Australian acting legend Pat McDonald, best known for her iconic role as the meddling but lovable Dorrie Evans in the groundbreaking soap Number 96, is at the centre of a new mystery!
The actress’s grandson, Mitchell Wotherspoon, recently took to a Number 96 fan page to reveal that her four TV Week Logie Awards, including her Gold Logie, are thought to have been stolen.
“Her Logie awards, including her Gold Logie were on display at her funeral and they disappeared. Stolen? Does anyone have any information about them. Our family would love to get them back,” he
wrote.
The acclaimed actress died in 1990 of pancreatic cancer before her Logies were seemingly swiped from her funeral. Fans flocked to the post sending well wishes for the family and hoped that the four
trophies could be located. Mitchell denied speculation that the late actress might have in fact been buried with her Logies and said that he was “hoping” the suspected thief would have a conscience
and reunite the trophies with the family.
Pat’s portrayal of the gossiping busybody Dorrie was a highlight of the series and resonated deeply with Aussie and international audiences. Her work on the show earned her four Logie Awards,
including the coveted Gold Logie for Australia’s most popular female personality in 1974. This made her the first actress to win the top prize for a role in a serial drama. She reprised her role in the 1974 feature film version of the series, and after Number 96 concluded in 1977, she went on to a long- running role in Sons and Daughters.
Her family’s plea is a testament to Pat’s and Number 96’s enduring legacy. The series was a sensation, with its audacious storylines and taboo-breaking content that was unprecedented for its
time.
Heralded with the tagline “The night Australian television loses its virginity,” Number 96 was beloved for its blend of drama and comedy, its diverse and memorable characters, and its groundbreaking portrayal of topics like homosexuality, which was a first for Australian television.
While very little is known about Pat’s two children — a son and daughter — the actress was publicly known to have dated her Number 96 co-star, Bunney Brooke. The two actresses openly appeared in the press and television discussing their living arrangements, and frequent holidays, despite never explicitly discussing their relationship.
LOGIE CRIME WAVE!
Pat isn’t the only iconic Aussie to have her trophies swiped. TV legend Ray Martin last week revealed that one of his five TV Week Gold Logies was stolen.
“Someone stole one in my Current Affairs days,” he said. “I would have them on the shelves around the place with other books at Nine — my (office) door was always open and people would come and go. There was five there and then one disappeared, so it is somewhere, I don’t know where it is these days. I have heard various versions of who took it, but I have not been bothered tracking it down,” he explained.
Thankfully, Ray confirmed his remaining four gold Logies are now safely stored at home.
In 2006, actress Paula Duncan was also the subject of a trophy heist when one of her Silver Logies was swiped from a display from the National Trust in Victoria. The most popular actress Logie,
awarded to Paula in 1981, was on loan to the organisation and was to be displayed in an exhibition at the Old Melbourne Goal, from an exhibition celebrating her role in Cop Shop.
In 2016, Seven’s The Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies reunited the soap star with the missing trophy during a live segment.
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