He continued: “Sheila remained lifelong friends with many of the actors from Number 96, and was the last one standing of a special friend group that included Carol Raye, Elaine Lee and Elizabeth Kirkby.”
Mercado concluded: “I have no doubt they are all now having a lovely reunion with each other … RIP Sheila x (sic).”
Fans paid tribute on Instagram, as one wrote: “This is very Sad News indeed.
“I remember her playing Floss in Home and Away as well as Rosa from Kingswood Country. She was such a versatile actress as well as a really good one too.
“Vale Sheila.”
A second supporter typed: “I’m rewatching Number 96 at the moment. Sheila had such a lovely, natural screen presence and great chemistry with Gordon. Her passing is sad news.”
And a third follower said: “Vale Sheila. Thanks for the memories.”
Born in Brighton, England, Kennelly relocated to Australia with her family at a young age, and she attended the North Sydney Girls High School before training at the Independent Theatre.
Her acting career began in the late 1950s, appearing in stage plays, before moving into TV.
Kennelly became a household name after playing barmaid Norma Whittaker in the Network 10 soap Number 96, which ran from 1972 until 1977.
The entertainer played Rosa Berlucci in the Seven Network sitcom Kingswood Country from 1980 until 1984, before going on to star in other shows that decade.
Kennelly turned down the chance to star in the 1988 drama film Evil Angels alongside Hollywood star Meryl Streep, 77, because she wanted to appear in the Seven Network soap Home and Away instead.
The star played Floss McPhee, but producers wrote the retired carnival worker out of the show after a year in 1989 because the producers wanted to reformat the programme and focus on a younger cast.
However, Kennelly reprised the character from 2000 until 2008.