| Ernie Bourne | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ernest Alfred Bourne August 1, 1926 Dorset, England |
| Died | 21 January 2009 (aged 82)[1] Prahran, Victoria, Australia |
| Years active | 1958–2004 |
| Spouse | Claire Smith |
Ernest Alfred "Ernie" Bourne[2] (1 August 1926 – 21 January 2009) was an English-born Australian actor, best known for his regular roles on television.
Bourne was born in Dorset, England and raised in Yeovil, Somerset where his mother ran a boarding house following the early death of his father. Leaving school and home at the age of 14, Bourne worked in a cafe before joining the British Merchant Navy during World War II, where he became interested in acting after appearing in a pantomime.[3]
He emigrated to Australia in 1952, initially settling in Geelong and later moving to Melbourne. In the 1960s, he was loved (and booed) as a series of pantomime-style villains on Australian television such as Sir Jasper Crookley (in Magic Circle Club), and multiple similar baddies in Adventure Island including Sir Cedric Sneak, Captain Crook, Chummy Chums and Miser Meanie's sidekick Fester Fumble.
Throughout the 1970s he was a staple of Crawford Productions police dramas in a variety of character roles. In the 1980s he played prison chef Mervin Pringle in Prisoner (having earlier played two other minor roles) and garage mechanic Rob Lewis in Neighbours.
He also appeared in a series of television commercials for a retail sportsgear outlet (Sportsmart) as an older man (playing golf and tennis) who is perpetually laughed at by a young blonde man for spending too much money on his gear elsewhere.
Bourne died on 21 January 2009, aged 82, at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.[1]