Elisabeth Kirkby

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Wendy Blacklock as Edie and Elisabeth Kirkby as Lucy Sutcliffe in Number 96.

The Hon. Elisabeth Wilma Kirkby OAM (born 26 January 1921) is an British Australian theatre and television actress in the performing arts. Kirkby has worked for both the BBC and the ABC and is a former politician with the Australian Democrats, having served as an long time member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.

Entertainment and Politics

Born in Bolton,Greater Manchester, England, Kirkby's acting career began in the United Kingdom where she spent three years working for the war effort. She then spent fifteen years living in Malaysia, writing, producing and directing for radio and the arts. Then she moved to Australia, where she wrote and produced documentaries and education programs for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and acted on television in guest starring roles. These included roles in The Rovers, in Crawford Productions' espionage drama Hunter and their police drama Homicide. Then came the role of Lucy Sutcliffe in soap opera Number 96, which made Kirkby a household name. As of 2014 she is the oldest surviving regular cast member from the series.

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. The show became Australia's highest-rated television program in 1973 and 1974. Lucy endured a moaning layabout husband Alf (James Elliott), along with a series of dramatic health concerns in the serial: a breast-cancer scare, blindness, and an unplanned pregnancy followed by a troubled birth. 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.

In November 1975 Alf and Lucy were written out of Number 96 as part of a drastic remodelling of the show in the wake of declining ratings. On leaving the serial Kirkby went straight into a theatre run. She subsequently made guest appearances on Australian drama series such as Glenview High (1977), and again appeared in Homicide.

National Order Of Australia

Kirkby later 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 for many years, and became the longest serving Australian Democrat Member of Parliament before retiring in June 1998. In November 2010 she sold her sheep and wheat farm in Temora, New South Walesand moved to Morning Bay on Pittwater's Western foreshore, accessible only by boat. She provided a commentary in the DVD release Number 96: Aftermath of Murder. In 2012 she was awarded the national Medal of the Order of Australia, for her contributions with the Australian Democrats, a long overdue honour for the recipient.

Personal life

Kirkby's daughter, Debbie Baile, became an actress who appeared in television Number 96 in 1975, and in The Young Doctors and the film Undercover.

References

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