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Rowena Wallace

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Rowena Wallace
Born (1947-08-23) 23 August 1947 (age 77)
OccupationActress
Years active1962–present
Known forSons and Daughters as Patricia "Pat the Rat" Hamilton/Morrell/Palmer
Notable work
Spouse
(m. 1973; div. 1974)

Rowena Wallace (born 23 August 1947) is an English-born Australian stage and screen actress, most especially in the genre of television soap opera. She is best known for her Gold Logie-winning role as conniving Patricia "Pat the Rat" Hamilton/Morrell/Palmer in Sons and Daughters, being the first soap star to win the Gold Logie.[1] After leaving the series and being replaced in the role by Belinda Giblin, Wallace returned in the final season as Patricia's sister Pamela Hudson.

She started her career on the small screen in the late 60's in serial You Can't See 'Round Corners as well as appearing in that serial's film version and then had regular roles in TV series including Crawford Productions Division 4, Number 96 and Cop Shop and in 1980-1981 became well known for her stint as Anne Griffin in cult series Prisoner.

After Sons and Daughters, she subsequently appeared primarily in guest roles and cameos in numerous TV serials, before again returning to more permanent fixtures in regular roles from 2000 to 2003 in Home and Away as June Reynolds, in Neighbours in 2007 as Mary Casey and in Deadly Women as gangland figure Judy Moran in 2012.

She has appeared as herself as a panellist on talk show Beauty and the Beast and featured regularly on Bert Newton's popular morning breakfast show Good Morning Australia.

Early life

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Rowena Wallace was born in Coventry, West Midlands, England, as an only child. She moved to Australia with her parents when she was five, settling in the state of Queensland. Her father was a pilot for Ansett Airlines. Initially she grew up in Cairns and later moved to Brisbane at the age of 12 years. There, she attended Kedron State High School. After finishing school she became interested in acting and was taken by her mother to dancing lessons at, and was also persuaded to join, the Twelfth Night Theatre under the artistic direction of Joan Whalley.

At age fifteen, having left school and attended a business college at the insistence of her parents, Wallace decided to become an actress. She joined an advertising agency while still performing in the theatre at night.

Career

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Early roles

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Wallace's first television role was in Brisbane as an entertainer on the variety show Theatre Royal hosted by George Wallace Jnr (no relation). She also presented the afternoon news and weather and a children's show.

While she was working in Brisbane, Barry Creyton persuaded the producers of a new series to fly Wallace down to Sydney to audition for the lead role in their show. As a result Wallace won the role of Margie Harris in You Can't See 'Round Corners in 1967 and moved to Sydney. She would also feature in the 1969 film version.[2]

After completing Round Corners, she went on to star as the juvenile lead in a short run tv series called "The Rovers",meanwhile she also stars in the hit comedy stage production between takes of 'The Rovers' with John McCallum and Googie Withers. The show, Relatively Speaking, played to packed audiences in Melbourne.[2]

On 12 February 1970, the film Squeeze a Flower had its world premiere in Sydney. Wallace starred in the movie as the female lead, opposite international Italian film star Walter Chiari. By 1972, she had found work intermittently. In 1973 she married George Assang, some 20 years her senior, a Thursday Island-born jazz singer and actor known professionally as Vic Sabrino.[3] The marriage lasted just over a year, and Wallace has had no long-term relationships since then.[citation needed]

"The Rovers" was a production that soon led to the Number 96 smash hit sitcom.. Produced by NLT Productions, executive producer was Bill Harmon and producer Don Cash, who would become famous for creating Number 96. The series was created by Roger Mirams and starred Rowena Wallace, Edward Hepple, Noel Trevarthen and child actor Grant Seiden. The storylines revolve around the adventures of the crew of the ‘Pacific Lady’, an island schooner owned by Captain Sam McGill (or ‘Cap’ for short), played by Hepple, Bob Wild (a freelance photographer) played by Trevarthen and Rusty Collins, a wildlife journalist (played by Wallace).

Number 96 and Prisoner

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In the late 1970s she appeared frequently on Australian television, with an ongoing role in the soap opera Number 96 in 1975–1976, followed by a regular role in the police drama Cop Shop, playing policeman's wife Pamela Taylor.[2] After leaving that series she played a mentally unbalanced remand prisoner named Anne Griffin in Prisoner for several weeks in late 1980.

Sons and Daughters

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Rowena Wallace's most famous role was in the soap opera Sons and Daughters, in which she played Patricia Dunne/Hamilton/Morrell/Palmer; starting in 1981.[2] Nicknamed Pat the Rat, the character became an immensely popular bitch figure in the series; its most famous character.

In 1984 Wallace won a Gold Logie for the portrayal[2] during an era when Gold Logies were usually won by major television personalities and hosts but not actors. She was the first woman soap actress to win the award since it was opened up to Most Popular Australian Personality.[clarification needed]. She was not the first female to win the Gold Logie, that honour going to Australian actress Lorrae Desmond. Wallace also received 4 Silver Logies.

Wallace left Sons and Daughters after three years, with her final scenes going to air early in 1985 just after her Gold Logie win.[2] Wallace claimed in a reunion documentary that she left due to exhaustion from playing such an intense character. She also claimed she regretted walking away from the role as she did not get the later acting offers she had anticipated. The popularity of her character led to it being recast, with Belinda Giblin assuming the role of a returning Patricia after extensive cosmetic surgery had altered her facial features. Late in the show's run, with ratings in decline, Wallace was returned to the series in an attempt to boost the show's popularity. With Giblin remaining in the show, Wallace now played a new character, that of Patricia's long-lost identical twin sister Pamela. Her return lasted ten weeks but did little to halt the show's dwindling ratings, and the show was cancelled shortly afterwards.

Home and Away and Neighbours

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Between years 2000 and 2003 Wallace appeared in the weeknight soap opera Home and Away as June Reynolds.[4]

In 2007 Wallace joined the cast of Neighbours for several months.[5] She played Mary Casey, an unstable woman[5] who ended up in prison for the false imprisonment of Pepper Steiger. Mary's cellmate turned out to be Sky Mangel.

Other roles

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In 2012 Wallace starred as Melbourne gangland matriarch Judy Moran in the Foxtel series Deadly Women.[6]

In September 2016 Wallace had a cameo in Wonthaggi Theatrical Group's production of Little Shop of Horrors as the narrator.

Personal life

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Wallace was briefly married to George Assang from 1973 to 1974.

At the age of nineteen, Wallace was diagnosed with scoliosis. She has required painkillers almost continuously since then.

Between July 1999 and November 2003, Wallace was collecting a disability support pension, despite being actively employed by television series such as Water Rats, Beauty and the Beast, and Good Morning Australia.[7] In October 2005, she was charged with social security fraud, and given a suspended sentence of six months imprisonment.[7]

In August 2010, Wallace was the subject of a Today Tonight special feature on the Seven Network, where she was reportedly nearly broke and on the verge of becoming homeless. The following week, a number of offers to take her in were made by Australians around the country.

In March 2011, she was the subject of more media coverage, this time because the unit she occupied at subsidised rent in Wonthaggi, Victoria was due for demolition in August 2011 and she feared she would have nowhere to live. The rent in Wonthaggi had doubled or even tripled due to the Wonthaggi Desalination Plant being constructed nearby, but her pension would not even cover her rent.[8]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1969 You Can't See 'round Corners Margie Harris Feature film
1970 Squeeze a Flower June Phillips Feature film
1976 A Break In The Music Role unknown Film short
1981 Puberty Blues Mrs. Knight Feature film
1982 The Dark Room Liz Llewellyn Feature film
1985 Relatives Nancy Peterson Feature film
1986 Backstage Evelyn Hough Feature film
1987 Strike of the Panther Lucy Andrews Feature film
1989 Cappuccino Anna Feature film
1995 Blackwater Trail Beth Feature film
1998 Desire Role unknown Film short (Tropfest)
2012 Ryder Country Rebecca Ryder Feature film
2019 Magdala Rose Lady Corba de Péreille Feature film [9]

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1964 Theatre Royal Herself TV series
1964 Beauty and the Beast Herself TV series
1967-1968 You Can't See 'Round Corners Margie Harris TV series, 26 episodes
1968 Contrabandits Carole TV series, episode: "A Game for Two Players"
1968 Hunter Sue TV series, 1 Episode: "Sue"
1969 Riptide Cathy Smith TV series, Episode 3: "Affair at Mangrove Creek"
1969 Riptide Xena TV series, Episode 21 : "Good Friday Island"
1969–1970 The Rovers Rusty Collins TV series, 39 episodes
1970–1971 Dynasty Betty Westlake / Jill Campbell TV series, episode 4: "Young Jim Westlake", "Corrida for A Stuntman"
1970–1971 Barrier Reef Tracey Deane TV series, 22 episodes
1971 Spike Milligan Special Herself TV special
1971 What for Marianne? TV film
1971 Spyforce Patricia "Trish" Mathews TV series, episode 24: "The Lovers"
1971; 1973 Matlock Police Sally Broughton / Kate White / Susan Stone TV series, 3 episodes: "Olsen's Ghost", "Cup Fever", "Jeff's Missing"
1971–1974; 1975 Division 4 Andrea Hayes / Betty Miller / Brenda Kelly / Ann Marshall / WPC Diane Webster / WPC Jane Bell TV series, 15 episodes
1971 Vision Escalator TV film
1972 Boney Kat Loader TV series, episode 3: "Boney Meets The Daybreak Killer"
1972–1973 Homicide WPC Primrose Taylor / Ruth Morgan TV series, 2 episodes: "I Love You Primrose Taylor", "Follow The Leader"
1973 A Brace and a Bit TV pilot
1973 And Millions Will Die! Maggi Christopher TV film
1973–1974 Ryan Kate / Sue Ogilvie / Zita / Holly Beckett TV series, 4 episodes: "King's Bishop to Queen Three"; "Miss. Ogilvie Repents"; "Red Alert"; "Goodbye Holly Beckett"
1974 The Evil Touch Jean Lewis TV series, episode 20: "Kadaitcha Country"
1974 Silent Number Sylvia Marsh TV series, episode 8: "Dark Corridors"
1974 Out of Love Julia Martin TV series, episode 1: "I Don't Want To Know"
1975 Shannon's Mob Estelle TV series, episode 9: "Loser Takes All"
1975 Prophet in Love TV film
1975–1976 Number 96 Muriel Thompson TV series, 18 episodes
1976 McCloud Jennifer McGee TV series, Season 6, episode 7: "Night Of The Shark"
1976 Power Without Glory Harriet Marshall TV miniseries, 11 episodes
1976 Murcheson Creek Karen Fields TV film
1976 Taggart's Treasure TV film
1976 Bobby Dazzler Ruth Rierdon TV series, episode 14: "The New Guard"
1977 Bluey Jean Anderson TV series, episode 26: "The Changeling"
1977 Moynihan TV series, 1 episode
1977 Going Home Jacqueline Newton TV film
1977–1979 Cop Shop Pamela Taylor TV series, 158 episodes
1977 Glenview High Pam Wilson TV series, episode 10: "Quiet Nights and Silent Deaths"
1978 Catspaw Kate Keppel TV series, 7 episodes
1979 Burn the Butterflies Dr. Trish Morrison Teleplay / TV film
1979 Ray Lawler Trilogy Presenter Teleplay series, 3 episodes
1980 Water Under the Bridge Honor Mazzini TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1980 Skyways Ann Wallace TV series, episode 148: "Spaces"
1980–1981 Prisoner Anne Griffin TV series, 8 episodes
1981 Holiday Island Marjorie Quinn TV series, 2 episodes: "Zack", "Island Queen"
1981 Outbreak of Love Diana Von Flugel TV miniseries
1981 The Willow Bend Mystery (aka The Mesmerist) Linda TV miniseries, 5 episodes screened in 1983
1982–1985 Sons and Daughters Patricia Hamilton / Patricia Morrell / Patricia Palmer TV series, 480 episodes
1982–1985 The Annual TV Week Logie Awards Herself TV special
1982-1988 Channel Seven Perth Telethon Herself TV special
1983 Parkinson In Australia Herself TV series, 1 episode
1984 On the Edge of Survival Presenter TV special
1984 Russian Spectacular With Torvill And Dean Host TV Special
1984 Tonight With Bert Newton Herself TV series, 1 episode
1985 The Mike Walsh Show Herself TV series, 1 episode
1985 Glass Babies Dr Gloria McCrae TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1985 The Midday Show Herself TV series, 1 episode
1985 Return to Children in Crisis Herself TV special
1986 A Chance to Live Herself TV special
1987 Fight for Survival Herself TV special
1987 Sons and Daughters Pamela Hudson TV series, 40 episodes
1988 Tender Loving Care TV pilot, never aired
1988 All the Way Elaine Seymour TV miniseries, 3 episodes
1988-1989 All the Way Elaine Seymour TV series, 26 episodes
1989 The 31st Annual TV Week Logie Awards Herself TV special
1989 Save the Children Herself TV special
1989 The Midday Show Herself TV series, 1 episode
1989 Mission: Impossible Major Natalia Zorbuskaya TV series, episode 8: "The Pawn"
1989 G.P. TV series, 1 episode
1989 In Melbourne Today Herself TV series, 1 episode
1990 Flair Pamela Winter-Smith TV miniseries; 2 episodes
1990 Some of My Children Herself TV special
1990 More Winners: The Big Wish The Queen TV film series, 1 episode
1991 Cry Children Herself TV special
1991 Tonight Live with Steve Vizard Herself TV series, 1 episode
1991 In Sydney Today Herself TV series, 1 episode
1992 60 Minutes Herself TV series, 1 episode
1992 Hinch Herself TV series, 1 episode
1992 The Morning Show Herself TV series, 1 episode
1992 The Flying Doctors Paulina Giglia TV series, Season 9, episode 27: "Wimp"
1992 A Country Practice Justice Patricia Lincoln TV series, Season 12, episode 71: "Nothing But the Truth: Part 1"
1993 Ray Martin at Midday Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 Real Life Herself TV series, 1 episode
1993 The Great Outdoors Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994 Midday with Derryn Hinch Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994 Ernie and Denise Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994 Live It Up Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994 TVTV Herself ABC TV series, 1 episode
1994 Seven Nightly News Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994-2002 Good Morning Australia Herself TV series, 2 episode
1994 Kilroy Down Under Herself TV series, 1 episode
1994 Day to Day Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994 World Vision: Vision for a Better World Appeal Herself TV special
1995 Roy and HG Guest TV series, 1 episode
1995 G.P. Elizabeth Armstrong TV series, episode 24: "Private Faces, Public Places"
1995 Midday Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 Echo Point Elizabeth O'Connor TV series, 5 episodes
1995; 2006 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 Wire TV Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 World Vision: Vision for a Better World Appeal Herself TV special
1996 This Is Your Life Herself TV series, 1 episode
1996 Shark Bay Clarissa Delaney TV series, 1 episode
1996 Sale of the Century Contestant TV series, 1 episode: "Super Logies Challenge"
1997 Wheel of Fortune Contestant TV series, 1 episode
1997-1998 Pacific Drive Mara de Villenois / Mara Devlin TV series
1998 Mouthing Off Guest TV series, 1 episode
1998 McFeast Live Herself TV series, 1 episode
1998 Midday with Kerri-Anne Herself TV series, 1 episode
2000 Beauty and the Beast Herself TV series
2000 Denise Herself TV series, 1 episode
2000 All Saints Katrina Ford TV series, Season 3, episode 4: "Eye Of The Beholder"
2000 Pizza Anne Griffin TV series, episode 9: "Gambling Pizza"
2000 Water Rats Dolly Munro TV series, Season 5, episode 30: "Remember This"
2000 This Is Your Life Herself TV series, 1 episode "Rowena Wallace"
2000–2003 Home and Away June Reynolds TV series, 20 episodes
2001 Ground Zero Herself TV series, 1 episode
2001 The Finder (aka Trackdown) Irene Davidson TV film
2002 The Best of Aussie Cop Shows Herself TV special
2002 The Best of Aussie Drama Herself TV special
2003 Code 11-14 Mrs. Shaw TV film
2005 Getaway Herself TV series, 1 episode
2005 Celebrity Overhaul Herself TV series
2005 Today Tonight Herself TV series, 1 episode
2005 Ten News Herself TV series, 1 episode
2005 Nine News Herself TV series, 1 episode
2005 Seven News Herself TV series, 1 episode
2005 ABC News Herself TV series, 1 episode
2006; 2010 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 3 episodes
2006 Temptation Herself TV series, 1 episode
2006 Sunday Herself TV series, 1 episode
2007 Where Are They Now Guest - Herself with Sons and Daughters cast: Tom Richards, Ian Rawlings, Ally Fowler, Peter Phelps, Belinda Giblin TV series, 1 episode
2007 Neighbours Recurring role: Mary Casey TV series, 14 episodes
2007 9am with David & Kim Guest TV series, 1 episode
2008 Today Tonight Herself TV series, 1 episode
2009 50 Years Of Channel 7 Brisbane Herself TV special
2010; 2011 Today Tonight Herself TV series, 1 episode
2011 Today Tonight Herself with 'Sons and Daughters' cast: Tom Richards, Cornelia Frances, Ally Fowler, Noel Hodda, Sarah Kemp, Alyce Platt, Antonia Murphy & Stephen Comey TV series, 1 episode
2012 Today Tonight Herself with Val Lehman, Brian Wenzel & Gerard Kennedy) TV series, 1 episode
2012 Deadly Women Judy Moran TV series[10]
2012 Micro Nation Tottie Nesbit TV series, episode: "Meet Pullamawang"
2012 A Current Affair Herself TV series, 1 episode
2013 The 1980s Herself / Pat the Rat TV series, 1 episode
2014 Studio 10 Studio Guest TV series, 1 episode
2016 The Morning Show Herself TV series, 1 episode
2017 Decades: The 1980s Herself / Pat the Rat TV series, 1 episode
2020 Studio 10 Herself TV series, 1 episode
2022 7 News Spotlight: The Fame Game - What Happens After the Applause Fades Herself TV series, 1 episode
2023 The Morning Show Herself & Desiree Smith TV series, 1 episode

Theatre

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Year Title Role Type
1963 Hamlet
1964 Calamity Jane Jane La Boite
1965 King Lear
1965 Little Red Riding Hood
1966 God Save the Queen
1970 Relatively Speaking Virginia Phillip Street Theatre, Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Theatre Royal, Hobart
1973 A Break in the Music Independent Theatre
1973 By Candlelight
1974 Old Times UNSW Studio One
1981 Rattle of a Simple Man Cyrenne Regal Theatre, Perth
1985 Stepping Out Regal Theatre, Perth, Opera Theatre, Adelaide, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre Centre
1986-87 A Coupla White Chicks
1987 Bedroom Farce Playhouse Theatre, Perth
1989 How the Other Half Loves Glen Street Theatre, Laycock Street Theatre, Twelfth Night Theatre, Gold Coast Arts Centre
1989 42nd Street
1990 Blithe Spirit Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Twelfth Night Theatre, Gold Coast Arts Centre, Laycock Street Theatre, Sydney Opera House
1991 Double Act Australian national tour
1992 Same Time, Next Year Glen Street Theatre, Playhouse Theatre, Perth
1993 Lend Me a Tenor Glen Street Theatre
1993 Deceptions Riverside Theatres Parramatta
1994 Night of 1001 Stars
1997 Rebecca Twelfth Night Theatre
2000 Follies
2000 The Sound of Music Frau Schmidt Burswood Dome, Festival Theatre, Adelaide
2001 The Vagina Monologues
2002 Bench Darlinghurst Theatre
2003 The Full Monty Molly MacGregor State Theatre, Melbourne
2006 Mavis Bramston Reloaded Various characters Brisbane City Hall, Twin Towns Services Club
2008 Theatresports
2016 Little Shop of Horrors Narrator Wonthaggi Theatrical Group
2020 The Secret Garden Mrs Medlock Sydney Lyric Theatre (cancelled due to COVID)

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Awards

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Year Association Category Work Result
1983 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Popular Lead Actress Sons and Daughters Won
1984 Logie Awards Gold Logie Sons and Daughters Won
1984 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Most Popular Actress Sons and Daughters Won
1984 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Best Actress in a Series Sons and Daughters Won
1985 Logie Awards Silver Logie for Best Lead Actress in a Series Sons and Daughters Won

References

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  1. ^ "CV Rowena Wallace" (PDF). www.bgmagency.com.au.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Rowena Wallace Career Page". Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  3. ^ "Classic Australian Television Interview Rowena Wallace". TV Eye No 3. October 1994.
  4. ^ "Best Character Awards : 68 to 40..." p. 66. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  5. ^ a b Casey, Marcus (11 April 2007). "Pat the Rat is back". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  6. ^ https://m.facebook.com/FOXTEL/photos/a.10150236821355074.476209.14922765073/10152072044190074 [user-generated source]
  7. ^ a b Kate McClymont (12 October 2005). "Actor spared jail for benefits fraud". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. ^ "Herald Sun, 21 March 2011, Gold Logie winner Rowena Wallace needs a home".
  9. ^ Magdala Rose (2019) - IMDb, retrieved 7 December 2020
  10. ^ "Foxtel". m.facebook.com. Retrieved 7 December 2020.
  11. ^ "AusStage".
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