Sheila Kennelly is an English born Australian actress of theatre, television and film, with a vast repotoire spanning over 50 years in the industry, born in Sussex, UK she has played several television soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

 and comedy roles starting in the 1970s.

She initially played bubbly barmaid Norma Whittaker in soap opera Number 96

Number 96 (TV series)

Number 96 was a popular Australian soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block. Don Cash and Bill Harmon produced the series for Network Ten, which requested a Coronation Street-type serial, and specifically one that explored adult subjects...

in Australia. Norma and husband Les (Gordon McDougall

Gordon McDougall

Gordon McDougall was an Australian-based theatre and television actor.McDougall trained at the Glasgow Athenaeum and began acting in 1936, working in various facets of the entertainment industry...

) were comedy characters added to the cast of the series a few months after it premiered in 1972. After a few years, when the ratings of Number 96 went into decline, the writers decided to kill off Les as part of a revamp of the series. It was later judged to have been a mistake and McDougall was returned to the series playing Les's long-lost brother. However, this failed to fully recreate the Les and Norma magic, and with the show's ratings falling further both characters were finally written out the series shortly before its cancellation in 1977. Kennelly returned for an appearance in the show's final episode a few months later.

Kennelly started acting on stage and commenced television work at the ABC in several plays, Crackerjack, and “Pastures of the Blue Crane” (Rose). Two guest roles in “Division 4” were followed by Linda in “You Can't See Round Corners”.

After 4 ½ years with “Number 96” Kennelly had a bi-weekly segment (Sheila's Kitchen) in “Keep Pace With Harriet”, daytime variety show, giving hints and recipes. Many guest appearances in series and films were made over the next few years: 3 roles in “A Country Practice”, 2 in “Flying Doctors”, “Daily at Dawn”, “Glenview High”, “Doctor Down Under”, “Phoenix”, “Sweet & Sour”, 3 in “English at Work”, “Big Sky”, “Hampton Court”, and 2 in “All Saints”.

Mini-series included “Anzacs” (Ma Baker), “Return to Eden” (Lizzie), “Spring & Fall” (Marj. in Every Man for Herself), “Come in Spinner” and “Pastures of the Blue Crane”.

Other sustaining roles in TV series have been Mabel Dodds in “Carrots”,
Cecilia in “Secret Valley”, Mrs. Nobel in “Kideo!”, Rosa Bertolucci in “Kingswood Country” and Floss McPhee in “Home & Away”.

Films include “The Tale of Ruby Rose”, “Number 96 – The Movie”, “Fluteman”, “How Wonderful”, “Tarflowers”, “All at Sea”, “Mail Order Bride”.

Kennelly has occasionally returned for guest appearances in Home & Away, the last being in 2008. In that year she also was seen in the recurring role of Mary Moore in “All Saints”.

Kennelly has appeared in many stage plays and musical melodramas over the years. She commutes from her small cattle farm in the Hunter Valley.

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