Mary Parker (Australian actress)

Mary Fitzgerald (nee Parker), 31 October 1930 - c.13/14 May 2023) was an English-born actress and Australian television presenter, whom started her career in her native country as a stage, screen and television actress, after emigrating to Australia, she became notable for being the first woman to appear on Melbourne television.[2][3]

For other people named Mary Parker, see Mary Parker (disambiguation).

Mary Parker
Born31 October 1930
Bath, Somerset, England, United Kingdom[1]
Diedc.13/14 May 2023 (aged 92)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation(s)Television presenter, actress
Years active1951 - late 1990s[1]
SpousePaul Fitzgerald (married 1957-2017)

Biography

Early life and personal life

Parker was born in Bath, Somerset and was a twin, who was born two hours before her sister Sue, her father Charles Avison Parker, a British native was a military serviceman, who was a high ranking officer with the Royal Navy and later served with the Australian Navy, her mother was Australian, she was one of seven, with three of her brothers also service personnel in the military; Anthony, with the Royal Australian Air Force, as a test pilot, he was killed in World War II, Peter was an Air Commodore in the RAAF and Michael was a commander in the Royal Navy, he was a comrade and friend of Prince Phillip, and became his secretary and equerry-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II

Parker grew up in Melbourne and attended Genazzano Convent School. She was married to Australian portrait artist Paul Fitxgerald in 1957 until his death in 2017, who was also prominent in the United Kingdom and United State.

Career

In her early career in England, film studios likened her star quality to that of Debbie Reynolds[4]

"Everybody in England knew Mary Parker", said her husband, Paul Fitzgerald. "In England she did several films with Sir Douglas Fairbanks Jr – I've seen her name in lights on Shaftesbury Avenue and then she worked on TV as an announcer. They also brought her out to Australia in 1956 to open the (television coverage of the) Olympic Games – she was the first woman on television in (Melbourne)."[2]

In England, she worked on stage in West End Theatre productions, and in film and television dramas with the likes of Fairbanks, Boris Karloff and LLoyd Bridges and had numerous experience on live television broadcasting at the BBC alongside celebrities such as singer Petula Clarke[1]

In Australia, She was one of three persons to host Channel Seven test broadcasts at there Melbourne station HSV7 prior to their official opening night; the other two test broadcasters being Eric Pearce and Danny Webb. on HSV-7s opening night, 4 November 1956, (and although not common at that time, even in the United Kingdom, she became one the first female news anchors[1]), presented the news bulletin alongside with Pearce[3][5]

Death

Mary Fitzgerald (nee Parker) died at the age of 92 in hospital in Melbourne, Victoria on the weekend of 13–14 May 2023 after a short illness surrounded by her large and loving family. She was alert and witty until the last.[1]

British film career

(In Parker's profile in the 1956 British 'Who's Who on the Screen' annual, (page 121), The Vise's 'Deception' episode, (above), is listed as: "Triple Blackmail-the Deception".

Australian television career

In the 1950s it was usual to have a host top and tail the various programs and Mary Parker had that role in the early days of HSV-7.

She also presented the following programs:

In an interview with Parker in May 2015, she explained that she was also one of the first pianists on HSV-7, playing as preludes to a couple of her regular series of interviews. She started an interview with Des Bradley (violinist) by accompanying him in a rendition of Saint Saëns's The Swan. Another interview was with Freddy Cole and started with a piano duet between Cole and Parker; this must have looked interesting to viewers because of the black and white hands on the keyboard.

Parker shares the honour of being among the first women on Australian television with Babs McKinnon the first woman on Sydney television when TCN-9 was opened on 16 September 1956.[6] In Melbourne, on HSV-7's opening night, singer Toni Lamond appeared in a variety program.[3][5]

See also

References
  1. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-17/first-woman-on-melbourne-television-dies/102358070. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. "Constant in Faith", Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne bulletin, Vol. 24, Issue 8.
  3. "Sunday 4 November 1956 – MELBOURNE". televisionau.com. 9 June 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
  4. "Mary Parker Biography". IMDb.
  5. Listener In-TV, 1 November 1956.
  6. "THE EARLY DAYS - www.tcnchannel9.com". SimpleSite.com.
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