Pat Evison
Dame Pat Evison DBE |
|
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Born | Helen June Patricia Blamires 2 June 1924 Dunedin, New Zealand |
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Wellington, New Zealand |
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1975–1991 |
Spouse(s) | Roger Evison |
Dame Pat Evison DBE (née Blamires, 2 June 1924 – 30 May 2010), was a New Zealand-born actress.
Contents
Early life and education
Pat Evison was born as Helen June Patricia Blamires in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1924, and was educated at Solway College in Masterton.[1] She attended Victoria University of Wellington, the University of Auckland and the Auckland Teachers' Training College. In 1940, she became one of the first New Zealand students to be awarded a scholarship to the Old Vic Theatre Centre in London, where she studied directing.[2] She then worked as an assistant director at the Young Vic, before returning to New Zealand where she worked as a freelance director and actor at the Downstage Theatre in Wellington.
Acting career
Evison first began acting while studying an arts degree at Victoria University, performing in radio plays recorded onto acetate discs. Following her return to New Zealand from London, she began acting in television roles, with a small role in the television play All Earth to Love, and guest appearances and a regular role on the sketch comedy series In View of the Circumstances.
In 1971, Evison in the television drama serial Pukemanu as storekeeper Phyllis Telford, a role written specially for her by series creator Julian Dickon. In her 1998 autobiography Happy Days in Muckle Flugga, Evison stated that the role as Mrs Telford changed her life, and she was thereafter recognised throughout New Zealand as "Mrs Pukemanu".[3]
She is likely best known for her roles in Australian television, such as Jessie Windom in Prisoner and Violet Carnegie in The Flying Doctors.
Awards
In 1979, Evison won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her role as Mel Gibson's character's mother in the film Tim. Her co-stars also won AFI Awards for their roles: Gibson winning Best Lead Actor for the title role, and Alwyn Kurts winning Best Supporting Actor for his role as Tim's father.[4]
Honours
In the 1980 Queen's Birthday Honours, Evison was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the theatre.[5] She was created a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1993 New Year Honours for services to theatre, television and the community.[6]
Personal life
She and her husband, Roger, had three children: John, Anne and Timothy.
Evison died on 30 May 2010, in Wellington, New Zealand, three days before her 86th birthday.
Bibliography
- Autobiography: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
References
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- ↑ London Gazette (supplement), No. 48214, 13 June 1980. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
- ↑ London Gazette (supplement), No. 53154, 30 December 1992. Retrieved 9 January 2013.
External links
- Use New Zealand English from February 2014
- All Wikipedia articles written in New Zealand English
- Use dmy dates from March 2011
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1924 births
- 2010 deaths
- Actresses awarded British damehoods
- Australian television actresses
- Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire
- New Zealand dames
- New Zealand expatriates in Australia
- New Zealand television actresses
- People from Masterton
- People educated at Solway College
- Victoria University of Wellington alumni
- University of Auckland alumni