Queenie Ashton


Edith Muriel Ashton, known professionally as Queenie Ashton, was a British singer, dancer, and actress, having started her career as a singer and theatre actress in her naive UK, she had a long career in Australia as a radio and television performer.
Her best known roles where in the radio serial's The Lawsons from 1944 and 1949 as Lee Gordon and its sequel Blue Hills as the elderly "Granny" Emily Bishop a role she played for some 27 years from 1949 and 1976, she would also play the character in TV series Autumn Affair.
Ashton alongside her contemporaries Grace Gibson, Amber Mae Cecil and Ethel Lang, has been described as a pioneer for females in radio. Her other prominent role was as Dolly Lucas in TV series ''Certain Women''

Biography

Early life and stage

Ashton was born in London, England. She was an accomplished ballet dancer, and specialist in voice production and drama, who started performing when she was fourteen. She appeared in musical comedy on the London stage, on occasion appearing with playwright Noël Coward. She left England in 1927, and performed for Dame Nellie Melba while travelling to Australia through the Suez Canal. She first appeared in Melbourne as a soprano on the concert stage, then in musical comedy, alongside such stars as Gladys Moncrieff, whom she understudied, and Strella Wilson.

Radio

Ashton featured in radio from the 1930s, she appeared in musical comedy opposite Dick Bentley in Oh! Quaite. Her first straight drama role was in 1939, a period piece playing Marie Antoinette.
She played Budge's mother in "Budge's Gang", a segment of the ABC Children's Session. Most notably, she played the wife of Dr. Gordon and the long-running role of Granny Emily Bishop in the radio serial Blue Hills, for the entire 27 years of the serial's run. Ashton, as Granny Bishop, spoke:
"We don't have to see people every day of the week/to imagine them in their surroundings or even to live their lives with them. We can still use our imagination... they can still be in our minds. They can still be with us and so you see, and it is isn't really very hard to say goodbye. to say goodbye and God bless."

Television and film

Ashton also played this role on Australia's first television serial Autumn Affair. In 1957 she appeared in a one-off television play called Tomorrow's Child and played in Certain Women, She was a semi-regular cast member of A Country Practice and G.P..
Film roles included both theatrical and telefilms Always Another Dawn in 1948 and The Farrer Story in 1949, she also had cameo's in Mama's Gone A-Hunting in 1977 and The Year My Voice Broke in 1987. She also appeared in many television commercials, most notably for Sara Lee. She was still performing in stage and cabaret plays in her nineties and was one of Australia's last great grand dames and one of the oldest entertainers still performing.

Personal life

Ashton married Lionel Lawson in 1931, a violinist, who became leader of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra; they had a daughter, nurse Janet Lawson, in 1933 and a son, Tony Lawson, in 1935. They divorced in 1940.
Ashton remarried in 1946 to Frederick John Cover, a theatrical agent, and founder and managing director of the actors' casting firm, Central Casting.
She died on 21 October 1999, in Carlingford, New South Wales, aged 95.

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleType
1948Always Another DawnMolly ReganFeature film
1949Strong Is the Seed Feature film
1980Age Before BeautyNarratorFilm short
1987The Year My Voice BrokeMrs. O'NeilFeature film

Television
YearTitleRoleType
1957Tomorrow's ChildTeleplay
1958-1959Autumn AffairGranny BishopTV series, 156 episodes
1959Lady in DangerMrs LampreyTeleplay
1959Pardon Miss WestcottLydia PattersonTeleplay musical
1960WhiplashMiss CulbertTV series, 1 episode
1962; 1964Consider Your VerdictAdelaide UptonTV series, 2 episodes
1965-1970HomicideEmily Simpson / Mrs. Miriam Pinkerton / Mrs. Hamilton / Dulcie ReynoldsTV series, 4 episodes
1965TV Spells MagicGuest TV special
1967My Name's McGooley, What's Yours?Miss FitchettTV series, 1 episode
1968HunterMrs. PankhurstTV series, 1 episode
1969-1973Division 4Emily Harrison / Elizabeth King / Mary Larkins / Mother O'Connell / Mrs. WildeTV series, 6 episodes
1969Pastures of the Blue CraneTV series
1971Matlock PoliceMrs. McIntyreTV series, 4 episodes
1971-1972The GodfathersMrs. FrenchmanTV series, 4 episodes
1972CrisisTV pilot
1973Elephant BoyDoreen GrahamTV series, 1 episode
1973-1976Certain WomenDolly LucasTV series, 257 episodes
1974The Evil TouchElspeth PfeifferTV series, 2 episodes
1976Solo OneAnnie RobinsonTV series, 1 episode
1977Image of DeathMrs. BrooksTV film
1977Mama's Gone A-HuntingOld Woman in RestaurantTV film
1977Say You Want MeTV film
1977The Restless YearsJessica MetcalfTV series, 1 episode
1978-1981Cop ShopAgnes Hinch / Mrs. Roberts / Evelyn Armstrong / Betty WaltonTV series, 6 episodes
1978This Is Your LifeHerselfTV series, 1 episode
1978The Mike Walsh ShowGuestTV series, 1 episode
1979SkywaysMrs. FowTV series, 1 episode
1980Young RamsayDolly FarrellTV series, 1 episode
1981The Love Boat in AustraliaMrs. SelkirkTV film, 2 episodes
1981The Love BoatMrs. SelkirkTV series, 2 episodes
1982, 1990A Country PracticeMrs. 'Coote' DugganTV series, 2 episodes
1983Warming UpMrs. MarshTV film
1985Double ScullsPianistTV film
1986Mother And SonElsieTV series, 1 episode
1987Poor Man's OrangeMrs. CasementTV miniseries, 2 episodes
1987Dearest EnemyTV pilot
1988Rafferty's RulesMrs. CapraTV series, 1 episode
1988The Dirtwater DynastyOld PatientTV miniseries, 1 episode
1989In Melbourne TodayGuest - HerselfTV series, 1 episode
1990A Country PracticeMrs. Lillian CooteTV series, 19 episodes
1991The Miraculous MellopsCustomerTV miniseries, 1 episode
1991-1992G.P.Mrs. Jessica SculthorpeABC TV series, 6 episodes

Recognition

In 1950 she won the Macquarie Network's award for "best performance by an actress in a supporting role".
In 1980, she was appointed by her stage name Queenie Ashton a Member of the Order of Australia for her services to the performing arts.