Neighbours and A Country Practice actor Joan Sydney has died at the age of 83.
The English Australian actor, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, died at her Sydney home on 28 December. Her long-time friend and fellow actor Sally-Anne Upton confirmed the news on social media on Friday.
Sydney won a Logie in 1989 for most outstanding actress for her role as the matron Margaret “Maggie” Sloane in A County Practice, a part she played throughout the 1980s.
In the early 2000s she became a regular cast member of Neighbours, playing Valda Sheergold. Her guest roles in Australian television included Mother and Son and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
Sydney began her acting career as a graduate of the Oldham Repertory Theatre in Manchester and made her screen debut at the age of 19 in the 1957 film When We Are Married.
She emigrated from the UK to Australia in 1965 and originally settled in Perth, before later moving to Sydney.
She became a household name through her A Country Practice role throughout the 1980s, reprising the role after a three-year break in 1993.
Upton, who first met Sydney at a fundraiser in the 1990s, paid tribute to her friend on social media, saying: “Thank you for all you have taught me, love, friendship, many memories shared that will be treasured forever.”
Her fellow A Country Practice star, Shane Withington, wrote on Twitter: “This is terrible news indeed. Comedy is never as easy as it looks and this lady made it look effortless. I adored her.”
Sydney’s younger sister and fellow actor Maggie King, who she frequently appeared alongside, died two years go.
Sydney is survived by her daughter and two sons.
