Soap actress Philippa Baker has died at the age of 93. She was best known for her roles in Australian soap opera Number 96 and long-running radio series Blue Hills, in which she played Roma Godolfus and Scottish nurse Hea, respectively.
Career highlights and radio legacy
Blue Hills landed her a legacy that came with starring in the longest-running radio soap at the time, before it was beaten by The Archers. Celebrity agent Matt John Batten confirmed the sad news on Instagram.
Batten wrote: “We are saddened to hear of the passing of Philippa Baker. Philippa was one of the earliest performers of Australian radio, alongside stars Queenie Ashton, Ethel Lang, Gwen Plumb and her future Number 96 co-star Thelma Scott.
“She was part of the Golden Age of Australian Radio and spent five years in Gwen Meredith’s long-running series Blue Hills as Scottish nurse Hea — as well as appearing in Dr. Paul. At the time, prior to Britain’s The Archers, Blue Hills was the world’s longest-running radio soap — running for 27 years — and was a spin-off from The Lawsons.
From theatre to television
“She began her career in theatre in 1953, before moving to the new medium of television — continuing the theatre tradition in live televised plays — and later guest roles in Crawford Productions serials.”
He added: “She is best remembered for Number 96 in the 1970s, as Russian deli worker Roma Lubinski — forming a beloved comedy duo with Johnny Lockwood as Aldo Godolfus. She later married his character Aldo, before both characters were killed off in the iconic bomb blast storyline. Baker and Lockwood also appeared together in the film version in 1974.
Tributes and final words
“Our thoughts are with her family, friends and fans. Rest in peace.”
Philippa once described the early days of her acting career as the “happiest time of my life”, saying: “Being young and having everyone around you sharing the same enthusiasm for the same thing. I think it’s necessary for everyone to have a mad enthusiasm when they’re young.”
