Elisabeth Kirkby


Elisabeth Wilma Burton Kirkby, alternatively Elizabeth Kirkby, is a British-born Australian retired politician, actress, radio broadcaster, producer, director and screenwriter.
Kirkby entered politics in 1977 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 the Australian Progressive Alliance party 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. after working for some years in England, starting her career, she relocated to British Malaya in 1950, after her husband was offered a medical position there, and noting the lack of theatre, served instead 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.

Early life

Kirkby was born in Welbeck Road in Bolton, Lancashire, north-west England to James Burton Kirkby and Frances Robinson. 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. She attended Nottingham Girls High School.

Entertainment career

Having served as an assistant stage manager, she started her performance career in the United Kingdom in theatre, joining the Manchester Repertory Theatre in 1939; subsequently in 1942 she joined the Liverpool Repertory Theatre, where she worked for a year before joining the Birmingham Repertory Theatre During the Second World War years she also 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. 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.
Kirkby relocated to Sydney, Australia in 1965, 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 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." 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 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. 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.
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. Kirkby subsequently made guest appearances on Australian drama series such as The Outsiders.

Political career

Kirkby entered politics joining the Australian Democrats in 1979, she was residing in Martinsville at that time in the NSW Hunter Valley region, after she was suggested by her friend and co-star Sheila Kennelly, a longtime resident who had a farm in that area, that she purchase a property there, After relocating there she ran for the local parliament seat for the Hunter Valley, with a publicity campaign using her Number 96 role as the basis, stating there are "96's reasons to vote for Liz", she lost the seat attaining 13% of votes, but was subsequently elected to the New South Wales legislative council in 1981, as the New South Wales state leader. Upon retiring in June 1998, she became the longest-serving Australian Democrat member of parliament She remained in politics, however, at a local government level, serving as a councillor in Temora Shire from 1999 to 2004, with the Democrats spin-off party the Australian Progressive Alliance foundered by Meg Lees.

Personal life and honours

Kirkby was married to Australian gynaecologist Derek Llewellyn-Jones and has three children, a daughter and two sons, four grandchildren and a great granddaughter. Her son Tony Llewellyn-Jones is an Australian actor and producer. Debbie Baile, her daughter, became an actress and also appeared in Number 96 in 1975. 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. 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".

Thesis

  • – doctorate thesis