Patricia Janet King (16 September 1930 – 19 January 2026) was an Australian actress and children's television presenter recognised for her contributions to theatre, radio and television. Internationally, she was best known for portraying the original governor, Erica Davidson, in the cult television series Prisoner (known as Prisoner: Cell Block H in the UK and US and Caged Women in Canada).
King worked in children's programs Play School, and The Magic Circle Club, Adventure Island and was instrumental in establishing a theatre for children and as a writer and director with the Melbourne Writers Guild.
She worked in radio appearing in productions including Blue Hills and Dr. Paul.
King had also worked as a theatre director, playwright, and commercial voiceover artist. She began her career as a classical stage actress, performing in a range of roles including Shakespeare and Peter Pan. King's career spanned from 1951 to 1995, with a brief return to the stage in 2009. Her television career included roles in the series Homicide and Bellbird where she played Kate Andrews.
Early life King was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 16 September 1930, to Bill and Lillian Billy King and attended Camberwell Girls Grammar School.Bennet, Craig (27 December 2021) "Patsy King at 91: 'Prisoner Fans Still Stop Me'", New Idea. Retrieved 19 September 2022. Initially aspiring to become a dress designer, she embarked on an acting career at a time when theatre and radio offered a variety of roles, but television was yet to begin transmission in Australia. She trained as a classical stage actress with the National Theatre in Melbourne, specialising in straight drama and Shakespeare and made her professional stage debut in 1951. In 1953 she travelled with two friends to the United Kingdom in time for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, before returning to Australia the following year.
Career
Theatre King began her career as a stage actress in the early 1950s and later became a playwright and director. She performed in a variety of roles, including productions of Victoria Regina, The Miser, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Richard II, Blithe Spirit, Absurd Person Singular, Half a Sixpence, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Love for Love and Love Letters. Her performances earned her several awards, including the Erik Award and the Melbourne Critics Award for her role in The Fourposter.
Television In the early 1960s, King began her television career with teleplays on the ABC, followed by a variety of serials and guest roles in several Crawford Productions series, including Hunter, The Sullivans and The Box. She also appeared in police procedural dramas such as Matlock Police, Division 4, Bluey, Cop Shop and Homicide. Her other television credits include Power Without Glory, Chopper Squad, Out of Love and Good Morning Mr Doubleday.
King became a regular cast member on the series Bellbird as Kate Andrews and as Governor Erica Davidson in Prisoner (also known as Prisoner: Cell Block H outside of Australia). In Prisoner she portrayed the first on-screen governor of the fictional Wentworth Detention Centre, appearing in 351 episodes. Following the conclusion of the series, King toured the United Kingdom in a stage play based on the program."Bridal Group at University", The Age, 21 November 1959, p. 7.
King was also a notable children's television presenter, being an early host of Play School on the ABC. She additionally appeared in The Magic Circle Club and Adventure Island.Bryant, Margot; The illustrated Encyclopedia of Australian Showbiz.
Personal life and death In 1959, King married the English-born Australian theatre impresario John Sumner, the founder and artistic director of the Melbourne Theatre Company."Bridal Group at University, The Age, 21 November 1958, p. 7. They divorced in 1967. King died in Melbourne on 19 January 2026 at the age of 95.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleType 1972 The Journey Film short
Television YearTitleRoleType 1961 The Rivals Lydia Teleplay 1962 Suspect (episode of The General Motors Hour) Janet Teleplay 1964 Wind from the Icy Country Ella Teleplay 1965–1975 Homicide Sarah Adams / Helen Taylor / Trin Turner / Shirley Wallace / Kay Loder / Policewoman Burke / Janet Smith / Pat Palmer / Sybil Cochrane / Mary Hamilton / Joan Preston / Carol Long / Betty Nyberg / Joy TV series, 14 episodes 1965 A Time to Speak (episode of Wednesday Theatre) Annie Teleplay 1965 Photo Finish (episode of Wednesday Theatre) Teleplay 1966 The Decision (episode of Australian Playhouse) Sally Peters TV series 1966 Play School Presenter TV series, 10 episodes 1967 Bellbird Kate Andrews TV series, recurring role 1967 Adventure Island Miss Behaviour TV series, regular role 1968 Hunter Jean Gallagher TV series, 1 episode 1969 Good Morning, Mr. Doubleday Bridget O'Connor TV series, 1 episode 1969 Dynasty Kathy Mason TV series, 1 episode 1970–1975 Division 4 Mrs. Carr / Susan Hill / Carol Foster / Marion Dalton / Valerie Fisher TV series, 5 episodes 1970 The Long Arm Naomi TV series, 1 episode 1971–1974 Matlock Police Lily / Joan / Jan Ross TV series, 3 episodes 1974 Marion Mrs. Finnegan TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1974 This Love Affair TV series, episode 2: "Tilting at Windmills" 1974 The Box Gloria TV series, 2 episodes 1974 Out of Love TV series, episode 2: "It Will Never Work" 1976 Power Without Glory Vera Maguire TV miniseries, 4 episodes 1977 Bluey Tina Golding TV series, episode 33: "Final Devotion" 1977 Hotel Story TV series, 1 episode 1977 The Sullivans Beryl Fletcher TV series, 4 episodes 1978 Cop Shop Sara Fitzsimmons / Julie Gibbons TV series, 2 episodes 1978 Chopper Squad Iris Deacon TV series, episode 5: "8:52 A.M." 1979 The Franky Doyle Story Erica Davidson TV film 1981 Prisoner in Concert Erica Davidson TV special 1979–1984Prisoner Regular role: Governor Erica Davidson / Erica TV series, 353 episodes
Theatre
As actor Year Title Role Venue / Co. 1951 Victoria Regina National Theatre, Melbourne 1952 National Theatre Festival of the Arts 1952: Season Six Princess Theatre, Melbourne 1955 The Lady from the Sea National Theatre, Melbourne 1956 Summer and Smoke Nellie Ewell Union Theatre Repertory Company 1956 The Miser National Theatre, Melbourne 1957 The Wind of Heaven Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 Our Town Rebecca Webb Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 The Queen and the Rebels Peasant Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 The Matchmaker Ermengarde Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 Tonight in Samarkand Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 Ring Round the Moon Diana Messerschmann Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Margaret Wolfie Dixie Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 A View from the Bridge Neighbour Union Theatre Repertory Company 1957 Peter Pan (pantomime) Princess Theatre, Melbourne 1957–60 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Bubba Ryan Darwin Town Hall, Australian regional tour, His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, Opera House, Wellington, Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1960 See How They Run Penelope Toop Union Theatre Repertory Company 1961 The Mystery of a Hansom Cab Madge Frettleby Russell Street Theatre, Union Theatre Repertory Company 1961 The Importance of Being Ernest Cecily Cardew Union Theatre Repertory Company 1961 Romanoff and Juliet Juliet Moulsworth Union Theatre Repertory Company 1962 Dracula Lucy Seward Union Theatre Repertory Company 1963 The Good Ship Walter Raleigh Josephine Union Theatre Repertory Company 1963 Richard II Union Theatre Repertory Company 1963–65 The Fourposter Agnes Russell Street Theatre 1963 The Happy Invalid Union Theatre Repertory Company 1965 The Glazed Look St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1966 The Cavern St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1967 Half A Sixpence Helen Walsingham Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 1968 See How They Run /Charley's Aunt St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1969 Marching Song St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1969 Love for Love Angelica St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1969–1970 Blithe Spirit Elvira St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1974 The Slaughter of St Theresa's Day Monash University 1976 Absurd Person Singular Margaret Theatre Royal, Hobart 1978 Innocent Bystanders Lilith Playbox Theatre, Melbourne 1983 A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur Helena Playbox Theatre, Melbourne 1984 Farewell Brisbane Ladies Universal Theatre, Melbourne 1989 Prisoner the Stage Play Erica Davidson UK 2009 Love Letters (charity performance) Melissa Gardner Chapter House at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne
As director Year Title Role Venue / Co. 1989 Love with the Lights Out Director Carlton Courthouse with Melbourne Writers' Theatre 1990 A Constant Lover Director Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Writers' Theatre 1990 An Office Romance Director Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Writers' Theatre
References
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