Leonie Elva "Noni" Hazlehurst is an Australian actress, director, writer, presenter, and broadcaster who has appeared on television, radio and film since the early 1970s. Hazlehurst has been honoured with Australian Film Institute Awards, ARIA Awards and Logies, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.
Early life and education Leonie Elva Hazelhurst, known as "Noni", was born in Melbourne in 1953.
After attending St Leonard's College in Brighton East, Victoria, Hazlehurst studied Drama at Flinders University in South Australia from 1971 to 1973; she resided at Flinders University Hall and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1974.
Both of her parents were English, and they migrated to Australia in 1951.
Career Television
Along with roles at the ABC, her first television work was in guest lead roles in television serials produced by Crawford Productions. She played the regular role of Sharon Lewis in The Box in 1975 before joining the original cast of The Sullivans as Lil Duggan in late 1976. She was a Play School presenter from 1978 to 2001, and has been a National Ambassador or Patron for many children's events and charities, including Children's Week (1991-2007) and Barnardos. She has worked extensively for children. Hazlehurst has recorded several music and spoken word albums, including the children's music album Shout and Whisper (1988).
Hazlehurst appeared in the miniseries Nancy Wake (played the title role), as well as such films and miniseries as The Shiralee, Ride on Stranger, and Waterfront in the 1980s.
From 1995 to 2005, she hosted the Seven Networks Better Homes and Gardens, a lifestyle show which is affiliated with the monthly magazine of the same name.
In 2006, she starred in ABC's telemovie Stepfather of the Bride. From 2007 to 2011, she played Detective Superintendent Bernice Waverley on Channel Seven crime drama City Homicide. In 2010, she was a guest on The 7pm Project on Network Ten. In July 2011, as part of a rapidly growing internet meme, she read the book Go the Fuck to Sleep to camera in the style she formerly used on Play School. She immediately offered to record a reading of the book after being sent a copy by the publisher.
Beginning in 2013, she appeared as Elizabeth Bligh in the 1950s-set Australian melodrama A Place to Call Home on the Seven Network, playing the wealthy matriarch of the family. She played "Ambrose" in ABC TV's The Letdown (2017–2019), and as Pamela in The End (2020).
In 2023, Hazlehurst was named in the cast for One Night.
Film
Hazlehurst has had starring roles in Australian films since the 1980s, most notably as the lead, Nora, in Monkey Grip (1982), based on Helen Garner's novel of the same name. The film, concerning the relationship between a single mother and a heroin addict, was a modest box-office success in Australia and received generally favourable reviews from critics.
She later starred in Little Fish in 2005, Candy in 2006, and Bitter & Twisted in 2008. Later film roles include The Mule, Truth, The Broken Shore, and Ladies in Black.
Radio Hazlehurst is a regular freelance presenter on 774 ABC Melbourne.
Theatre
Hazlehurst's theatrical roles include The Man from Mukinupin, On Our Selection, Traitors, Hamlet, No Names, No Packdrill, Cut and Thrust, Frankie & Johnny in the Claire De Lune, for the STC: Navigating (Dir: Marin Potts) The Breath of Life, Woman in Mind, for the MTC: Grace, (Dir: Marion Potts), Madagascar, (Dir: Sam Strong) and The Heretic, (Dir: Matt Scholten). In 2014 she appeared in a critically acclaimed production of The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Dir: Declan Eames) for the Kin Collective at 45 Downstairs.
In 2015 and 2016 Hazlehurst performed in a one-woman play, Mother, written for her by Daniel Keene; the show toured nationally. Her performance was described as burning up the stage with histrionic power and "a faultless character study". For her role in Mother, she was nominated for a Helpmann Awards for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Play. Hazlehurst won the 2018 Matilda Award for Best Female Actor in a Leading Role for Mother.
Keene's second one-woman play for Hazlehurst, The Lark, was first performed in 2025.
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Work Result 1980 Logie Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Series Ride on Stranger 1981 Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress in a Lead Role Fatty Finn 1982 Monkey Grip 1985 Fran Logie Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Single Series Waterfront 1989 ARIA Awards Best Children's Album Shout and Whisper Logie Awards Most Popular Actress in a Miniseries/Telemovie The Shiralee 1990 ARIA AwardsBest Children's Album Peter and the Wolf/Carnival of the Animals 1992 Noni Sings Day and Night Songs and Rhymes from Play School 2000 Australian Film Institute Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Telefeature or Mini-Series Waiting at the Royal 2005 AACTA Awards Best Supporting Actress Little Fish Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role 2006 AACTA Awards Best Supporting Actress Candy Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role 2008 Australian Film Institute Awards Best Actress Bitter & Twisted 2009 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actress 2014 Equity Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast: Drama Series Redfern Now 2015 Australian Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Mule Helpmann Awards Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Play Mother 2018 AACTA Awards Best Supporting Actress Ladies in Black Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Matilda Awards Best Female Actor in a Leading Role Mother
Other awards Year Association Achievement 1991 Variety Club of Australia "Top Hat" Achievement Award 1995 National Honours Member of the Order of Australia for her services to children and the performing arts 2016 Logie Awards Logie Hall of Fame Hazlehurst was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by her alma mater Flinders University in 2007.
She has been an ambassador for Barnardo's "Mother of the Year" awards.VIP mum Noni Hazlehurst
Cultural references In 1994 a painting of Hazlehurst by artist Rosemary Valadon titled Noni Hazlehurst – Summer '94 Waiting Again was a finalist in the Archibald Prize.
Personal life Hazlehurst married director Kevin Dobson, and she subsequently married John Jarratt in circa 1987. She and Jarratt have two sons. After separating from Jarratt in August 1999, she dated cameraman Ian Marden.
Her son, William, is the former vocalist for Melbourne death pop band Storm The Sky.Adelaide Now
Hazelhurst's autobiography Dropping The Mask was published in 2024, and was described by The Sydney Morning Herald as "a terrifically energising book, full of sweep and compassion and the delineation of doubt".
Filmography
Television Year Title Role Notes 1973 Emergency Line Regular role TV series 1974 Bellbird Guest role TV series, 1 episode 1974 Division 4 Helen Jenkins / Jan Kennedy / Sarah Carr / Tania Clarke TV series4 episodes: What Will my Friends Say? (Season 7, episode 12) 1956 and All That (Season 7, episode 27) Just for Kicks (Season 7, episode 29) 1975 The Last of the Australians Joanna TV seriesSeason 1 episode 6: The Hypocondriac 1975 The Box Sharon Lewis TV series Homicide Linda Williams TV seriesSeason 12, episode 23: Long Weekend Matlock Police Karen Simpson TV seriesSeason 5, episode 187: Forget Me Not, Episode 194: A Dangerous Sort of Man 1976–1977; 1981 The Sullivans Lil / Lill Duggan TV series, 132 episodes 1978 Case for the Defence Julia TV seriesSeason 1 episode 5: "Without Consent" 1978–2002 Play School Presenter TV series, 186 episodes 1979 Ride on Stranger Beryl TV miniseries, 4 episodes Jokes Various characters TV series Patrol Boat TV series, 1 episode TV Follies Silver Le Bow TV seriesEpisode: Chicago1976The Judging Ring 1978 Bit Part Zelda Teleplay1983 The Weekly's War Dorothy Drain TV film1986 The Fish Are Safe Director TV film 1983 For Love or Money Narrator Film documentary The Power of Stations Narrator Film documentary 1984 Waterfront Maggie TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1985 Anyone Can Be a Genius Narrator Film documentary Image Makers Narrator Film documentary A Country Practice TV series, 2 episodes 1987 The Shiralee Lily TV miniseries, 2 episodes Nancy Wake Nancy Wake TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1988 Rafferty's Rules TV series, 1 episode 1989 Naked Under Capricorn Monica TV miniseries, 2 episodes Fields Of Fire III Dawn TV miniseries, 2 episodes1991 Paper Trail – Life and Times of a Woodchip Narrator TV documentary 1992 Clowning Around Sarah Gunner TV miniseries, 2 episodes Baby Crazy (aka Look Who's Talking) Narrator Film documentary My Special Place Narrator TV special A Tribute to Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge Narrator TV special 1994 Under the Skin TV series, 1 episode: Grandma's Teeth Canberra – A Capital Idea Narrator TV documentary The Cause of Mary MacKillop Narrator Video When The Honeymoon Is Over Narrator Film documentary 1995 Lizzie's Library Narrator TV series 1996 Gateway to the Future Narrator TV documentary Twisted Tales Anne Martin TV series, season 1, episode 6: Dancing Partners2000Waiting at the RoyalEloiseTV filmAustralian Film Institute Awards2000: Won – Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Telefeature or Mini-Series2006Stepfather of the BrideSophieTV film2007CurtinElsie CurtinTV film 2007–2011 City Homicide Bernice Waverley TV series, 84 episodes 2009 The Librarians Jan the midwife TV series, 1 episode2012The 100+ ClubNarratorTV film2013The Broken ShoreSybil CashinTV film Redfern Now Margaret TV series, 1 episode 2013–2018 A Place to Call Home Elizabeth Bligh / Elizabeth Goddard TV series, 67 episodes 2017-19 The Letdown Anbrose TV series, 9 episodes 2020 The End Pamela Hardy TV series, 10 episodes Winding Road Rachael Podcast series 2021 Fires Caris Mazzeo TV miniseries, 1 episode 2022 Upright Squirrel TV series, 1 episode 2023 One Night Mary TV series: 5 episodes
Films Year Title Role Notes1974Parent Teacher InterviewsMiss Stevens29 minutes (short)1977Ruby The Getting of Wisdom Feature film1980The Search For Harry Allway The Wedding1982Monkey GripNora 1983 Stations 1990 Breaking Through Therapist 52 minutes 1991 Waiting Claire Feature film 1994 Aesop's Fables1995Grimm's Fairy TalesNarrator 2005 Little Fish Janelle Heart Feature film Won: AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2005Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards***2005 Best Actress in a Supporting Role 2006 Candy Elaine Wyatt Feature film Nominated: AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 2006 2008 Bitter & Twisted Penelope Lombard Feature filmNominated: AFI Award for Best Actress in 2008Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards***2009 Best ActressSeven Seven SevenJess32 minutes2009A Parachute Falling in SiberiaKatherine14 minutes2010Tegan the VeganMrs. Poodle / Mother (voice)13 minutes 2014 The Mule Judy Jenkins Feature film 2015 Truth Nicki Burkett Feature film2018Della MortikaMrs. Crotchett Smythe17 minutes 2018 Ladies in Black Miss Cartwright Feature film 2020 June Again June Feature film Wedding of the Year Barb Feature film 2021 Long Story Short The Stranger Feature film 2024 Sting Helga Feature film
Other appearances