George Edwards (actor)

George Edwards was an Australian actor and producer. He was born Harold Parks on 11 March 1886 in Kent Town, South Australia.

Edwards was a pioneer of the radio serial in Australia. Prior to that he was a comedian, vaudeville artist, acrobatic dancer and stage performer. It is claimed that he changed his name he changed his name from Harold Parks to George Edwards at the behest of Edward Branscombe, who was putting together an up-market act and did not want anyone asociated with low-brow music hall, and that he took the name from English theatrical impressario George Edwards. [ [http://www.australianotr.com.au/George1.htm Australian Old Time Radio entry] ] .

Edwards' first wife was Margaret Rose Wilson, whom he married on 6 August 1907. They had a daughter. [ [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080441b.htm?hilite=george%3Bedwards Australian Dictionary of Biography] ]

On 9 May 1925 he married Molly D Hughes in Sydney [NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages registration number 7109/1929] , and in 1929 was a featured entertainer on the Sydney Show Boat. Apparently she died. [ [http://www.australianotr.com.au/George1.htm Australian Old Time Radio] ]

His third wife was Helen Dorothy Malmgrom (born 22 August 1909), who had worked with him on the Sydney Showboat. She changed her name to Nell Stirling. They were married in Haberfield on 29 March 1934 [NSW registry of Births Deaths and Marriages registration number 5887/1934] . Together they appeared in many live radio productions, including the long-running “Dad and Dave” in which Edwards played Dad (and many other roles), and Stirling played Mabel(Dave’s wife). Nell had a daughter from her first marriage, and one with Edwards, born in April 1941.

Edwards and Stirling were divorced in July 1948, and on 9 November she married her accountant, Alexander George Atwill. Nell died of an accidental overdose of carbitral capsules on 10 November 1951 at her Vaucluse home. [ [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160379b.htm?hilite=george%3Bedwards Australian Dictionary of Biography Nell Stirling entry] ]

George Harold Edwards married once more. His fourth wife was Coral Lansbury, who had worked as a radio scriptwriter and actor. She became a notable English literature academic, and was the mother of Australian politician Malcolm Turnbull. Edwards and Lansbury married in 1953 [NSW registry of Births Deaths and Marriages registration number 673/1953 ] the year in which he died. [NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages registration number 18548/1953]

Lansbury subsequently gave birth to Malcolm Turnbull on 24 October 1954. In 1955, Coral Magnolia Edwards (nee Lansbury) married Malcolm’s father, Bruce Bligh Turnbull [NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages registration number 21952/1955] .

http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080441b.htm - Edwards entry by Coral Lansbury

http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160379b.htm - Nell Stirling entry

http://www.australianotr.com.au/George1.htm - Australian Old Time radio site