Source: Sally-Ann Upton/Facebook.
Neighbours and A Country Practice star, Joan Sydney died in Sydney on December 28. Source: Sally-Ann Upton/Facebook.
The English-Australian actress, Joan Sydney has passed away aged 83. She was best known for her starring roles on Neighbours and A Country Practice.
Her death was announced on social media by her close friend and fellow Neighbours star, Sally Upton. In a social media tribute, Upton says Sydney died peacefully on December 28 in her Sydney home.
Her passing comes after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, after her diagnosis in 2016.
Sydney had her first on screen debut in 1957 at 18 years old in the film version of the play When We Are Married.
She became a household name on A Country Practice in her starring role was as Matron Maggie Sloan. As the ‘no nonsense nurse’, she appeared in 453 episodes between 1983 and 1990.
In 2002, she joined the Neighbours cast in a recurring guest role as Valda Sheergold, before becoming a permanent cast member from 2007 to 2008.
As a fixture of Australian television, Sydney also has numerous credits to her name, appearing in Something in the Air, Mother and Son, All Saints and Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
She would regularly appear with her younger sister Maggie King, who passed way in 2020 aged 79.
In the social media tribute announcing Sydney’s Death, Upton described the friendship the two actresses began after meeting in the 1990s, at a fundraiser for the Australian Nurses Federation.
“I asked Joan if she would appear as Matron Sloane and at first she was very reluctant,” Ms Upton wrote.
“She thought it wouldn’t work, as Wandin Valley had been a long time off our screen and I said ‘Are you kidding me, everyone will know who you are and it will be the highlight of the show’.
“Sure enough, as I’m MCing the second half, she appeared through the curtain in her white nurses uniform and ’70s nurses cap, no words spoken and brought the house down!
“Thank you for all you have taught me, love, friendship, many memories shared that will be treasured forever,” Upton said.
Sydney is survived by her son, Tony Braxton-Smith.
