Mary Parker

Mary Clare Avison Fitzgerald (née Parker; 31 October 1930 – 13 May 2023) was an English-born actress and Australian television presenter, who started her career in her native country as a stage, screen and television actress. After emigrating to Australia, she became notable for being the first woman to appear on Melbourne television. Early life and personal life Parker was born on 31 October 1930 in Keynsham, Somerset, and was a twin; her sister Sue was born two hours later. Her father, Charles Avison Parker, was a British native and high-ranking officer with the Royal Navy and later served with the Australian Navy; her mother was Australian. Parker's brother Michael served in the Royal Navy with Prince Philip and became his secretary and equerry-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II. Parker grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Kew and attended Genazzano Convent School. She was married to Australian portrait artist Paul Fitzgerald in 1957 until his death in 2017. They had seven children. Career In her early career in England, film studios likened her star quality to that of Debbie Reynolds. Fitzgerald stated that "everybody in England knew Mary Parker [...] I've seen her name in lights on Shaftesbury Avenue and then she worked on TV as an announcer. They also brought her out to Australia in 1956 to open the (television coverage of the) 1956 Summer Olympic Games alongside Tony Charlton – she was the first woman on television in (Melbourne)."