Elisabeth Sladen 1948-2011

Elisabeth Sladen (1 February 1948 - 19 April 2011)

(with K9 - photo from BBC/Radio Times)

Elisabeth Sladen portrayed Sarah Jane Smith in Doctor Who and was probably considered to be one of the most favourite of the Doctor's companions.

She first became The Doctor's companion in 1973 in The Time Warrior, which also introduced a Sontaran warrior Linx (Jon Pertwee as the Doctor)


When Doctor Who was revived by the BBC, Sarah Jane Smith would be reunited with the Doctor (David Tennant) on a number of 'adventures' as well has her own spin-off show.

See obituaries in BBC, NPR, The Telegraph, The Guardian and The First Post.

BBC News


ITN report


The io9 website features an excellent article by Charlie Jane Anders, which analyses how the Sarah Jane Smith character developed over the years.

EDIT (Added 24 April 2011). A tribute by CBBC broadcast in UK on 23 April

Dame Joan Sutherland 1926-2010

Dame Joan Sutherland (7 November 1926 - 10 October 2010)

She was one of the finest sopranos in the world and in history. Luciano Pavarotti, who worked with Dame Joan in numerous operas, described her as having the "the voice of the century".

The Australian Prime Minister issued a statement (in the third person)

The Prime Minister today joined Australians around the nation to mourn the death of Dame Joan Sutherland - a great Australian and one of the nation's greatest voices.

Dame Joan Sutherland died peacefully at the age of 83 with her family by her side in Switzerland.

Dame Joan will be remembered by opera lovers for her extraordinary performances that kept audiences around the world spellbound.

She was widely regarded as one of the finest opera singers of the 20th century, so much so that Luciano Pavarotti once described her as 'the voice of the century'.

The Prime Minister said it was right for the nation to also celebrate the life of Dame Joan who made a tremendous contribution to her nation, to opera and the arts.

Dame Joan touched the lives of so many people around the world, yet never lost sight of her Australian upbringing and her many admirers at home.

She was generous in teaching and supporting new generations of singers and musicians, and until recently could be seen in the audiences of productions in Australia.

The Prime Minister offered her condolences to her husband Richard, son Adam and their extended family at this difficult time.

Born in Sydney in 1926, Dame Joan made her British debut in the Magic Flute in October 1952. Her 40 year career included a 19 minute standing ovation for her performance in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in 1959.

She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1979 a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1975, Australian of the Year in 1961 and received an Order of Merit in 1991.

Amongst my favourite opera recordings are those with Sutherland in Lucia di Lammermoor and La Traviata (both with Pavarotti).




Lucia di Lammermoor (a veranno a te sull'aure)


La Traviata (sempre libera)


Addio, stupenda

Charles "Bud" Tingwell 1917-2009

Charles "Bud" Tingwell (3 January 1917 - 15 May 2009)



Bud Tingwell had a long and illustrious acting career and became ingrained in Australia's cultural landscape. He was a legend.

See obituary in Sydney Morning Herald and Bud Tingwell's blog.

I remember Bud Tingwell for his more obscure roles such as House Rules (1988) and Catweazle (1970).

Jørn Utzon 1918-2008

Jørn Utzon (9 April 1918 – 29 November 2008)



Utzon gave Australia and the world one of the most iconic buildings of the 20th century, finally World Heritage listed in 2007 (I also blogged about this at the time).

The Sydney Opera House constitutes a masterpiece of 20th century architecture. Its significance is based on its unparalleled design and construction; its exceptional engineering achievements and technological innovation and its position as a world-famous icon of architecture. It is a daring and visionary experiment that has had an enduring influence on the emergent architecture of the late 20th century. Utzon's original design concept and his unique approach to building gave impetus to a collective creativity of architects, engineers and builders. Ove Arup's engineering achievements helped make Utzon's vision a reality. The design represents an extraordinary interpretation and response to the setting in Sydney Harbour. The Sydney Opera House is also of outstanding universal value for its achievements in structural engineering and building technology. The building is a great artistic monument and an icon, accessible to society at large.

Reported by Associated Press

Utzon's earliest buildings were private homes. It came as a surprise to many when he won the competition for the Sydney Opera House in 1956. The building, with its distinctive white roof shells resembling sails, is perched on the edge of Sydney Harbour.

Utzon received the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2003 for his design of the opera house. The jury singled it out as among the most iconic buildings of the 20th century, saying it "proves that the marvelous and seemingly impossible in architecture can be achieved."

See also
- Sydney Morning Herald
- ArtDaily



It is still one of my favourite buildings. I love going to the opera there. Aside from the superb performances by Opera Australia, being at the Sydney Opera House is part of the experience.

Perhaps I should forgo a football game next year and go to the opera instead.

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Aside from some gardening and having Kim over for dinner, this weekend has been a restful one.

Heath Ledger 1979-2008

Heath Ledger (4 April 1979 – 22 January 2008)



It's hard not to miss all the media coverage of Heath Ledger. I was quite stunned hearing it on the news yesterday (Wednesday) morning before I left for work. It was on the front page of every Australian newspaper this morning.

I remember Heath Ledger in the 1996 series Sweat. He was actually quite good. One could tell that he and Martin Henderson would be rising stars.


Of course, he will probably be best remembered for his 2005 role in Brokeback Mountain.


One of my favourites is the under-rated 2003 film, The Order (released as The Sin Eater in Australia)


Even the Australian Prime Minister issued a statement

Heath Ledger

23 January 2008

It was with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Heath Ledger.

It is tragic that we have lost one of our nation’s finest actors in the prime of his life.

Heath Ledger’s diverse and challenging roles will be remembered as some of the great performances by an Australian actor.

Our thoughts are with Heath’s family and close friends, especially his two-year old daughter Matilda.

Canberra
Media contact: 02 6277 7744

Extensive coverage in
- Sydney Morning Herald
- People
- New York Times
- news.com.au (Murdoch Australian press)
which had to index their collection of articles etc

Rest in Peace.

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As far as excitement goes, at work, today was one of those days. The departmental secretary presented awards this morning, which was followed by a free barbeque lunch. A cheap lunch of sausages and bread (in Australia, called a 'sausage sizzle'). As if a free lunch wasn't enough for one day, our boss also had her birthday today so her section heads put on an afternoon tea.

Aside from all the food, a rather complex issue dating back to 1994 reared its ugly head again. Argh! This could get messy. But as far as work goes, it is a bit of excitement.

Luciano Pavarotti 1935-2007

Luciano Pavarotti (12 October 1935 - 6 September 2007)



He had one of the best tenor voices in the world and in history. His passing is a loss to the world.

Amongst my favourite opera recordings are those with Pavarotti in Lucia di Lammermoor (with Sutherland), La Traviata (with Sutherland) and La Bohème (with Freni)




Lucia di Lammermoor (a veranno a te sull'aure)


La Traviata (Brindisi)


La Bohème (che gelida manina)


La Bohème ( O Soave Fanciulla)


The maestro's voice lives on forever more.

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I came home very late as we had a work trivia/quiz night. Our team also won. The quiz night was a fund raiser for the Starlight Children's Foundation.