Shane Porteous

Shane Porteous was born in Coleraine, Victoria in 1942,[1] to pilot Stanley Porteous[2] and his wife.[3] He was raised in Queensland and attended the University of Queensland, graduating with a B.A.[1] He was a member of the UQ Dramatic Society and performed with actors such as Jack Thompson and Michael Caton at the Avalon Theatre in 1965.[4] Porteous moved to Sydney in 1967.

Porteous is best known for playing original character Dr Terence Elliott in the television drama series A Country Practice during its twelve-year run on the Seven Network (1981–93), a role for which he won the Silver Logie award in 1992. He has also won AWGIE Awards for his various scriptwriting projects. In the series he had various romances including Matron Curtis (Helen Scott), Dr Fraser (Diane Smith) and Rosemary Prior, whom he married (Maureen Edwards).

Other TV credits include Catch Kandy, Homicide, Matlock Police, Certain Women 1973-76, The Box in 1974, Number 96 in 1977, Glenview High, Cop Shop, The Restless Years, Neighbours, Home and Away, Blue Heelers and Heartbreak High.[5]

Porteous has performed in many stage plays, among them Hamlet, Death of a Salesman (1970), the Sydney Theatre Company's production of King Lear and Much Ado About Nothing. In June 2010 he completed a touring performance of Codgers with Ron Haddrick among others.[6]

He was a regular at the Q Theatre in Penrith, New South Wales, and was also the ambassador for "The Q", which was demolished in August 2005 and moved to the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.[7]

As a scriptwriter he has written for series including Neighbours and Home and Away, sometimes under the pseudonym of John Hanlon.

Porteous has also provided animation services to Hanna-Barbera, and has created layouts for the film versions of The Magic Pudding and Blinky Bill.

He is referenced in the popular Australian song "I'm So Post Modern" by the Bedroom Philosopher.

He was honoured for his contribution to scriptwriting and the performing arts by being awarded the Centenary Medal in the New Year's Honours List of 2001.[8]

Porteous resides in the village of Medlow Bath in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales. His wife Jenny died in 2019. He has three grown children, Fiona, Polly and Ben.[9]

He is the grandson of Gladstone Porteous, an Australian missionary to China.

• Shane Porteous on IMDb