Lorraine Bayly, the acclaimed Australian actress best known for her roles in The Sullivans and Play School, has died at the age of 89. She passed away on Saturday morning at a care facility in Sydney, according to close friend and journalist Craig Bennett, who announced the news on behalf of her family on radio station 2GB.
Bayly rose to fame playing matriarch Grace Sullivan in the Nine Network drama The Sullivans from 1976 to 1979, and was an original presenter on the beloved children's programme Play School from 1966. She later starred as solicitor Jennifer Carson in the television drama Carson's Law from 1982 to 1984, and appeared as Faye Hudson in Neighbours.
Her talent earned her three Silver Logie awards for Most Popular Actress in 1978, 1979, and 1983. Bennett paid tribute to her as a 'showbiz legend' and 'triple Logie winning TV treasure', noting she retired from acting a decade ago after a 62-year career.
In 2021, Bayly revealed she had faced significant health challenges, including pneumonia in 2018 that caused a partially collapsed lung, followed by breast cancer requiring a mastectomy. She spent months self-isolating during the pandemic but remained resilient, saying she did not complain because she had been healthy for most of her life.
Bennett said Bayly died one month after celebrating her 89th birthday. He described her as a 'kind, remarkable and beautiful person' who loved spending time with her nephew Brad Connelly and his family on their macadamia farm.
