Don Barker (born ) is an Australian former actor and director, who has appeared in films, television, theatre and radio.
Barker is one of the early faces on Australian television known for his role in police procedural Homicide as Detective Sergeant Harry White, and briefly in early episodes of Prisoner (own internatiolly as Prisoner: Cell Block H") as psychologist Bill Jackson, the husband of Meg Jackson (Elspeth Ballantyne).
Early life Barker was born in Adelaide, South Australia and attended Brighton's Sacred Heart College. At the time, he had not yet developed an interest in acting.
Career Theatre Barker began his career in 1960 in the theatre. His first professional acting role was in Patrick White's The Season at Sarsaparilla in 1963. From 1968 until 1973, he was a member of the former South Australian Theatre Company (now the State Theatre Company of South Australia) and appeared in their productions of The Heiress, The Alchemist, Born Yesterday and David Williamson's Jugglers Three.
In 1977, he founded The Stage Company, together with John Noble, among others. He performed in several of their productions, including Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys, The Fall Guy, The Sound of Silence, The Death of George Reeves, Gone with Hardy, The Perfectionist, Travelling North, Gulls, The Harlequin Shuffle and Sons of Cain.
He has taken part in over 110 stage productions up until 2008, including as a director.
Television and film Barker has also appeared in numerous television series from the late 1960s. He is best known for his role in the police procedural series Homicide as Detective Sergeant Harry White, which he reprised in an episode of Bluey. He replaced George Mallaby as part of the final detective line up. In 1981 he starred as Bill Williams in soap opera The Restless Years.
He had recurring roles in The Sullivans, All the Rivers Run and The New Adventures of Black Beauty, as well as several miniseries including Ben Hall, Against the Wind, The Last Outlaw, I Can Jump Puddles, The Far Country, The Mild Colonial Boy and Sun on the Stubble (aka The Valley Between). He had a recurring guest role in the prison drama Prisoner as psychologist Bill Jackson, reprising the role once more in the 1980 TV movie The Franky Doyle Story. The character was written out after being murdered during a prison riot.
His guest credits include Division 4, Matlock Police, Boney, Ryan, Certain Women, Cop Shop, The Box, Bellamy, Bluey, Chopper Squad, The Flying Doctors, Rafferty's Rules, Mother and Son, A Country Practice, Blue Heelers, McLeod's Daughters and City Homicide.
He has appeared in a number of feature films including murder mystery Weekend of Shadows (1978), sports biopic Dawn! (1979), war drama Gallipoli (1981), alongside Mel Gibson, fantasy drama Playing Beattie Bow (1986) and political satire A Sting in the Tale (1989). He had small parts in action thriller Heaven's Burning (1997), alongside Russell Crowe, horror film Cut (2000), with Molly Ringwald and political drama Black and White (2002) with Robert Carlyle, Colin Friels and Ben Mendelsohn. He also featured in the AFI Award-winning drama Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002), (based on the 1996 book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington Garimara), opposite Kenneth Branagh.
Additionally, Barker is well known for his appearances in a number of television commercials, including the 1970s campaign for South Australian-based Coopers Brewery, promoting the stout and lemonade mix known as a portagaf.
Personal life Barker is an avid South Adelaide Football Club fan in the SANFL.
Filmography
Film Title Year Role Type 1975 Solo Flight Feature film 1978 Weekend of Shadows O'Dowd Feature film 1979 Dawn! Doctor Biopic1981 Gallipoli N.C.O at Ball Feature film Revenge Short film 1984 Pete's Pigs: A Journey Through an Intensive Piggery Presenter Short film1986 Fair Game Frank Feature film Playing Beatie Bow Samuel Bow Feature film 1987 The Time Guardian Undertaker Feature film From Bulldust to Bitumen Narrator Video short 1989 A Sting in the Tale Prime Minister Feature film 1990 Struck by Lightning Mr. Jeffries Feature film 1991 Sweet Talker Sgt. Watts Feature film 1995 The Life of Harry Dare Sergeant Feature film 1997 Heaven's Burning Drinker Feature film 1999 In a Savage Land Barman Feature film 2000 Cut Original Producer Feature film 2002 Rabbit-Proof Fence Mr. Paul Evans Feature film Black and White Ceduna Magistrate Feature film 2006 Modern Love Feature film 2007 Lucky Miles Pub Regular #1 Feature film 2019 The Battle for Mr. Jericho Gerald Feature film
Television Title Year Role Type 1970–1971 Division 4 Bill Anderson / Hugo Smith / Stan Robbins 3 episodes 1971–1972 Matlock Police Jimmy Nolan / Maurie Hicks / Sam Gil 3 episodes 1972 Boney Alec Bryce 1 episode 1973 Ryan Steve Roberts 1 episode 1964–1975 Certain Women Norm Coburn 3 episodes 1967–1976 Homicide Det. Sgt. Harry White 119 episodes 1975 Ben Hall Terry Delaney Miniseries, 2 episodes 1976 The Box Johnny Masters 1 episode 1977 Bluey Det. Sgt. Harry White 1 episode The Sullivans Neville Godway 8 episodes 1977–1982 The Restless Years Bill Williams 617 episodes 1978 Chopper Squad Cliff Jackson 1 episode Against the Wind Captain Abbott Miniseries, 4 episodes The Sound of Love Harry Taylor TV movie 1978–1984 Cop Shop Warwick Morgan / Alan Brooks 7 episodes 1979 Prisoner Bill Jackson 3 episodes Taxi Greg Day TV movie1980 The Franky Doyle Story Bill Jackson TV movie The Last Outlaw Publican Miniseries, 4 episodes 1981 I Can Jump Puddles Mr. Tucker Miniseries, 2 episodes Bellamy Baker Miniseries, 1 episode 1982 Holiday Island Rafferty 1 episode 1983 All the Rivers Run George Blakeny 5 episodes The Fire in the Stone Harry TV movie 1985 Robbery Under Arms Wilson TV movie 1986; 1990 The Flying Doctors Frank Kent / Rex Sewell 2 episodes 1987 The Far Country Tom Armitage Miniseries, 2 episodes 1989 Rafferty's Rules Frederich Guilda 1 episode 1990 Shadows of the Heart George Farrell Miniseries, 2 episodes Howard, the Mild Colonial Boy Kevin Miniseries, 6 episodes 1991 Eggshells Jerry Rose The River Kings Pastor Beckman Miniseries, 1 episode 1992 Ultraman: Towards the Future Johnson Miniseries, 1 episode Mother and Son Butcher 1 episode 1992–1993 The New Adventures of Black Beauty Dr. Arthur Osbourne 5 episodes 1993 A Country Practice Stan Laski 2 episodes 1994 The Battlers Publican Miniseries 1996 Sun on the Stubble Uncle Gus Miniseries, 6 episodes 1997; 2006 Blue Heelers Jack Buckley / Lorne Coleman 2 episodes 1999 Chuck Finn Mr. Smith 1 episode 2005 McLeod's Daughters Bob MacKenzie 1 episode 2008 City Homicide Christopher Spotswood 1 episode
Theatre
As actor