Patricia Kennedy, Australian actress of radio, stage, film and television, died earlier this month at the age of 96.
Born in the Victorian town of Queenscliff, Kennedy trained as a school teacher but discovered an interest in acting after winning an amateur contest in the late 1930s.
Among Kennedy’s early radio appearances were the variety program The Village Glee Club and drama series Caltex Theatre. She shared the role of Dame Nellie Melba (with Glenda Raymond) in the 1946 radio production Melba, produced by Hector Crawford.
Early television appearances included Emergency, Consider Your Verdict, Homicide and various telemovies and plays. She also appeared in Prisoner, Young Ramsay, The Sullivans, The Weekly’s War, Land Of Hope, Kindred Spirits, Five Mile Creek, Return To Eden, The Flying Doctors, GP and A Country Practice.
She played the ongoing part of Emily Muldoon, the owner of the island resort depicted in the early ’80s series Holiday Island, and was a drama consultant for the 1982 mini-series Sara Dane.
Film appearances included The Getting Of Wisdom, My Brilliant Career, Country Life and The Road To Nhill.
She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1982 for services to the performing arts.
A prolific stage actress through most of her career, in Australia and overseas, she continued to work in the theatre until well into her 80s but lived a quiet, independent life often isolated from the bright lights of the city.
A private memorial service for Patricia Kennedy was held last week.
Source: IMDB, The Age, Wikipedia, It’s An Honour