Aussie TV Stars Need a Home #1 Quiz

Answer: Jana Wendt

Melbourne born Jana Wendt was the child of Czech refugees who arrived in Australia in 1949. She was born seven years later in 1956. Jana found a career in journalism after university, despite only knowing that she wanted a job dealing with ideas. She has been a part of some very successful shows on television and also created some controversy by insisting on quality journalism rather than tabloid trash. More power to her I say!

The TV shows referred to in the question were 'Dateline', '60 Minutes', 'A Current Affair', 'Witness' and 'Sunday', all of which were/are current affairs type shows. All the incorrect answers are women who have appeared on Aussie TV. Liz Hayes is news journalist while Marilyn Mayo was a TV hostess, and Sigrid Thornton is an actress.

Answer: Paula Duncan

Paula Margaret Duncan has starred in some long running soap operas on Australia television. Born in 1952 in the New South Wales town of Cooma, she became an actress along with her older sister Carmen. She was for a time married to her 'Cop Shop' co-star John Orcsik.

The television shows referred to in the question were 'Number 96', 'The Young Doctors', 'Neighbours' and 'Prisoner', all soap operas or dramatic series of a more serious nature. She has also featured in commercials for the cleaning product Spray and Wipe for many years.

Pat McDonald, Carmen Duncan and Kylie Minogue have all appeared in Aussie soap operas, dramas and movies over the years. Kylie's career has expanded into the international music scene.

Answer: Jeanne Little

Born Jeanne Mitchell in Sydney, Australia in 1938, the very loud and talkative Jeanne (pronounced 'genie') Little was a fashion designer. She was asked to appear on a chat show to talk about fashion. With her drawn out words such as 'Daaaaahling' she was very memorable for her voice even more so than her fashions. She made an outfit out of garbage bags (which was memorable if not desirable) for 'The Mike Walsh Show'. Jeanne became a regular on the talk show thanks to her personality and outspoken habit. She later appeared on 'Beauty and the Beast', a panel show which discussed problems the viewers had written in about. What people didn't know was that she really could sing. Her later career included singing in cabaret shows and she had a one woman show touring around Australia, showcasing the songs of Marlene Dietrich. Sadly, in 2011 it was made known that Jeannie was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and was in full time care.

Collette Dinnigan and Carla Zampatti are both Australian fashion designers. Ita Buttrose is a doyenne of the Australian media, having spent her working life in high profile publishing and television roles.

Answer: Simon Baker

Simon Baker was born in the Tasmanian city of Launceston in 1969. His mother was an English and drama teacher but Simon worked as a brick layer for a time before acting took over. He appeared in 'L.A. Confidential' (1997) with Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce. In 1998 Simon married Australian actress Rebecca Rigg.

Television shows referred to in the question were 'Heartbreak High', 'E Street', and 'Home and Away', all soap operas made in Australia. 'The Guardian' was a US made TV series with Simon in the lead role as a lawyer.

Jack Thompson, John Woods and Sam Worthington are Australian actors.

Answer: Daryl Somers

Daryl Somers was born in Geelong, Victoria in 1951. He started his career in the entertainment industry as a drummer for a band called Pasquale and his Mexican Rhythm. Then in 1971 he hosted a cartoon show called 'Cartoon Corner'. This was shown on weekday afternoons.

Later that year, a show called 'Hey Hey, It's Saturday' began with Daryl as a co-host with Victorian footballer Peter McKenna. Peter was replaced by Ozzie Ostrich after two months. Ozzie was a pink puppet with an orange beak and a very expressive face. Operated by Ernie Carroll under the desk, Ozzie was an integral part of the show, sometimes bringing the house down with one liners. The show grew in length to three hours with various segments such as 'What Cheeses Me Off', 'Red Faces' and 'Chook Lotto' while the cartoons disappeared. 'Hey Hey' moved to Saturday nights and a two hour format in the 1980s. In 1999 Australian TV was changed forever when 'Hey Hey' was taken off the air after a 28 year run. Daryl has also hosted the shows 'Blankety Blanks' 'Family Feud' and 'Dancing with the Stars'.

The characters in the question were all a part of 'Hey Hey, It's Saturday'. Jackie MacDonald, Wilbur Wilde, Red Symons, Ian "Molly" Meldrum, Animal, and Raymond J. Bartholomew were real people on the show in some fashion. Plucka Duck was a man dressed in a large duck suit who was the operator of various games designed to award prizes to viewers. The others named were voices who appeared on the show at random times, courtesy of voiceover man John Blackman. I know, it all sounds like a very strange show. Visitors to Australia took a while to get used to it but for many Aussies it was a big part of our childhood and it was all quite normal in a strange way. As we got older, we'd record the show if we went out or delayed our departure on a Saturday evening until the show was over.

Bert Newton, Graham Kennedy and Don Lane were all television hosts on Aussie TV, generally on variety shows.

Answer: Graham Kennedy

Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1934, Graham Cyril Kennedy was called the 'King of Television'. His entertainment career started on Melbourne radio as a news runner and later in a record library. Chance saw him given the opportunity to co-host a segment on the radio with a major radio personality. His career moved to television in 1957 and he hosted various shows over the next thirty-four years. He attracted some controversy in 1975 and was temporarily banned from performing on live television when he performed a crow's call on a show. It was deemed to resemble a swear word so the authorities didn't want him on live television in case there was a repeat performance. Graham passed away in 2005 after living very privately in the country for several years.

The shows referred to in the question were 'Coast to Coast', a late night news show with much laughter, 'In Melbourne Tonight', a tonight show in the style of Johnny Carson, and 'Blankety Blanks' a comedic game show. John Mangos was Graham's co-host on 'Coast to Coast' which was a late night news show with a large comedic element contributed by Graham Kennedy. James Dibble and Brian Naylor were both news anchors for many years on Australian television.

Answer: George Negus

George Edward Negus was born in Brisbane, Australia in 1942. His working life started as a high school teacher but in his late 20s he embarked on a successful journalism career. Starting as a print journalist, his career moved to television with some long running current affairs shows. He was one of the first three reporters on Australia's '60 Minutes' but travelling so much became tiresome so he hosted a morning news show for several years. The lure of international journalism never quite left though and George hit the road again, though not as regularly as in his '60 Minutes' days.

Shows referred to in the question were 'Foreign Correspondent', '60 Minutes', 'Today' and 'This Day Tonight', all news/current affair type shows. Daryl Somers has hosted various light entertainment shows on Aussie TV. Ray Martin is an Australian journalist working in similar fields to George Negus, while Dan Rather is an American journalist.

Answer: Garry Pankhurst

Garry Pankhurst was born in Australia in 1958. He played Sonny Hammond in Australian television's 'Skippy', made in the 1960s. He wasn't interested in acting after the show and now works in a totally unrelated field.

The clues in the question referred to characters in 'Skippy'. There was Skippy, the kangaroo of course, Jerry King who was the helicopter pilot, and Clancy Merrick who helped keep house for the Hammond family. The show was made in a national park on the northern outskirts of Sydney between 1966 and 1968.


Wilbur Wilde is an Aussie musician who appeared on 'Hey Hey, It's Saturday' for many years as part of the band. Bindi Irwin is the daughter of naturalist Steve Irwin, while Jamie Redfern is a singer whose career began while a child on a television show featuring young entertainers.

Answer: Lorraine Bayly

Lorraine Daphne Bayly was born in Booligal, New South Wales, in 1937. Circumstances saw her live in various places in NSW until her teen years, which were spent in Sydney. She started acting in high school but her working life started in a bank. Taking acting classes in her spare time saw a theatre career blossom and television later saw Lorraine become a much loved star.

Lorraine played matriarch Grace Sullivan in the Australian WWII drama called 'The Sullivans'. In the show she was married to Dave Sullivan. Harry was Dave's brother, while John, Tom, Terry and Kitty were the Grace and Dave's children. Lorraine acted in other TV shows and on the stage but many Aussies will have grown up with her as a presenter on the toddler's show 'Play School'. Lorraine appeared on the show for 22 years co-starring with toys such as Jemima, Big and Little Ted and Humpty.

Lorrae Desmond is another Australian actress. Toni Lamond is an Aussie singer, while Dolly Dyer was the co-host of a television show with her husband Bob Dyer.

Answer: Ross Higgins

Ross Higgins was born in 1931 and has been in the entertainment business for over sixty years. He's a trained singer, has worked in radio, acted in television shows and has been a leading voiceover man for many, many years in Australia. In a very long running series of TV commercials, he was the voice of 'Louie the Fly' who fell victim to a man with a can of insect spray.

Whilst he's done his share of dramatic acting, he's best known for his roles in 'The Naked Vicar Show' in the 1970s and 'Kingswood Country' which was made in the 1980s. In 'Kingswood Country' he played Ted Bullpitt who brought new sayings into the Aussie vernacular such as 'Pickle me grandmother!' and 'Leave the money on the fridge!'

Kevin Goldsby is an actor and voice over artist in Australia. Tony Barber has been a host on Australian TV, mainly on game type shows, since the 1970s. George Mallaby was an Aussie actor mainly remembered for his role in 'Homicide' in the 1970s.