JUDY BANKS

Born in Melbourne in 1935 Judy Banks was educated at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School where she was a member of the School Dramatic Society. Whilst holidaying in North America and England she took a course as a model and finally became a model and an accounting machine operator. During her London stay she saw a musical called Salad Days and immediately bought the Galaxy record of the original cast little thinking that she would one day play the lead role in it. On return to Melbourne, she got the role and came to prominence playing the juvenile lead. In 1958 she recorded some songs from Salad Days for an EP released on the Planet label.

She quickly moved on to television with appearances in In Melbourne Tonight, Saturday Party, Personally Yours, Be My Guest, Musical Cashbox and hosting her own ABC series Four For The Show for four years. On the madcap ATV-0 daily morning show Fredd Bear’s Breakfast-a-Go-Go she teamed with Ted Dunn, from 1969 – 1971, featuring Michael McCarthy and Colin McEwan. Hosting studio segments, cartoons and competitions, the show built a fanbase of children who were all encouraged to take out show membership and win prizes. Wardrobe master Dunn has made the costume so large; he was the only person who could fit in it. 

In 1970 she recorded and album 'A Paw Full Of Songs' and a single ''Freddie / Live For Tomorrow'' on the Tempo label. She also acted in roles on Homicide, The Flying Doctors, City Homicide, Dalkeith and Dreams for Life. Banks later ran TV World, the Australian Museum of Modern Media, on the Mornington Peninsula with husband, producer Bob Phillips. Judy Banks died in 2022 aged 86.

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