Bob Hornery

Bob Hornery
Born
Robert James Hornery

28 May 1931
Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
Died26 May 2015(2015-05-26) (aged 83)
Melbourne, Australia
OccupationActor
Years active1949-2012
Known forNeighbours as Tom Kennedy

Robert James Hornery (28 May 1931 – 26 May 2015) was an Australian actor. With a career spanning 60 years in both Britain and Australia, he won both the Helpmann Awards and the Equity Awards lifetime achievement award. He was well known for his ability to ad lib.[1]

Early life and education

Robert Hornery was born on 28 May 1931, in Randwick, New South Wales, to Edward Hornery, a sales rep, and his wife, Veronica (née Gallen). He appeared in plays at the local Catholic secondary school, Marcellin College. After leaving school, he worked as a booking clerk for Butler Air Transport. During that period, he also performed in revues with amateur companies.[2]

Career

Theatre

Hornery started his career in theatre in 1949, and made his professional debut in 1953, when he played Eustace Smell, the town crier and sidekick, in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk, at Sydney's Capitol Theatre.[2] As well as other stage roles, he appeared in the stage production of The Importance of Being Earnest as the Rev. Canon Chasuble, which ran from 1988 to 1992 and was televised by the ABC. He was particularly associated with the Melbourne Theatre Company, in roles ranging from comic to the dramatic, including The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

Screen

He appeared in Australian film and television productions, including Thunderstone, and guested in Neighbours as Tom Kennedy, the father of Karl Kennedy. He appeared in the BBC television series Doctor Who and the ATV science-fiction fantasy series Sapphire and Steel. His film roles included Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and Crackerjack.

Personal life and death

In 1973, Hornery married Patricia Allen. They had a daughter, Jane. He died on 26 May 2015 after a long cancer illness, two days before his 84th birthday. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and stepson, Max Allen.[2]

Filmography

Film roles

References

  1. ^ Craven, Peter (27 May 2015). "Performing arts community mourns Neighbours actor and Melbourne Theatre Company actor Bob Hornery". Retrieved 3 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Hayward, Anthony (7 June 2015). "Bob Hornery obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 August 2022.


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