Star of the long-running soap opera The Sullivans and former Play School presenter, Lorraine Bayly, has died aged 89.<\/p>\n
The triple Logie-winning actress had been in declining health for several years.<\/p>\n
Bayly had suffered a stroke more than three years ago around Christmas, which led to her moving into care and stepping back from the active lifestyle she had embraced in later years.<\/p>\n
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n She passed away in a Sydney nursing home on Saturday morning, according to her family.<\/p>\n The news was revealed in a post on Facebook by a close friend and showbiz reporter Craig Bennett, with Bayly\u2019s nephew asking him to share the news.<\/p>\n \u201cSad to say we\u2019ve lost another showbiz legend, a bona fide star of stage and screen, a triple Logie winning TV treasure and beautiful friend to many,\u201d Bennett said.<\/p>\n \u201cLorraine had enjoyed a stellar 62-year career on stage and screen, until her retirement 10 years ago,\u201d he said in the post.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter years of gruelling health issues, she\u2019s now free and off onto her next wild adventure.\u201d<\/p>\n Born in Narrandera in regional New South Wales, Bayly trained at Sydney\u2019s Ensemble Theatre in the 1950s before building a foundation in radio and early television.<\/p>\n She made her TV debut on The Bobby Limb Show in 1962 and, four years later, became one of the original presenters on Play School, helping shape one of the country\u2019s most beloved children\u2019s programs in its formative years.<\/p>\n Her departure from Play School came when she was cast as Grace Sullivan in The Sullivans, the long-running wartime family drama that aired from 1976 to 1983.<\/p>\n As the strong and steady matriarch of the Sullivan family, Bayly became a household name. The series was one of Australia\u2019s most successful television exports of its time, and her performance earned her widespread acclaim and Silver Logie awards for Most Popular Actress.<\/p>\n Steven Tandy, who portrayed Bayly\u2019s on-screen son Tom in The Sullivans, paid tribute to his former co-star in a heartfelt Facebook post.<\/p>\n \u201cI have so many cherished memories of Lorraine,\u201d Tandy wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cShe was the most giving of people \u2014 always down to earth and affectionate, yet not without a certain almost girlish vivaciousness.<\/p>\n \u201cI truly loved and admired her and was so grateful for the close friendship we shared. Fly high, lovely lady. Your work is done. May love and beauty surround you always.\u201d<\/p>\n Following her success on The Sullivans, Bayly transitioned into another career defining role in Carson\u2019s Law, playing solicitor Jennifer Carson in a series set in 1920s Melbourne – again earning Silver Logie recognition.<\/p>\n Beyond television, Bayly maintained an extensive and enduring stage career, which Bennett described as her \u201cbig love\u201d.<\/p>\n She appeared in more than 50 theatre productions, including Death of a Salesman, Travelling North and The Sound of Music, the latter marking her final theatre performance in 2016.<\/p>\n She also appeared on the big screen, acting alongside Hollywood star Kirk Douglas in The Man from Snowy River.<\/p>\n Across a 62-year career, Bayly remained a constant presence in Australian entertainment, from early black-and-white broadcasts to colour television and modern theatre.<\/p>\n Her work helped define an era of Australian drama and children\u2019s programming, leaving an enduring mark on generations of viewers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hollywood legend\u2019s daughter found dead at 42<\/p>\n 2 min read<\/p>\n