Garth Meade

Garth Meade (born 1925 Johannesburg, South Africa, died 2002 Sydney) was an actor and comedian. He studied classical guitar at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London.

Biography

His performing career included tours to many major cities in the UK and Ireland. Meade and his wife, actress Elaine Lee, emigrated to Australia in 1970. He performed regularly on the Sydney club circuit and in cabaret. He wrote and starred in the show High Noon at 8.40 in Sydney.^[1] His wife had planned to act solely as housewife upon their move to Australia but soon followed her yearnings and returned to acting. In 1972 she was an original cast member of evening soap opera Number 96. The series became a huge hit and Lee's fame quickly eclipsed that of her husband. The marriage ended in 1976.

In 1980, Meade was a regular in the new serial Arcade created by several of the creative team who had been behind Number 96. Meade played Norman Pendleton, the owner of the Health Studio in the shopping mall of the title. The series was a major ratings flop cancelled after six weeks on air. Meade also played roles in comedy feature films Les Patterson Saves the World (1987) and The Return of Captain Invincible (1983), and in television miniseries Poor Man's Orange (1987).^[2] Meade died on 23 January, 2002 at Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital after a short battle with cancer, aged 77.

Notes

1. Atterton, Margot. (ed.), The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Australian Showbiz, Sunshine Books, 1984; ISBN 0-86777-057-0 p 151.
2. Garth Meade at the Internet Movie Database