Gerda Nicolson
| Gerda Nicolson | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Gerda Maureen Nicholson 11 November 1937 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
| Died |
12 June 1992 (aged 54) Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation | actress |
| Spouse(s) | Gyula (Julius) Szappanos |
Gerda Maureen Nicolson (11 November 1937 – 12 June 1992) was an Australian theatre and television actress best known for several long-running television roles.
Career
Gerda Maureen Nicolson was born in Hobart, Tasmania, to parents both involved in theatre. In 1959, she travelled to London with her parents, and attended many stage performances.
On returning to Australia in 1961, Gerda joined Melbourne University's Graduate Society and acted in a number of its amateur stage plays while working as a draughtsperson at the Victorian Health Department. A year later, she was spotted by a director who encouraged her to audition for a stage play, A Woman in a Dressing Gown. Scoring one of the main roles, she joined the ensemble on its tour of Australia and New Zealand. Nicolson later said that the producer awarded her with the role on account of her stunning legs.
Nicolson first reached wider audiences through her long-running role in Australian Broadcasting Corporation daily soap opera Bellbird. After leaving that series she had a regular role in the police drama Bluey (1976) and also The Sullivans (1976) and a small guest role in Cop Shop. However, her most widely recognised role was as Governor Ann Reynolds in the popular Australian television soap opera Prisoner. This was her second role in the show — she had already played a minor role as a corrupt officer at another prison in earlier episodes. Gerda played the role of Ann from 1983 until the series ended in 1986. The series found huge international cult success in the 1990s and 2000s. Gerda also appeared in Neighbours in 1990 as Robyn Taylor, who almost had an affair with Harold Bishop.
She collapsed in her dressing room prior to going to stage for theatre performance Mary Lives! in 1992. Although she was rushed to hospital, she never regained consciousness and died on 12 June. The cause of death was a brain-related haemorrhage.
Legacy
Green Room Award: The Gerda Nicolson Award (for an Emerging Actress) was instituted in her name to commemorate her work in Australian theatre, as she is recognised as one of Victoria's finest female actors. This award, protected by The Green Room Awards Association, was presented to the recipient by her husband up until his death in 2006. These recipients included; Alison Whyte, Peta Brady and Kat Stewart. •Gerda Nicolson Award for Indigenous female students studying at the Victorian College of the Arts in the areas of performing arts. This award was hosted through the Willan Centre for an undergraduate student.
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Film | |||
| Country Town | 1971 | Fiona Davies | Film adaptation of the television series Bellbird |
| The Devil's Playground | 1976 | Mrs. Allen | |
| The Getting of Wisdom | 1977 | Unnamed role | |
| Gallipoli | 1981 | Rose Hamilton | |
| The Clinic | 1982 | Linda | |
| Next of Kin | 1982 | Connie | |
| Belinda | 1988 | Belinda's Mother | |
| In to Deep | 1989 | Mrs. Lyall | |
| Television | |||
| Consider Your Verdict | 1964 | Unnamed/unknown role | Seven Network • Episode: "Queen Versus Grainger" |
| Homicide | 1965 | Carol Barwick | Seven Network • Season 2, Episode 16: "One Man Crime Wave" |
| Hunter | 1967 | Marion Tolhurst | Nine Network • 4 episodes |
| Homicide | 1967 | Anne Elliot | Seven Network • Season 4, Episode 41: "One Last Wish" |
| 1968 | Policewoman Reed | Seven Network • Season 5, Episode 34: "Valley of Silence" | |
| 1968 | Tess Barker | Seven Network • Season 5, Episode 37: "Objection Sustained" | |
| Hunter | 1968 | Janet McGregor | Nine Network • 1 episode |
| Division 4 | 1969 | Ellen Finch | Nine Network • Season 1, Episode 28: "The Victim" |
| Matlock Police | 1971 | Kate Maddern | Network Ten • Season 1, Episode 2: "The Big Gun" |
| Bellbird | 1972 | Fiona Davies | ABC • Season 6 (1 episode: "There's a Doctor in Anne's House") |
| Boney | 1972 | Clare Joyce | Season 1, Episode 10: "Boney and the Monster" |
| Ryan | 1974 | Mary | Seven Network • Season 1, Episode 34: "Give Them the World" |
| Division 4 | 1975 | Mrs. Laston | Nine Network • Season 7, Episode 20: "Take No for an Answer" |
| Homicide | 1975 | Julie Edwards | Seven Network • Season 12 (1 episode: "A Quiet Place") |
| Quality of Mercy | 1975 | Unnamed/unknown role | ABC • Season 1, Episode 6: "We Should Have Had a Uniform" |
| The Sullivans | 1976 | Mrs. Turnbull | Nine Network • Season 1, unknown episode(s) |
| Bluey | 1976–77 | Monica Rourke | Seven Network • Season 1 (all 39 episodes) |
| Cop Shop | 1978 | Marion O'Reilly | Seven Network • 13 episodes |
| Chopper Squad | 1979 | Enid Paramor | Network Ten • Season 2, Episode 11: "No Strings" |
| Skyways | 1979 | Joan Fitzgerald | Seven Network • Episode: "The Legend" |
| Young Ramsay | 1980 | Beth Emery | Seven Network • Season 2, Episode 13: "Dyed in the Wool" |
| Prisoner | 1983–86 | Ann Reynolds | Network Ten • Seasons 5–8 (319 episodes) |
| Neighbours | 1989 | Robyn Taylor | Network Ten • Season 5 (10 episodes) |
| Bangkok Hilton | 1989 | Lady Faulkner | Network Ten • Miniseries (all 3 episodes) |
| Boys from the Bush | 1991 | Betty | BBC One • Season 1, Episode 8: "Mateship" |
| Golden Fiddles | 1991 | Miss Birrell | Nine Network • Miniseries (2 episodes) |
| Television film | |||
| The Physicists | 1964 | Unnamed/unknown role | ABC movie |
| Nude with Violin | 1964 | Jane Sorodin | ABC movie |
| Everyman | 1964 | Cousin | ABC movie |
| Ashes to Ashes | 1966 | Barbara Manson | ABC movie |
| Out of Love | 1974 | Unnamed/unknown role | Story 3: "Separate Ways" |
| Short film | |||
| The Quick Brown Fox | 1980 | Mrs. Flint | |
Awards
- Penguin Best Sustained Performance (1985) for Prisoner