# Rowena Wallace

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. 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

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
### Early roles

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.
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.
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. The marriage lasted just over a year, and Wallace has had no long-term relationships since then.
"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

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. 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

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. 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 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.. 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. 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

Between years 2000 and 2003 Wallace appeared in the weeknight soap opera Home and Away as June Reynolds.
In 2007 Wallace joined the cast of Neighbours for several months. She played Mary Casey, an unstable woman who ended up in prison for the false imprisonment of Pepper Steiger. Mary's cellmate turned out to be Sky Mangel.

### Other roles

In 2012 Wallace starred as Melbourne gangland matriarch Judy Moran in the Foxtel series Deadly Women.
In September 2016 Wallace had a cameo in Wonthaggi Theatrical Group's production of Little Shop of Horrors as the narrator.

## Personal life

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. In October 2005, she was charged with social security fraud, and given a suspended sentence of six months imprisonment.
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.

## Filmography
### Film

| 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 |

### Television

| 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 | 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 | 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 |
| 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

| 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) |

## Awards

| 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 |