# Maureen Edwards

Maureen Elizabeth Edwards is a New Zealand-born retired actress, notable for her small screen roles both in her home country and in Australia.
She is best known for her role in A Country Practice as hospital matron Rosemary Prior and in the New Zealand serial Shortland Street as Dr. Hewitt.
As a supporting player she is probably best known internationally for playing four different cameo roles in cult series Prisoner and also four roles in series Neighbours

## Early life and theatre

Born as Maureen Elizabeth Edwards, in New Zealand. She initially trained to become a teacher, before becoming interested in theatre.
Edwards was a featured actress at the Globe theatre in Dunedin, New Zealand, in the 1960s, and became an administrator for the Gateway Players Theatre Company.

## Television roles

Edwards emigrated to Australia with her husband Peter Tulloch in 1977 and as a character actress became best known locally and internationally for her roles in the cult drama television series Prisoner, having portrayed four different characters in the series in cameos, notably Officer Sue Bailey.
She remains best known however for her longer term roles in Australian television soap operas, particularly in the series A Country Practice as Matron Rosemary Prior from 1991 until 1993 (after two cameo roles in 1985 and 1990). She replaced hospital DN Ann Brennan (played by Mary Regan) and arrives from Africa to take over running the local hospital. In the series' final episode, Rosemary marries Dr. Terence Elliot (played by Shane Porteous).
In Neighbours, Edwards played Ruby Dwyer in 2002 and 2003. She had appeared previously in Neighbours as Marcia Taylor in 1985, and later had 2 more roles in the series as Hilda Jones and Jill Smith in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
She appeared in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street from 2001 to 2002 as CEO Dr. Patricia Hewitt.
Edwards has also featured in many Australia miniseries and telemovies such as All the Rivers Run and Evil Angels
Other television roles included the series Cop Shop, Skyways, I Can Jump Puddles, The Flying Doctors, G.P., Blue Heelers and The Secret Life of Us.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Production | Role | Type |
| 1980 | Stage Fright (aka Nightmares) | Mother | Feature film |
| 1984 | High Country | | TV movie |
| 1986 | Jenny Kissed Me | Magistrate | Feature film |
| 1986 | The Anniversary | Cynthia Hamilton | TV movie |
| 1987 | To Market to Market | Valerie | Feature film |
| 1988 | Evil Angels (aka A Cry in the Dark) | Kate Woodman | Feature film |
| 1988 | The Bit Part | Bev Howard | Feature film |
| 1998 | Two Girls and a Baby | Liz's Mum | Short film |
| 2001 | The Bank | Supreme Court Judge | Feature film |
| 2011 | Shoelace | Older Mum | Short film |

### Television

| Year | Production | Role | Type |
| 1978 | Cop Shop | Barbara Wallace | TV series |
| 1979 | Skyways | Imogan Swift | TV series |
| 1980 | Lawson's Mates | | TV series |
| 1981 | I Can Jump Puddles | Mrs. Carmichael | TV miniseries |
| 1983 | All the Rivers Run | Aunt Agnes | TV miniseries |
| 1984 | Special Squad | | TV series |
| 1985 | The Flying Doctors | Rosemary Daniels | TV series |
| 1986 | The Lancaster Miller Affair | Alice Burgess | TV miniseries |
| 1979-86 | Prisoner (aka Prisoner: Cell Block H) | Gracie / Hazel Crowe / Prison Officer Sue Bailey / Newscaster | TV series, 4 roles |
| 1988 | The Bartons | Miss India | TV series |
| 1988 | The Far Country | Mrs. Morton | TV miniseries |
| 1988 | Home and Away | Liz Collins | TV series |
| 1989 | Pugwall | Sister Griskett | TV series |
| 1989 | Bonza | Mother | |
| 1990 | The Flying Doctors | Pauline Grant | TV series |
| 1992, 2001-02 | Shortland Street | Dr. Patricia Hewitt | TV series |
| 1983, 1990 | A Country Practice | Yvonne McLean / Katherine Di Angelo | TV series, episode "Little Voices" parts 1 and 2, "Out of Africa" parts 1 and 2 |
| 1990-93 | A Country Practice | Matron Rosemary Prior | TV series |
| | Blue Heelers | | TV series |
| 1994 | G.P. | Annie Fisher | TV series |
| 1997 | The Ripper | Matron | |
| 2003 | The Secret Life of Us | Tribunal Woman | TV series |
| 2009 | Carla Cametti PD | Ruth Fenley | TV miniseries |
| 1985, 2008, 2009 | Neighbours | Marcia Taylor / Hilda Smith / Jill Jones | TV series |
| 2002-03 | Neighbours | Ruby Dwyer | TV series |
| 2019 | Five Bedrooms | Joyce | TV series |