Beloved Australian actress Lorraine Bayly, adored by millions for her role as the matriarch in “The Sullivans” and a familiar face on children’s television, has passed away at 89 in a Sydney care facility. She died on Saturday morning, February 28, 2026, after years of serious health issues that had led to her retirement a decade earlier.

Her close friend and broadcaster Craig Bennett shared the news on behalf of Bayly’s family, honoring the loss of a performer whose seven decades in the industry made her one of Australia’s most recognizable television figures.

Bayly’s nephew Brad Connelly and his wife Janelle asked Bennett to make the public announcement, closing the chapter on an extraordinary 62-year career that began in the 1950s when she studied under American director Hayes Gordon and helped transform a boatshed in Kirribilli into what later became Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre. She became a founding member at just 21.

The actress rose to national prominence portraying Grace Sullivan in the popular drama “The Sullivans” from 1976 to 1979, earning the affectionate title “Australia’s mum.” She appeared in 594 episodes, and her character’s death — caused by a German V-1 flying bomb in London — remains one of Australian television’s most iconic scenes.

Before becoming a household name in the 1970s, Bayly made her debut in 1966 as one of the original presenters of “Play School,” delighting young viewers across the country alongside John Hamblin, John Waters, and Anne Haddy. She departed the show in 1978 when “The Sullivans” required her to relocate to Melbourne, with Noni Hazlehurst stepping into her role.

After her departure from “The Sullivans,” Bayly starred in “Carson’s Law” from 1983 to 1984 as progressive solicitor Jennifer Carson, a role producer Ian Crawford designed specifically for her. The series, set in 1920s Melbourne, was praised for its polished production and sharp writing.

Her television work earned her three Silver Logie Awards for Most Popular Actress — in 1978 and 1979 for “The Sullivans,” and in 1983 for “Carson’s Law.” By 1978, she had become the highest-paid actress in Australian television history.

Bayly’s talents extended beyond television into film and stage productions. She appeared in the 1982 Australian classic “The Man from Snowy River” and the 1975 Disney film “Ride a Wild Pony” with John Meillon. She also portrayed Faye Hudson in the popular soap “Neighbours” from 1991 to 1992.

On stage, Bayly performed in more than 50 productions, including “Death of a Salesman,” “Travelling North,” and “The Sound of Music,” which marked her final theatre appearance in 2015 — her 50th stage production. Her 1997 role as Linda Loman in “Death of a Salesman” at the Sydney Opera House earned the Sydney Critics Circle Award for best production.

Bayly’s later years were marked by serious health struggles. She was diagnosed with pneumonia in 2018, resulting in a partially collapsed lung. After recovering, she learned she had stage three breast cancer, underwent a mastectomy, and had five lymph nodes removed.

In a candid 2021 reflection on her health challenges, Bayly remained optimistic. “I don’t complain because for the first 80-odd years of my life, I got through without any serious illness at all,” she said. She spent over two years isolating in her Sydney apartment during the COVID-19 pandemic due to being immunocompromised.

Steven Tandy, who portrayed her son Tom on “The Sullivans,” remembered her as “the most giving of people — always down to earth and affectionate.”

Bayly’s impact on Australian entertainment extended far beyond her acting. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2001 Australia Day Honours for her contributions to the performing arts and community service. In 2006, she was honored as one of Australian Variety’s “100 Entertainers of the Century.”

Her legacy encompasses not only her iconic television roles but also her work as a writer, narrator, puppeteer, stage manager, director, dancer, and pianist. The daughter of a policeman with a passion for magic and ventriloquism, she learned the craft as a child and famously performed on “The Parkinson Show” in 1983, using host Michael Parkinson as her dummy.

Bayly died just six weeks after celebrating her 89th birthday on January 16. She had spent her final years enjoying time with her nephew Brad, his wife Janelle, and their children Laura and Patrick on their macadamia farm at Maclean Ridge.