Obituaries
Angela Bennie: actor, editor, critic and mentor
Her colleagues recall the vitality and the sense of fun that radiated from her office.
- by Doug Anderson
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Stanley Kubrick
Full Metal Jacket actor R. Lee Ermey dies at 74
The former Marine, who made a career playing hard-nosed military men like Gunnery Sgt. Hartman in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, has died.
- by Wires
obituary
A quiet trailblazer committed to those who serve their nation
Former Defence Minister Jocelyn Newman was widely respected by her department and colleagues for her tireless commitment to service personnel.
- by Rod Nockles
Peter Thonemann, Australian fusion pioneer
An editorial in the Herald proclaimed: "So our scientists are not doing so badly after all!"
Deb Westbury, poet of the senses and Struggle Street
Deb Westbury had a gift for friendship and for words.
- by Ron Pretty
Zelda D'Aprano, fierce fighter for justice and women's rights
Over the next several decades she became an earnest and fierce – but always good-humored – supporter of the many causes she deemed necessary to overthrow the patriarchy.
- by Marilyn Lake
Stuart McDonald, farmer and politician respected for fairness
Stuart Richard McDonald AM was born in Timmering, near Rochester, Victoria on April 18, 1928 to Angus, a farmer, and Lily. He was the eldest of three brothers. Russ was born in 1929 and Murray in 1940.
- by Fiona McDonald
Peter Nicholls, larger-than-life champion of science fiction
Peter Nicholls was born in Melbourne in 1939 to parents Alan and Shirley Nicholls. He was followed by sisters Margaret and Helen, and the children grew up embedded in Melbourne's left-wing intellectual scene.
- by Jack Nicholls and Sophie Cunningham
Ana Mackay, passionate campaigner for the mistreated and powerless
Ana understood the struggles faced by migrants to this country, particularly those for whom English was a language that had to be grappled with quite late in life.
- by Kim Carr
Judge Robert Toner, admired for excellence, a huge presence in court
Toner could be loud, funny, opinionated and sometimes bombastic.
In Passing
Steven Bochco, the writer and producer who has died aged 74, was responsible for some of American television's most intelligent and innovative crime dramas, including Hill Street Blues, LA Law and NYPD Blue; he was regarded by many as the most influential figure in modern television drama. He pioneered the idea that crime series could be constructed in the manner of soap operas, with as much focus on the police characters' private lives as on their work, and with storylines that stretched across several episodes rather than being wrapped up neatly in an hour. He favoured a style of documentary realism over glossiness, exploring gritty issues and employing salty language. Although his programmes usually featured large ensemble casts, he was acclaimed for investing his characters with a depth rarely seen in popular television drama. Perhaps his greatest creation was Detective Andy Sipowicz in NYPD Blue who, brilliantly portrayed by Dennis Franz, won viewers' hearts despite being a drunk and a racist.