Vale Janet Andrewartha

The Australian actor, best known for long-running appearances in Australian TV dramas as well as her many stage performances, has died aged 72.
Actor Janet Andrewartha smiles for the camera in a publicity photo. She is an Anglo-Australian woman with carefully styled brown hair and wearing a white jacket.

Australian screen and stage actor Janet Andrewartha has died aged 72.

Andrewartha was born in the US on 16 September 1952, later moving to Australia with her family.

Fellow Neighbours actor Jackie Woodburne paid tribute to Andrewartha in an Instagram post, saying, ‘Janet was one of the finest actors of her generation, but more than that, she was an extraordinary woman. Passionate, political, curious, delightfully eccentric, generous and fun. To me she was a steadfast friend for over 45 years. I will miss her every day.’

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's former National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the 2019 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in early 2020. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association in 2021, and a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Photo: Fiona Hamilton. Follow Richard on Bluesky @richardthewatts.bsky.social and Instagram @richard.l.watts