# Vincent Ball

Vincent Martin Ball, OAM (born 4 December 1923) is an Australian retired actor of film, theatre and radio active in the industry for nearly 55 years (with a brief return) firstly in Britain starting in the late 1940s and then his native Australia. Ball, a Royal Air Force military veteran, has also authored a number of books.
Ball is best known for film roles in British and Australian films and television films, including A Town Like Alice, Breaker Morant, Phar Lap, Muriel's Wedding and The Man Who Sued God.
Ball appeared in numerous television roles, primarily in cameo guest roles, but had recurring roles in serials including the British serial Crossroads, Rush, The Young Doctors, A Country Practice and Home and Away.
Ball cited film stars Virginia McKenna and Chips Rafferty and Australian actor Ray Meagher as among his co-stars and friends in the entertainment industry.
Ball also worked variously in theatre, including Shakespeare, with productions of Henry IV, Part 1 and Romeo and Juliet and a musical based on Charles Dickens famous novel Great Expectations.
In 2003, Ball retired, but briefly returned to television in 2014. He turned 100 in December 2023.

## Early life and marriage

Vincent Martin Ball was born in the town of Wee Waa, New South Wales, on 4 December 1923, one of eight children to a father who worked as a linesman on the New South Wales Government Railways. Ball said he wanted to be an actor from an early age, particularly a "cowboy in the movies", as he loved going to the movies as a youngster and seeing Western stars like Tom Mix.
Ball married Sydney actress Doreen Harrop in 1949, she was also his elocution teacher and taught speech therapies. They had three children and reside at Chittaway Point, a suburb on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

## Military service

Ball left his job with the Australian division of the now defunct British firm General Electric Company after the Second World War broke out and, after military training in Canada, became a wireless air gunner with the Royal Australian Air Force, serving in Britain.
After the war, he returned to Australia and his old job. To correct his accent, which had by then morphed into part Canadian, part Cockney and part Australian, he took lessons in elocution and became interested in amateur dramatics.

## Professional career
### Acting profession in Britain

Ball then from Sydney was working as an accountant in 1949, but decided he wanted to enter showbiz, so he set out writing letters asking for auditions. One was to the film studio the Rank Organisation which, impressed with his enthusiasm, told him to come to England and they would give him a screen test for a part in the 1949 British film version of The Blue Lagoon. By the time he got to England, production was under way, but he got a job as stand-in for Donald Houston in an underwater fight with an octopus. He was then cast as Jack Warner's son in Smiling Irish Eyes, (Talk of a Million).
He was working as a bricklayer, when he then won a scholarship to study drama at Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Having moved to Stowting, Kent, he appeared in supporting and uncredited film roles in the UK for the next two and a half decades. He was a juvenile lead in the TV films Rain Before Seven, Barnet's Folly and Nitro, before moving into slightly larger parts in films such as A Town Like Alice, Robbery Under Arms, Sea of Sand, and Danger Within. In 1969, he played Cecil Carpenter in Where Eagles Dare, alongside Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood.
His television credits in Britain include Gym Teacher, Jenkins, Compact, Man in a Suitcase, The Troubleshooters, Dixon of Dock Green, and a recurring role on the long-running UK soap opera Crossroads.

### Acting career in Australia

Ball who was then living in Canterbury, Kent, returned to Australia in 1973. He was soon very busy acting in films, theatre and television.
Ball is best known for his work in Australian films and television series, including film roles in Breaker Morant, Phar Lap and Muriel's Wedding. His credits in Australian television serials include Cop Shop, The Sullivans, The Young Doctors, The Flying Doctors, Grass Roots and All Saints. His many roles in Australian mini-series or made-for-television films include Against the Wind, and the epic Anzacs.
In 2014, aged 91, he came out of retirement briefly to play a Second World War veteran named Tom Knight, in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, whom series regular Alf Stewart (played by Ray Meagher) meets in hospital. The scenes went to air during April 2015, just before Anzac Day.

## Publications (selected)

| Title | Year/Release | Publisher | ISBN |
| Words of Silence | 21 May 2008 | DoctorZed Publishing | ISBN 9780646983837 |
| The Ivory Starr Collection | 12 October 2008 | Xlibris | ISBN 9781436358224 |
| The Cathedral Tree | 06 May 2013 | Equilibrium Books | ISBN 9781921456848 |
| Patrick Downs | 31 July 2013 | Equilibrium Books | ISBN 9781921456855 |
| Regency Rebel | 01 March 2014 | Equilibrium Books (Rockingham, Australia | ISBN 9781921456909 |
| Buck Jones: Where are You | 01 September 2014 | Equilibrium Books | ISBN 9780992435806 (also available audio CD) |

## National honours

Ball was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2016 Australia Day Honours.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1949 | Warning to Wantons | Footman | Uncredited |
| 1949 | Stop Press Girl | Hero | featuring in "cinema sequence" |
| 1949 | Poet's Pub | Stacey | Uncredited |
| 1949 | The Interrupted Journey | First Workman | |
| 1950 | Come Dance with Me | Secretary | |
| 1951 | Talk of a Million | Jack Murnahan | |
| 1951 | Encore | Young Husband | segment : "Winter Cruise" |
| 1952 | Made in Heaven | Man at Party | Uncredited |
| 1953 | The Drayton Case | Henley's Assistant | Short film |
| 1954 | The Dark Stairway | Sergeant Gifford | Short film |
| 1954 | Imposter's Gold | Leonard Hughes | TV film |
| 1954 | Dangerous Voyage | John Drew | |
| 1954 | Devil's Point | Williams | |
| 1954 | The Black Rider | Ted Lintott | |
| 1955 | Barnet's Folly | Richard Barnet | TV film |
| 1955 | Nitro | Jeff | TV film |
| 1955 | John and Julie | Digger | |
| 1955 | The Stolen Airliner | Flight Sergeant Watkins | |
| 1955 | Stolen Time | Johnson | |
| 1955 | The Blue Peter | Digger | |
| 1956 | A Town Like Alice | Ben | |
| 1956 | The Secret of the Forest | Mr. Lawson | |
| 1956 | The Long Arm | P.C. at Hospital | uncredited |
| 1956 | Reach for the Sky | Thelma's cousin | uncredited |
| 1956 | The Baby and the Battleship | Second Sailor at Dance | uncredited |
| 1956 | The Battle of the River Plate | Barnes – HMS Achilles | uncredited |
| 1957 | Face in the Night | Bob Meredith | |
| 1957 | Robbery Under Arms | George Storefield | |
| 1958 | Blood of the Vampire | John Pierre | |
| 1958 | Sea of Sand | Sergeant Nesbitt | |
| 1959 | Danger Within | Captain Pat Foster | |
| 1959 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Dowd | |
| 1960 | Identity Unknown | Ken | |
| 1960 | Dead Lucky | Mike Billings | |
| 1960 | Dentist in the Chair | Michaels | |
| 1961 | Feet of Clay | David Kyle | |
| 1961 | Very Important Person | Higgins | uncredited |
| 1961 | Nearly a Nasty Accident | Sergeant at Crybwyth | |
| 1961 | Highway to Battle | Ransome | |
| 1961 | A Matter of WHO | Dr. Blake | |
| 1961 | Middle Course | Cliff Wilton | |
| 1962 | The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day | Horrie Darcel | TV film |
| 1962 | Carry On Cruising | Jenkins | |
| 1963 | The Mouse on the Moon | Pilot | |
| 1963 | Echo of Diana | Bill Vernon | |
| 1967 | Follow That Camel | Ship's Officer | |
| 1968 | Nobody Runs Forever | Australian Policeman | uncredited |
| 1968 | Where Eagles Dare | Carpenter | |
| 1969 | Oh! What a Lovely War | Australian Soldier | |
| 1971 | Not Tonight, Darling | Alex | |
| 1971 | Clinic Exclusive | Bernard Wilcox | |
| 1974 | The Spiral Bureau | | TV film |
| 1974 | Lindsay's Boy | Jim Lindsay | TV film |
| 1975 | Games for Parents and Other Children | | TV film |
| 1976 | Arena | Bill Scott | TV film |
| 1976 | Deathcheaters | Commander Carson | |
| 1978 | The Irishman | Bailey Clark | |
| 1978 | Bit Part | Sherry | TV film |
| 1979 | Demolition | Ainsley | TV film |
| 1980 | Breaker Morant | Colonel Hamilton | |
| 1981 | Alison's Birthday | Dr. Jeremy Lyall | |
| 1982 | The Highest Honor | Lieutenant Commander Hubert Marsham | |
| 1982 | ..Deadline.. | Prime Minister | TV film |
| 1983 | Phar Lap | Lachlan McKinnon | |
| 1986 | Whose Baby? | Robert Monahan, K.C. | TV film |
| 1986 | Double Sculls | Stuart | TV film |
| 1987 | The Year My Voice Broke | Headmaster | |
| 1987 | Hot Ice | Harry Romano | TV film |
| 1988 | The Boardroom | Jonathon Hutt | TV film |
| 1990 | Call Me Mr. Brown | Captain Richie | |
| 1991 | The Private War of Lucinda Smith | Colonel Foster | TV film |
| 1993 | Love in Limbo | Cyril Williams | |
| 1993 | Frauds | Judge | |
| 1993 | Butterfly Island | Sergeant Pat Connolly | TV film |
| 1994 | Sirens | Bishop of Sydney | |
| 1994 | Muriel's Wedding | Priest | |
| 1997 | Paradise Road | Mr. Dickson | |
| 2001 | The Man Who Sued God | Cardinal | |
| 2002 | Black and White | Chief Justice Napier | |
| 2003 | The Night We Called It a Day | Rex Hooper | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1952 | BBC Sunday Night Theatre | Young Officer | Episode: "Holiday in Berlin" |
| 1954 | BBC Sunday Night Theatre | George Grant | Episode: "Rain Before Seven" |
| 1954 | Douglas Fairbanks Presents | Harry | Episode: "The Wedding Veil" |
| 1955 | BBC Sunday Night Theatre | Locke | Episode: "The Voices" |
| 1957 | Motive for Murder | John Blackmoor | Mini-series |
| 1958 | White Hunter | Trevor | Episode: "The Step-father" |
| 1959 | The Flying Doctor | Jeff Petersen | Episode: "The Revelation" |
| 1960 | International Detective | Joplin | Episode: "The Joplin Case" |
| 1960 | No Man's Island | Denis Barker | Mini-series |
| 1960 | ITV Play of the Week | Mallow | Episode: "The Watching Eye" |
| 1961 | The Cheaters | Jessup | Episode: "An Obituary for a Champion" |
| 1961 | Theatre 70 | Martin Wade | Episode: "News From Jericho" |
| 1961 | BBC Sunday-Night Play | Digger | Episode: "The Hasty Heart" |
| 1961 | Deadline Midnight | Keith Durrant | Recurring role |
| 1963 | Once Aboard the Luggar... | Dennis Barker | Episode: "The Girl Arrives" |
| 1963 | Ghost Squad | Father Huggins | Episode: "The Big Time" |
| 1963 | The Plane Makers | Nelson | Episode: "The Testing Time" |
| 1963 | Zero One | Pilot | Episode: "The Stowaway" |
| 1963–1965 | Compact | David Rome | Series regular |
| 1966 | Blue Light | | Episode: "Target, David March" |
| 1966 | The Man in the Mirror | Austin | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | The Newcomers | Mr. Mackie | 3 episodes |
| 1966 | The Troubleshooters | Captain Grainger | Episode: "Operation Saigon" |
| 1966–1973 | Crossroads: Kings Oak | Kevin McArthur | Series regular |
| 1967 | Dixon of Dock Green | Abel | Episode: "The Team" |
| 1968 | Dixon of Dock Green | King | Episode: "Find the Lady" |
| 1968 | Man in a Suitcase | Dalby | Episode: "The Boston Square" |
| 1968 | Z-Cars | Foster | Episode: "Vigilance" |
| 1969 | Dixon of Dock Green | Garry Kendrick | Episode: "The Set-Up" |
| 1970 | Dixon of Dock Green | Jenkins | Episode: "Shadows" |
| 1970 | Softly, Softly: Taskforce | Scotland | Episode: "Private Mischief" |
| 1971 | Play for Today | Simpson | Episode: "Traitor" |
| 1971 | The Troubleshooters | Reg Walters | Episode: "A Touch of the Nelsons" |
| 1972 | Dixon of Dock Green | Jack Stevens | Episode: "Time Out" |
| 1973 | Harriet's Back in Town | Kenneth Hammond | 4 episodes |
| 1973 | The Dragon's Opponent | Captain McColm | Mini-series |
| 1974 | Silent Number | Norris | Episode: "Cecelia" |
| 1975 | Certain Women | Horrie | 1 episode |
| 1975 | Homicide | Patrick O'Brien | Episode: "Snails for Dinner" |
| 1975 | Ben Hall | Sergeant Garland | Series regular |
| 1975 | Shannon's Mob | Ashby | Episode: "There Was a Man" |
| 1976 | Silent Number | White | Episode: "Yesterday's Friends" |
| 1976 | Rush | Superintendent James Kendall | Recurring role |
| 1976 | King's Men | | Episode: "Suffer Little Children" |
| 1976 | The Sullivans | Admiral Spencer | |
| 1976 | Bluey | Muley Price | Episode: "Speak to Me Only" |
| 1977 | Bluey | Kenneth Granger | Episode: "A Political Animal" |
| 1977 | The Outsiders | Jack Gower | Episode: "Sophie's Mob" |
| 1978 | Cop Shop | James Benedict | 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | John Williams | Episode: "Something to Shout About" |
| 1978 | Against the Wind | Governor Macquarie | Episode: "The Windfall Summer" |
| 1979 | Cop Shop | David Hammond | 2 episodes |
| 1979 | Skyways | Captain Fitzgerald | Episode: "The Legend" |
| 1979 | A Place in the World | | Mini-series |
| 1979 | The Young Doctors | Kevin McAllister | 2 episodes |
| 1980 | Cop Shop | Adrian Cummins | 1 episode |
| 1980 | Timelapse | Boyd Mackiel | Mini-series |
| 1982 | A Country Practice | Bunny Wilcox | Episode: "Come Blow Your Horn" |
| 1983 | The Dismissal | Justin O'Byrne | 1 episode |
| 1984 | The Last Bastion | General Sturdee | Mini-series |
| 1984 | Special Squad | | 2 episodes |
| 1984 | Bodyline | Lyons – Prime Minister of Australia | Mini-series |
| 1984 | A Country Practice | Keith Fitzgerald | Episode: "Moment of Truth" |
| 1985 | Anzacs | Sir Rupert Barrington | Mini-series |
| 1987 | Rafferty's Rules | Mathew | Episode: "Kids" |
| 1987 | Vietnam | Dave the Spook | Mini-series |
| 1987–1993 | A Country Practice | Ted Campbell | Recurring role |
| 1988 | The Dirtwater Dynasty | Eastwick Banker | Mini-series |
| 1989 | Mission: Impossible | Presenter | Episode: "The Golden Serpent" |
| 1989 | Bangkok Hilton | British Attache | Mini-series |
| 1990 | The Flying Doctors | Warren Price | Episode: "Daddy's Girl" |
| 1990 | The Paper Man | Sir Evan Mason | Mini-series |
| 1991 | G.P. | Dr. Thomas Radley | 3 episodes |
| 1995 | Blue Murder | Dr. Cumberland | Mini-series |
| 1998 | Children's Hospital | Keith Charrington | Episode: "Home Truths" |
| 2000 | Grass Roots | Monty Chesney | Episode: "April to July" |
| 2001 | All Saints | Bill Weiner | 2 episodes |
| 2015 | Home and Away | Tom Knight (WWII veteran) | 2 episodes |