Sheila Kennelly (nee Smith; 28 December 1937 – 14 September 2026), also credited as Sheila Kenneally, was an Australian actress of theatre and music hall, television and film, with a career spanning over 50 years. From the early 1950s onwards, her early career was based exclusively in radio and theatre and she did not start her screen career until the late 1960s becoming known for her roles in TV soap operas, serials, sitcoms and mini-series.
Kennelly made her debut in radio in 1950 playing a 55-year old German woman. She primarily played characters older than her actual age and became best known as the bubbly pub/wine bar owner and barmaid Norma Whitaker in Number 96 and as cheery Rosa Bertolucci in Kingswood Country. She was best known in Australia and internationally for her brief stint as the retired carnival worker Floss McPhee, an original character in Home and Away in the series' first year (with several guest stints) before being written out as producers wanted to concentrate on a younger and updated cast.Oram, James "Home and Away" Behind the Scenes
Early life Kennelly was born Sheila Smith in West Sussex, England, and grew up in Brighton. She arrived with her family in Australia in 1950.
She attended North Sydney Girls High School"Number 96: Australian TV's Most Notorious Address"
Career Kennelly started her acting career after arriving in Australia and working for George Edwards Radio Productions, originally as a transcriber before working as a casting director and on television in I Am A Camera.
Her career in stage plays began in 1958, appearing with such companies as the Australian Elizabethan Trust, Old Tote Theatre, Independent Theatre and the Nimrod Theatre Company, before undertaking a lengthy arts tour with A View from the Bridge and starring in numerous roles with the Neutral Bay Music Hall.
She was a staple of the small screen from the mid-1960s until retiring in 2008, firstly appearing in plays at the ABC before taking soap opera and comedy relief roles.
Kennelly became a household name in the popular serial Number 96 as the brassy and bubbly barmaid Norma Whittaker, a comedy character opposite Gordon McDougall as her husband Les who was a ward orderly and aspiring amateur inventor. Norma's trademark catchphrase was calling everyone "Ducky". Her husband Les was killed off in the infamous bomb blast storyline, but Norma remained with the series for years, returning for the final episode. Both characters also featured briefly in the Number 96 feature film version.
In one storyline, a fictional artist (played by Owen Weingott) visits the apartment and requests to paint a nude portrait of Norma; the painting is subsequently hung in the wine bar. This famed portrait of Norma was in reality painted by the network's art director Eunice Dyer and was based on "Chloé" a painting at a Melbourne hotel. A copy of the portrait was given to Kennelly's costar Tom Oliver, who housed it at a wine establishment business he owned in Sydney called Jack's Cellar.Giles, Nigel "NUMBER 96: Australian TV's Most Notorious Address", published by Melbourne Books
In a 2009 reunion with the cast of Number 96 on Where Are They Now?, Kennelly stated she had wanted to become a serious actor featuring in plays by such dramatists as Arthur Miller and Bertolt Brecht, but ended up in Number 96 instead as Norma, in which she used a blonde wig to disguise 'the real Sheila'.
From 1980 until 1984, she appeared opposite Ross Higgins in the sitcom Kingswood Country. She played 'cheery Italian wog', Rosa Berlucci who looked after Ted Bullpitt when his wife Thel (played by Judi Farr) left him.
Throughout the 1980s, she continued to make appearances in serials such as Glenview High, children's series Secret Valley, The Flying Doctors and in a few guest roles in A Country Practice.
In 1987, she was given the choice of appearing in a small role in the film Evil Angels. She stated at the time she would have loved to have been in the film, purely to be able to say she had appeared with Meryl Streep,Oram, James "Home and Away" Behind the Scenes, published by Angus and Robertson but ultimately turned it down to appear in new Seven Network soap opera Home and Away as one of 16 original characters. She played retired carnival worker Floss McPhee for the first year of screening, but was eventually written out, alongside Frank Lloyd who played her husband Nev, as the producers wanted to concentrate on a younger cast and updated formula. She would later return to reprise her role of Floss for several guest appearances.
Kennelly's later roles included guest parts in The Flying Doctors, Big Sky (in 1997), and medical drama All Saints.
Personal life and death Kennelly was briefly married to Chris Christensen in 1958 when they left Sydney and lived on a farm on the New South Wales Central Coast. Christensen died two and a half years later from a heart attack. Kennelly settled on a farm in the Hunter Valley region. She remarried in 1980 to mining engineer John Griffiths and had no children. Her husband died in 2009.
Kennelly having suffered a stroke died at her home in the Hunter Valley, on 14 September 2026, at the age of 88.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Type 1974 Number 96 Norma Whittaker Feature film 1982 Fluteman Myra Hansen Feature film 1987 The Tale of Ruby Rose Cook Feature film 1993 Shotgun Wedding (Voice) Feature film
Television Year Title Role Type 1964 Rape of the Belt Hippobomene TV play 1967 You Can't See 'Round Corners Guest role: Linda TV series, 1 episode 1968 The Cell Sister Veynard TV movie 1968 The Queen's Bishop TV play 1969 Woobinda, Animal Doctor Guest role TV series, 1 episode 1969 Tilley Landed On Our Shore TV play 1970 Pastures of the Blue Crane Rose Bradley TV series, 1 episode 1971 The Comedy Game TV series, season 1, episode: "Arthur" 1972 Division 4 Guest roles: Mrs Allen / Mrs Villani TV series 1972–1975 Number 96 Regular role: Norma Whittaker TV series, 243 episodes 1977 Number 96: The Final Night Herself (with Number 96 cast) TV series, 1 episode 1977 All at Sea Mrs. Hand TV movie 1978 Puzzle Mrs. Foster TV movie US / Australia 1979 Doctor Down Under Guest role: Mrs. Ellis TV series, 1 episode 1979 Glenview High Recurring guest role: Val Deevney TV series, 2 episodes 1979; 1980; 1982 The Mike Walsh Show Guest TV series, 3 episodes 1979 Carrots Regular role: Mabel Dobbs TV series 1980; 1982 Secret Valley Regular role: Cecillia Cribbins TV series, 14 episodes 1982–1984 Kingswood Country Regular role: Rosa Bertolucci TV series, 31 episodes 1981 Daily at Dawn Recurring guest role TV series, 2 episodes 1982 Spring and Fall Guest role: Marj TV series, 1 episode 1982–1993 A Country Practice Guest roles: Hazel Walmsley / Mary Sheridan / Val Laski TV series, 6 episodes 1983 Return to Eden Lizzie TV miniseries, 1 episode 1984 Sweet and Sour Recurring guest role: Darryl's Mum TV series, 2 episodes 1984 Mail Order Bride Dorothy TV movie 1985 Winners Mrs. Tinsley TV series 1985 Anzacs Recurring role: Mrs. Baker TV miniseries, 4 episodes 1986 Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten Telethon Guest (with Number 96 cast: Johnny Lockwood, Bettina Welch, Elizabeth Kirkby, Vicki Raymond, Pat McDonald, Wendy Blacklock, Harry Michaels, Chard Hayward, Frances Hargreaves & Abigail)TV special 1987 The Flying Doctors Guest role: Hannah Robson TV series, 1 episode 1988–1989, 2000; 2002; 2004; 2008 Home and Away Regular / recurring role: Floss McPhee TV series, 131 episodes 1990 Come in Spinner TV miniseries, 4 episodes 1990 How Wonderful! Aunt Helen TV movie 1990 The Flying Doctors Guest role: Merle Demster / Hannah Robson TV series, 2 episodes 1991 Hampton Court Guest role: Mrs. Verstak TV series, 1 episode 1997 Big Sky Guest role: Betty TV series, 1 episode 2001; 2007 All Saints Guest roles: Rada Verzina / Mary Moore TV series, 4 episodes
Theatre Year Production Role Venue / Co. 1958 Under Milk Wood Independent Theatre, Sydney 1959 Sur Le Pont Independent Theatre, Sydney 1960 A View from the Bridge Independent Theatre, Sydney, Cooma, NSW, Broken Hill Town Hall 1961 Ondine University of Sydney 1961 An Evening of Grands Guignoi University of Sydney 1962 Shipwreck Union Hall at University of Sydney 1964 How the West Was Lost Neutral Bay Music Hall 1967 Virtue in Peril, or, Castle, Curses or Caresses Neutral Bay Music Hall 1968 Her Only Mistake Neutral Bay Music Hall 1966 The Face at the Window Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney 1969 O'Vile Pretender, or, The Maiden and the Actor Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney 1969 The Sins of Society Neutral Bay Music Hall 1970 Cox and Box AMP Theatrette, Sydney 1970 Face of a Man Majestic Cinemas, Sydney 1971 Flash Jim Vaux Nimrod Street Theatre, Sydney 1971 The National Health or Nurse Norton's Affair UNSW, Old Tote Parade Theatre 1971 A Break in the Music Independent Theatre, Sydney 1977 The Visit Edna Bondi Pavilion, Sydney 1977 The Political Bordello; or, How Waiters Got the Vote Mrs Bondi Pavilion, Sydney 1985 The Maitland and Morpeth String Quartet Newcastle Region Art Gallery 1986 Farewell Brisbane Ladies Playhouse, Newcastle 1989 Curtains Northside Theatre, Sydney 1991 Steaming Theatre Royal, Sydney 1993 Hot Taps Riverside Theatres Parramatta 1994 Choice Newcastle Civic Theatre, Bridge Theatre Coniston, Q Theatre Penrith The Hostage
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