Popular actress loses battle with cancer

By SHIRLEY BROUN

POPULAR actress and author Penne Hackforth-Jones, diagnosed with lung cancer several months ago, died on Saturday aged 63.

Penne Hackford-Jones

Born in Greenwich in the US State of Connecticut and raised in Australia, Hackforth-Jones had been a familiar face on the small screen appearing in iconic Australian television series including Bellbird, Homicide, Cash and Company, Young Ramsay, Mother and Son, All Saints, Division 4, Matlock Police, A Country Practice and Bellamy. Her first credited screen role was in the 1969 TV series Riptide.

Hackforth-Jones also played a bridal shop manageress on the big screen in Muriel’s Wedding in 1994, Cynthia Dodds in the 2009 film Mao’s Last Dancer, Mrs Johnson in The Tree, the 2008 Australian film Bitter and Twisted and most recently appeared in ABC’s The Doctor Blake series which starred Craig McLachlan.

She also featured in a long-running television advertisement series for Kellogg’s Sultana Bran in the 1980s.

In addition, Hackforth-Jones was a talented author. She published a biography of her great-grandmother, writer Barbara Baynton, titled Barbara Baynton – Between two worlds.
The much-loved actress, born on August 5, 1949,  was also the granddaughter of Australian politicians Henry and Jo Gullett. She will be sadly missed.

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