Obituaries Australia

One of Australia's best-known old-time radio comedians and the father of Actors Equity, Hal Lashwood, has died in Sydney aged 75. He suffered from cancer.

Mr Lashwood gained fame as the straight man or nosy neighbour Lasho opposite his friend and famous comedian Roy "Mo" Rene in McCackie Mansions, broadcast nationally in the late 1940s.

He was instrumental in setting up Actors Equity and was president for 25 years. He was also Waverley's deputy mayor in 1976.

"Apart from a great love of theatre and performing, Australian nationalism, a fair go for Australian actors and running Actors Equity were the passion of Hal's life," fellow radio actor Harry Griffiths said yesterday.

Mr Griffiths said Mr Lashwood was "marvellous" as Roy Rene's straight man, and was of "great assistance in helping Mo transfer from stage to radio".

Mr Griffiths played Young Harry in McCackie Mansions, which he said had an audience of four million people and was so popular it affected the movie audiences on Tuesday nights.

When the radio boom ended with the advent of television in Australia in 1956, Mr Lashwood produced the Minstrel Show on ABC TV, and then wrote, starred, produced and directed Alabama Jubilee also on ABC TV.

He was appointed Commissioner of the ABC in 1973.

He is survived by a daughter, Angela. Mr Griffiths believed Actors Equity was planning a memorial service for Mr Lashwood.