson[5] Kirkby's performance career began 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, and as an entertainer, writer and producer for Stars in Battledress.

Entertainment career

She 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.[6] 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 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."[6]

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.[7] 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.[8] 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. Kirby provided a commentary for the DVD release of the series alongside co-star Carol Raye and Michael Kirby[6]

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.[9] 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 is divorced and has one daughter and two sons, Debbie Baile, her daughter became an actress and appeared in Number 96 in 1975.[10] 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.[11][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".[13]

Filmography

Film

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

Televisiom

Year Title Role
1968 Hunter (TV series) Claire Mathison
1969 Rip Tide (TV series) Joyce Todd
1969 The Rovers (TV series) Miss Constable
1971 The Group (TV series)
1968-75 Homicide (TV series)
Mrs. Turnbull /
Ruth Mason
1972–75 Number 96 (TV series) Lucy Sutcliffe
1977 The Outsiders (TV series) Pat Ryder
1977 Glenview High (TV series) Mrs. Mackay

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.[12]

See also

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. ^ "50 Years On: How Number 96 changed Aussie TV forever". New Idea.
  4. ^ a b "The Real Liz Kirkby". 25 June 1973.
  5. ^ "The Hon Elisabeth Kirkby OAM (1921- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Giles, Nigel "NUMBER 96" published by Melbourne Books (2007) ISBN 978-1-925556-00-1
  7. ^ Schembri, Jim (9 March 2000). "How a classic still shows the way". The Age Green Guide. Australia. p. 10.
  8. ^ Beilby, Peter (1981). Australian TV: The First 25 Years. Melbourne: Cinema Papers. pp. 40–47. ISBN 978-0-17-005998-5.
  9. ^ Scott, Eric (22 November 1975). "96 Star's Sentimental Reunion!". TV Week. Australia. pp. 20, 34.
  10. ^ "A No.96 Family Affair". TV Week. Australia. 5 July 1975. p. 15.
  11. ^ "From Number 96 to Australia's oldest PhD at 93". ABC News. 23 April 2014.
  12. ^ "German Woman, 102, gets doctorate - 77 years after Nazis stopped her first attempt".
  13. ^ 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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