VALE ELIZABETH KIRKBY OAM
(26 January 1921 - 20 April 2026)
British-born Australian retired politician and actress ELIZABETH KIRKBY, passed away at the age of 105.
Elisabeth Wilma Kirkby OAM, alternatively known as Elizabeth “Liz” Kirkby, was a retired English-Australian politician, theatre and television actress, radio broadcaster, writer, public affairs commentator, producer, director, and grazier.
Born in Bolton, Lancashire, England, to James Burton Kirkby and Frances Robinson Kirkby, her acting career began in the United Kingdom 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 World War 2 she spent three years working for the war effort with the Auxiliary Territorial Service and as an entertainer, writer, and producer for Stars in Battledress.
She then spent fifteen years living in Malaysia (then British Malaya), writing, producing, and directing for radio and the arts.
Elizabeth moved to Australia in 1965, where she wrote and produced documentaries and education programs for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and acted on television in guest starring roles, including Rip Tide, The Rovers, Hunter, The Group, Homicide and The Outsiders .
The role of Lucy Sutcliffe in soap opera NUMBER 96 made Kirkby a household name. Kirkby was an original cast member of Number 96, which premiered in March 1972. The show became Australia's 10th highest-rated television program in 1972 and the # 1 highest rating 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. The episode revealing 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 then current cast, including Kirkby reprising her television role. In October 1975, Alf and Lucy were written out of Number 96 as part of a remodelling of the show.
On leaving the serial, Kirkby went straight into a theatre run in Melbourne, appearing in The Jockey Club Stakes alongside Robert Coote and Wilfrid Hyde White in late 1975. Kirkby subsequently made guest appearances on Australian drama series such as Glenview High and again in Homicide.
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.
She remained in politics at a local government level, serving as a councillor in Temora Shire from 1999 to 2004. In November 2010, she sold her sheep and wheat farm in Temora, New South Wales, and moved to Morning Bay.
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.
She provided commentary for the DVD release Number 96: Aftermath of Murder. In 2012, she was awarded the national Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for her service to the Parliament of New South Wales, the community of Temora, and the performing arts.
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 daughter Deborah Bailie, was an actor, and film accountant, son Tony Llewellyn-Jones is an Australian actor and producer and strong supporter of Actors Benevolent Fund.
What an incredible life and career.