18 Facts About Gwen Plumb

Gwendoline Jean Plumb AM BEM, was an Australian performer of international appeal, actress and comedian active in literally every form of the art genre, including revue, pantomime, vaudeville, interviewing, game shows, live appearances, compering, radio production, scriptwriting and acting, television soap opera and mini-series and made-for-TV film.

Gwen Plumb was considered the "Grand Dame of Australian entertainment", with a career spanning 65 years, best known to local and international audiences in serial The Young Doctors as gossip Ada Simmonds, the ill-fated Richmond Hill as Mum Foote and the pilot of Home and Away as Doris Peters.

Gwen Plumb had a radio show in Sydney opposite Gordon Chater.

Gwen Plumb was well known for conducting celebrity interviews, for her own radio show including travelling to Europe to conduct recordings.

Gwen Plumb had a long career in the theatre, starting from 1930 and was a cast member of the debut season of the Old Tote Theatre Company, and once quipped that she "played in just about every form of public entertainment except the circus".

Gwen Plumb appeared in some early Australian drama such as Adventure Unlimited.

Gwen Plumb released a cook book, What's Cooking with Ada, under her character's name in 1980.

Gwen Plumb acted in Neighbours as Mrs Forbes in 1985, appearing in scenes opposite Alan Dale, with whom she had starred in The Young Doctors.

Gwen Plumb later played the key role of in the serial Richmond Hill as Mum Foote in 1988.

When Home and Away went into production, Gwen Plumb opted to honour her earlier agreement to do Richmond Hill.

Richmond Hill had a run of just 12 months, and Gwen Plumb stayed with the series for all of that time.

In 1995, Gwen Plumb returned to Home and Away for a number of episodes, playing a different character.

Gwen Plumb appeared in the mini-series Stark, based on Ben Elton's novel of the same name.

In 1990, Gwen Plumb had a large growth removed from her colon and lower bowel.

Gwen Plumb began rehearsing for a production of Arsenic and Old Lace two months later, which left her exhausted.

Gwen Plumb felt that she had never fully recovered from the surgery.

Gwen Plumb died on 5 June 2002, aged 89, at her home in Kirribilli.

Gwen Plumb was awarded a British Empire Medal in 1973, and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1993.