Mary Parker Obituary

Mary Parker is 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.

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 he died in 2017.

After emigrating to Australia, she became notable for being the first woman to appear on Melbourne television. In England, she worked on stage in West End Theatre productions, and film and television drama with the likes of Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Boris Karloff and Lloyd Bridges and had numerous experiences on live television broadcasting at the BBC alongside celebrities such as singer, Petula Clarke.

In Australia, she was one of three people to host Channel Seven test broadcasts at their Melbourne station HSV7 before their official opening night; the other two test broadcasters were Eric Pearce and Danny Webb. On November 4, 1956, HSV-7’s opening night, she became one the first female news anchors when she presented the news bulletin alongside Pearce.