Patricia Ethel McDonald (1 August 1921 – 10 March 1990) known professionally as Miss Patricia McDonald, and subsequently as Pat McDonald was an Australian Gold Logie-winning actress of radio, stage and screen, primarily in small screen, her performance career spanned some 60 years in the industry.
McDonald was active in the industry as a child since 1928, and worked early in her career in England. having appeared in a few early Australian films, and featured in numerous theatre roles for many years. In her latter years she appeared primarily in radio and TV in soap operas and became best known locally for her role in serial Number 96 as the malapropism-speaking stickybeak, pensioner Dorrie Evans, appearing opposite co-star vaudevillian and early star Ron Shand as her hen-pecked husband Herb. 'Dorrie and Herb' were essentially comic characters.
McDonald post-96 found prominence with the TV soap opera Sons and Daughters as former madam Aunty Fiona Thompson, whom she based on Auntie Mame.
Early life McDonald was born in Elwood, Victoria, Australia in 1921 and was the daughter of a wealthy Sydney family. Her father, Arthur Stephen McDonald, was an electric radio engineer and public servant, and her mother was milliner Edith Roseina Ethell. Her grandfather, bootmaker John McDonald, was born in Victoria, and married Eliza Mary Stevenson.
McDonald trod the boards in an amateur capacity at an early age, and was a child performer on stage from the age of 7; singing, dancing, modelling and playing piano.
Early professional career McDonald started her professional career in 1939, having just turned 18, like many performers of the era, she set sail for England to appear in film parts, but with the outbreak of the Second World War, she soon travelled back to Australia
Prominent in theatre, radio and screen, at the age of eighteen she appeared in the 1939 Australian film Seven Little Australians based on the novel by children's literary author Ethel Turner and the war film Wings of Destiny. In 1940, she moved to theatre roles. She also did modelling and catwalk appearances.
Her roles in theatre started to become prominent in the 1940s with productions like '"The Housemaster", even though she would later primarily concentrate on radio and then television, she remained active in the theatre genre her entire life including a stage version of Steel Magnolias.
TV series: Number 96 and Sons and Daughters McDonald was best known for two long-running soap opera roles. She was cast by David Sale as comical malaproping gossip Dorrie Evans in the popular serial Number 96 in 1972, after she had previously appeared in a similar production written by Sale. McDonald was only aged in her early fifties when she started in the role, and he had envisioned the character of "Dorrie" to be played by a much older lady; however, she stated she fitted the role perfectly, and she reprised the role for the feature film version.Giles, Nigel "Number 96: Australia Most Infamous Address"
She subsequently played Aunty Fiona Thompson in Sons and Daughters between 1981 and 1987. She was featured in both shows throughout their entire run, about five-and-a-half years in each case.
Awards McDonald won four Logie awards, including the 1974 Gold Logie, for her work on Number 96. as Australia's most popular female television personality in 1974.
Later appearances and roles McDonald featured in a regular role in the short-lived situation comedy "The Tea Ladies"
One of McDonald's final TV appearances was at the Logie Awards on 17 March 1989, when she took part in a production number called "Golden Girls", which celebrated female Gold Logie winners of years past. She performed the song with Lorrae Desmond, Hazel Phillips, Jeanne Little, Denise Drysdale and her Sons and Daughters co-star Rowena Wallace. Later in 1989 McDonald appeared in an episode of the hit British TV series In Sickness and in Health in which she played Raeline's mother. The episode aired in the UK in October 1989.
Personal life McDonald was married in 1941 to Captain Peter Ian Alexander Hendry, a doctor in the Australian Army who then was taken prisoner of war and interred at Changi.
She had a daughter in 1941, Rosemary Patricia.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17745563
During the 1970s she was involved in a live-in relationship with Number 96 co-star Bunney Brooke. The two actors openly appeared in magazine articles about the suburban Sydney home (eastern end of Fox Valley Road, Wahroonga) they shared, and they freely discussed their international summer holidays together in press articles, although the true nature of the relationship was not explicitly stated.Mercado, Andrew. Super Aussie Soaps, Pluto Press Australia, 2004. p 46
McDonald died of cancer of the pancreas after a lengthy illness at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, on 10 March 1990, aged 68. Her partner, actor and casting agent Bunney Brooke, died ten years later.
Awards Institution Award Work Logie Awards Gold Logie Number 96 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress × 3 Number 96
Filmography
Movies Year Film Role Notes 1974 Number 96 Dorrie Evans Feature film based on TV series 1940 Wings of Destiny (billed as Patricia McDonald) Marion Jamieson 1939 Seven Little Australians Esther
Television Year Title Episode Role Notes 2008 Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! As self Feature film documentary (Archive Footage) 1989 In Sickness and in Health #4.7 Railene's Mother TV series, 1 episode 1989 The 29th Annual TV Week Logie Awards Herself with Rowena Wallace, Denise Drysdale, Lorrae Desmond, Hazel Phillips & Jeanne Little sing "Golden Girls" TV special 1988 TV A.M. Herself TV series UK, 1 episode 1986 Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten Telethon Guest – Herself with Number 96 cast: Johnny Lockwood, Bettina Welch, Elizabeth Kirkby, Vicki Raymond, Sheila Kennelly, Wendy Blacklock, Harry Michaels, Chard Hayward, Frances Hargreaves & Abigail taped appearance. TV special 1984 The 1984 Annual TV Week Logie Awards Herself – Audience member TV Special 1982 The Mike Walsh Show Herself with Joe Hasham, Ron Shand & Chard Hayward TV series, 1 episode 1982–1987 Channel 7 Perth Telethon Herself TV special 1983 The Body Corporate Lady Tustrain TV movie 1982–1987 Sons and Daughters Regular cast Fiona Thompson TV series 1981 A Country Practice Alternatives (Parts 1 & 2) Lily Bauer TV series, 2 episodes 1980 The Mike Walsh Show Guest – Herself TV series, 1 episode 1978 Glenview High The Siren Guest role TV series, 1 episode 1979 The Mike Walsh Show Guest – Herself with Maggie Kirkpatrick TV series, 1 episode 1978 The Tea Ladies Regular role TV series 1978 The Mike Walsh Show Guest – Herself TV series, 1 episode 1977 Number 96: The Final Episode Herself with Ron Shand & Bunney Brooke TV special 1977 Telethon '77 Guest – Herself TV special 1976 Number 96: And They Said It Wouldn’t Last Herself with Bunney Brooke & Ron Shand TV special 1973 Sunday Magazine Herself – Guest (Number 96 Celebration: 300th episode) with Abigail, Ron Shand, Gordon McDougall & Johnny Lockwood TV series, 1 episode 1972–1977 Number 96 Regular cast Dorrie Evans TV series 1971 Dynasty The Coorabungle Deposit Guest role: Selma ABC TV Series, 1 episode 1971 Homicide The Terrible Stranger Guest role: Mrs. Davis TV series, 1 episode1970Division 4 Running Sheet Guest role: Betty Gregson TV series, 2 episodesMan From Lightning Ridge Ruby Slater TV series 1970 The Long Arm Only a Wave Away Guest role: Miss Bacon TV series, 1 episode 18: "Only A Wave Away"
Theatre productions Theatre credits are referenced by AusStage Name of production Year Role (where known) Playwright Presenting company Theatre Genre Worldwide premiere/country of origin Number of productions Event identifier Quiet Wedding 1940 Esther McCracken David N. Martin Pty. Ltd. Minerva Theatre, Sydney Comedy – Spoken Word (3 part) No/British production (debut 1938) 14370 Love on the Dole 1940 Ronald Gow based on novel by Walter Greenwood David N. Martin Productions Minerva Theatre, Sydney Drama – spoken word No 15263 Tony Draws a Horse 1940 Lesley Storm David N. Martin Productions Minerva Theatre, Sydney Comedy – spoken word theatre No/British (premiere at the Criterion Theatre, London 1939) 14634 Housemaster 1941 Ian Hay David N. Martin Pty Ltd uin association with Minerva Productions Minerva Theatre, Sydney Theatre spoken word Comedy-Drama- No/British (debut the Apollo Theatre, London 1936 15266 Of Mice and Men 1940 John Steinbeck David N Martin Pty Ltd. Minerva Theatre, Sydney Drama theatre spoken word No 14347 Banana Ridge 1940 Ben Travers J.C Williamson Theatres Theatre Royal, Sydney Comedy/Farce No 16746 Boy Meets Girl 1944 Samuel Spewack Whitehall Productions Minerva Theatre, Sydney theatre – spoken world No 12154 Pygmalion 1944 George Bernard Shaw Whitehall Productions Minerva Theatre, Sydney Romantic/Drama – traditional theatre spoken word No 14368 Three's a Family 1944 Henry Ephron Whitehall Productions Minerva Theatre, Sydney Family comedy No 14611 While the Sun Shines 1944 Terence Rattigan Whitehall Productions Pty Ltd. Minerva Theatre Theatre Spoken Word/Comedy No 14701 A Soldier for Christmas 1945 Reginald Beckwith Whitehall Productions Pty Ltd. Minerva Theatre Theatre Spoken Word/Comedy No 14425 Let 'er Go and While the Sun Shines 1945 Terence Rattigan Various Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne Comedy//Vaudeville /Theatre spoke word No 123233 Get a Load of This 1945 Various Tivoli Theatre Music theatre Revue/Vaudeville No 123234 Soldiers Wife 1945 Ross Franken Whitehall Productions Pty. Ltd. Minerva Theatre Theatre Spoken Word/Comedy No 14491
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