# Shane Withington

Shane Withington (born 22 August 1958) is an Australian actor, notable for roles in theatre, television, and film.

## Career

Withington is best known for roles in TV serials, with two famous character portrayals. These include his role as Brenden Jones, a farmer, nurse, and subsequently the Deputy Matron of the fictional Wandin Valley in the television series A Country Practice from 1982 until 1986.
Withington first appeared in TV serial Home and Away as a guest character called Colin, before being given the permanent role of cranky but warm-hearted surf lifesaver and patrol officer John Palmer in 2009, initially as a 3-month stand-alone stint; he'd been in the role for ten years by 2019.
He has also featured in Willing and Abel, as Abel Moore, and the sitcom The Family Business.
He had a guest star appearance in the film Strange Bedfellows in 2004.
In 2008, he was in the BBC drama Out of the Blue, playing the detective in charge of investigating a murder.
Withington co-starred in the play The Boys Next Door in 1992.

## Filmography
### Films

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2023 | Butter | Farmer | Short |
| 2018 | The Confession | Father Shane | Short |
| 2004 | Strange Bedfellows | Father Xavier Delaney | |
| 1991 | Roy's Raiders | Bazza | |
| 1988 | Black Tulip | | Voice role |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2024 | Last Days of the Space Age | Spider | 2 episodes |
| 2023 | Talking Prisoner | Self | Podcast Series 1 episode |
| 2017 & 2019 | Drop Dead Weird | Wilmot Fogie / Mr O'Shea | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | 52nd Annual TV Week Logie Awards | Himself | Uncredited |
| 2008 | Out of the Blue | D.S. Simon Wilson | 43 episodes |
| 2007 | Gumnutz: A Juicy Tale | | TV movie Voice role |
| 2007 | Rain Shadow | Harry Greene | Mini-series 6 episodes |
| 2009–present | Home and Away | John Palmer | Main Cast, 1800+ episodes |
| 2008–2009 | Milly, Molly | Narrator | Two Seasons |
| 2006–2010 | Dive Olly Dive! | Various characters | 56 episodes |
| 2005 | Blinky Bill's White Christmas | Sly (Chopper's assistant) and Johnny Rabbit | TV movie Voice role |
| 2005 | All Saints | Bob 'Smithy' Smith | Season 8, episode 29 |
| 1999 | Dog's Head Bay | Bob Grant | 13 episodes |
| 1998 | Wildside | Alan Grey | Season 1, episode 13 |
| 1997 | Reprisal | Charlie | TV movie |
| 1997 | Water Rats | Det. Insp. Gordon Withers | 2 episodes |
| 1989 | The Family Business | Terry Jackson | 13 episodes |
| 1987–1988 | The Flying Doctors | Mike Lancaster | 9 episodes |
| 1987 | Willing and Abel | Abel Moore | 26 episodes |
| 1984 | Queen of the Road | Fred 'Speedy' Norton | TV movie |
| 1981–1986 | A Country Practice | Brendan Jones | 367 episodes |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | William 'Mac' McKenna | Season 2, episode 3 |
| 1978 | Glenview High | Edward Lander | Season 1, episode 13 |

## Personal life

Withington was born in Toowoomba, Queensland to a cowgirl mother, who was the daughter of a drover and an English father who worked in food processing and was a nightclub singer and champion first grade soccer player in Queensland.
After being expelled from school, Withington worked as a horsesman and jackaroo, before auditioning an acting scholarship with the Elizabethan Quest Scholarship at 16. He toured with the Twelfth Night Theatre.
Withington lives in the Pittwater area of Sydney's Northern Beaches and led a community campaign to preserve the Currawong Workers' Holiday Camp.
Withington is married to actress Anne Tenney, who played his character's wife Molly Jones on A Country Practice.