# Leonard Teale

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Australian actor (1922–1994)

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Leonard Teale AO Teale in 1954 Born Leonard George Thiele (1922-09-26)26 September 1922 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia Died 14 May 1994(1994-05-14) (aged 71) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Education Brisbane Grammar School Occupations Actor radio announcer TV presente narrator Years active 1939–1986 Spouse Liz Harris ​ (m. 1968)​ Children 4

**Leonard George Thiele**[1] [AO](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_Australia) (26 September 1922 – 14 May 1994), professionally **Leonard Teale**, was an Australian actor of radio, television and film and radio announcer, presenter and narrator known for his resonant [baritone](/source/Baritone) voice. He is best remembered for his role in the long-running Australian police procedural drama *[Homicide](/source/Homicide_(Australian_TV_series))* as David "Mac" MacKay.[2]

As a professional actor he adopted Teale – a [homophone](/source/Homophone) of his birth surname, Thiele – as a [stage name](/source/Stage_name).

## Biography

### Early life and military service

Leonard George Thiele was born in [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), [Queensland](/source/Queensland), to Maude Henrietta Thiele, née Rasmussen, and Herman Albert Thiele, a chemist. He attended [Milton State Primary School](/source/Milton_State_School) and [Brisbane Grammar School](/source/Brisbane_Grammar_School) (1934–38) on a scholarship. However, the family's financial situation during the [Great Depression](/source/Great_Depression) forced Leonard to leave school and enter the workforce. He worked as a junior clerk for [Brisbane City Council](/source/Brisbane_City_Council)'s [Electricity Supply Department](/source/Energex). In his spare time, he took up amateur drama, with local repertory groups. From the age of 17, he augmented these activities with a role as a part-time radio announcer, after successfully auditioning at the [Australian Broadcasting Commission](/source/Australian_Broadcasting_Commission) (ABC) in Brisbane.

Following the outbreak of World War II, Thiele joined the [Militia](/source/Australian_Army_Reserve) and served as a signaller. Interested in becoming a pilot, he transferred to the [Royal Australian Air Force](/source/Royal_Australian_Air_Force) (RAAF) on 10 October 1942. He graduated from flying school the following year and was [commissioned as officer](/source/Commissioned_officer). In 1944, Thiele was posted to the [Mediterranean theatre](/source/Mediterranean%2C_Middle_East_and_African_theatres_of_World_War_II), where he served with [No. 458 Squadron RAAF](/source/No._458_Squadron_RAAF), a [maritime patrol](/source/Maritime_patrol)/[strike](/source/Maritime_strike) unit, flying [Vickers Wellingtons](/source/Vickers_Wellington), from bases at [Foggia](/source/Foggia), Italy, and [Gibraltar](/source/Gibraltar). He was promoted to [Flight Lieutenant](/source/Flight_Lieutenant) in September 1945 and was discharged on 16 January 1946, after returning to Australia.

## Career

### Radio serials

Thiele's career as a professional actor commenced in the late 1940s and early 1950s, in radio serials; his roles included that of [Superman](/source/Superman)/[Clark Kent](/source/Clark_Kent) and [Tarzan](/source/Tarzan).

Thiele was a co-compère of the radio [ABC Children's Session](/source/Argonauts'_Club), as "Chris" from 1951 to 1954 (also playing the title role in its *[Muddle-Headed Wombat](/source/Muddle-Headed_Wombat)* serial), his involvement possibly cut short by management for political reasons.[3] At this time he was still using the surname "Thiele" professionally.[4]

He also made regular appearances in radio variety programs such as the *Bonnington's Bunkhouse Show*, and voiceovers in countless commercials.

### PACT

His talent was nurtured and developed at the [Producers Authors Composers and Talent Centre](/source/PACT_Centre_for_Emerging_Artists), which was founded in 1964.[5]

### Films

He appeared in several feature films, including *[Smiley](/source/Smiley_(1956_film))*, *[Smiley Gets a Gun](/source/Smiley_Gets_a_Gun)* and *[Bungala Boys](/source/Bungala_Boys)*.

In the early 1950s, with [Raymond Hanson](/source/Raymond_Hanson_(composer)), Roland Robinson and others, Thiele helped form the short-lived **Australian Cultural Defence Movement**, aimed at protecting local arts and crafts production from the perceived inroads being made by imported content, particularly from the US. However, the movement faltered after becoming a target of anti-communist activists,[6] (His brother, [Neville Thiele](/source/Neville_Thiele), was also targeted, for participating in left-wing theatre.[7])

### TV presenter and actor

Major television roles included a regular comedic role in the *Mobil-Limb Show*, host roles in variety programs *Singalong* and *[Folkmoot](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Folkmoot_(TV_series)&action=edit&redlink=1)*, and acting roles in locally produced drama series including *[Whiplash](/source/Whiplash_(TV_series))*, *[The Hungry Ones](/source/The_Hungry_Ones)*, *[Adventure Unlimited](/source/Adventure_Unlimited)*, *Split Level* and *[Consider Your Verdict](/source/Consider_Your_Verdict)*.[8] He is best remembered, however, for his long-running role[9] as Senior Detective (later Detective Sergeant) David "Mac" Mackay in *[Homicide](/source/Homicide_(Australian_TV_series))* from 1965 to 1973. *Homicide* was Australia's first-ever locally produced TV police drama. Teale won a [Logie for best Australian actor](/source/Logie_Awards_of_1974) in 1974. He also hosted a documentary about the series, *The Homicide Story*, in 1970. Other leading television roles included Captain Woolcott in *[Seven Little Australians](/source/Seven_Little_Australians_(TV_series))* (1973), and headmaster Charles Ogilvy in school-based soap opera *[Class of '74](/source/Class_of_'74)* (1974–75).

### Narrator

Teale narrated for ABC audio recordings, including the [Banjo Paterson](/source/Banjo_Paterson) poem *[The Man from Snowy River](/source/The_Man_from_Snowy_River_(poem))*, and a spoken-word version of the Led Zeppelin song "[Stairway to Heaven](/source/Stairway_to_Heaven)" on ABC-TV's *[The Money or the Gun](/source/The_Money_or_the_Gun)*. His reading of [Dorothea Mackellar](/source/Dorothea_Mackellar)'s poem "[My Country](/source/My_Country)", which included the lines "I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains" was so widely played in Australia during the 1970s that it was also frequently parodied.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Awards & honours

Year Title Award Category Result 1974 Homicide Logie Award Best Australian Actor Won 1992 Leonard Teale Queen's New Years Honours List – Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) Services to the Performing Arts & Community Honoured[10]

## Personal life

Married three times, Leonard Teale had four children, Amanda, Juli, Jennifer and Melinda. He married his third wife, entertainer [Liz Harris](/source/Liz_Harris_(actress)) in 1968; Harris had appeared in three episodes of *Homicide*.

Leonard Teale died of a heart attack in 1994. A documentary, *Homicide: 30 Years On*, aired later that year which included reminiscences from former *Homicide* castmates and footage of an appearance made by himself and *Homicide* actors [George Mallaby](/source/George_Mallaby_(actor)) and [Alwyn Kurts](/source/Alwyn_Kurts) in 1992 presenting a [Logie Award](/source/Logie_Award) for Most Outstanding Series partially in character (with hilarious results).[11]

## Filmography

### Film

Year Title Role Notes 1949 Eureka Stockade Feature film 1955 Call for Order 1956 Smiley Ernie Feature film (segment: The Load of Wood) 1958 Smiley Gets a Gun Mr. Stevens Feature film 1960 The Sundowners Shearer #2 Feature film 1961 Bungala Boys Sam Taylor Feature film 1961 In Writing Detective Inspector Hurst TV play 1961 The Merchant of Venice Prince of Morocco TV play 1962 Lend Me Your Stable 1964 The One That Got Away Major Arthur Dawson Feature film 1966 They're a Weird Mob Building Inspector (uncredited) Feature film 1976 The Bushranger Feature film 1981 Maybe This Time The Minister Feature film 1983 The Body Corporate Sir Arthur Tustrain TV movie 1984 Stanley 1st Detective Feature film[12]

### Television

Year Title Role Notes 1951–54 Muddle-Headed Wombat Chris TV series 1960 Whiplash TV series 1961 Telestory Narrator TV series (narrating the novel Sundowners) 1961–64 Consider Your Verdict TV series 1961–64 Mobil Limb Show Regular comedic role TV series 1963 The Hungry Ones Will Bryant TV miniseries 1965 Adventure Unlimited[13] Don Williams TV series, Episode 6: The Buffalo Hunters 1965–73 Homicide Senior Detective (later Detective Sergeant) David "Mac" Mackay TV series, 357 episodes (won a Logie for Best Australian Actor) 1970 The Homicide Story Host TV documentary (about Homicide) 1973 Seven Little Australians Captain John Woolcot TV series 1974–75 Class of '74 Charles Ogilvy TV series 1976 The Outsiders Steve TV series 1985 Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin Used-to-Was TV series, 4 episodes 1989/90 The Money or the Gun Narrator TV series (spoken-word version of the Led Zeppelin song "Stairway to Heaven") Singalong Host TV series Folkmoot Host TV series 1994 Homicide: 30 Years On Himself as David "Mac" Mackay TV documentary about Homicide (posthumously via archive footage)

## Radio

Year Title Role Notes 1948 Hagen’s Circus Jim Cameron || Radio 2UE serial 1949–1954 The Adventures of Superman Superman Radio 2GB, Sydney serial, 1,040 episodes[14] 1950 Portrait of Jennie Radio 2UW, Sydney, Radio 3DB, Melbourne[15] 1951 The Muddle-Headed Wombat Joe ABC Radio serial 1951–1954 ABC The Children’s Session Co-compère Argonaut ‘Chris' ABC Radio serial 1952 Portia Faces Life Christopher Radio 3UZ, Melbourne serial with Grace Gibson Radio Productions 1952 The Pathway of the Sun Simon Challinor Radio serial with Grace Gibson Radio Productions[16] 1952 Behind the Footlights Radio serial with George Edwards Productions[17] 1952–1954 Bonnington’s Bunkhouse Show Radio serial with Grace Gibson Radio Productions 1953 Book Club of the Air Radio 2TM serial with Grace Gibson Radio Productions 1955 Nestle's Show Radio 2KO with Macquarie Broadcasting Service[18] 1955–1956 Harry Dearth's Playhouse Radio 2GB, Sydney & Radio 2UW, Sydney serial[19] 1959 The Guiding Light Fred Baum Radio 2UW, Sydney serial with Grace Gibson Radio Productions Late 1950s We Love and Learn Robert Radio 2GB, Sydney serial

[20][21]

## Theatre

Year Title Role Notes 1939 The Invisible Duke / The Bride / Paradise Now Empire Chambers, Brisbane with Dulcie Scott Players 1940 Family Affairs Student Theatre, Brisbane with Dulcie Scott Players 1940 George and Margaret Princess Theatre, Woolloongabba with Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society 1947 French Without Tears Sydney Radio Theatre & Killara Soldiers Memorial Hall, Sydney with Mercury Theatres 1947 The Water Babies Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson 1949 The Bushranger Sergeant Blogg Mosman Town Hall, Sydney with Mosman Children's Theatre 1949 The Tempest Independent Theatre, Sydney 1949 The Winter’s Tale Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 S.S Glencairn Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 In the Zone Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 Moon of the Caribees Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 The Long Voyage Home Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 Bound East for Cardiff Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 The Merchant of Venice Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 Home of the Brave Independent Theatre, Sydney 1950 The Pied Piper of Hamelin Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson 1951 The Miser Independent Theatre, Sydney 1952 A Sleep of Prisoners Garrison Church, Sydney 1956 The Rivals Faulkland Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Perth with J. C. Williamson 1956 Twelfth Night Orsino Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth 1957 Macbeth Macbeth Independent Theatre, Sydney 1960 Inherit the Wind Independent Theatre, Sydney 1960 Hunger of a Girl Independent Theatre, Sydney 1963 Twenties Spectacular Compère Independent Theatre, Sydney 1963 The Fire on the Snow Independent Theatre, Sydney 1964 The Man from Snowy River AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company 1964 The Caucasian Chalk Circle UNSW with Old Tote Theatre Company 1964 J.B. J.B. Independent Theatre, Sydney 1965 Two Plays in Rehearsal Independent Theatre, Sydney 1965 Down in the Valley / Leonard Teale & Andy Sundstrom Guitarist UNSW Old Tote Theatre with NIDA 1965 The Fire on the Snow (in rehearsal) Independent Theatre, Sydney 1975 Down Under Stables Theatre, Sydney with The King O'Malley Theatre Company 1977–1980 While the Billy Boils Henry Lawson Australian tour 1981 The Gin Game Weller Martin Queensland tour 1982 Einstein Albert Einstein SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC 1983; 1984; 1985 84, Charing Cross Road Frank Marian Street Theatre, Sydney, Hoyts Prince Theatre, Hobart, Princess Theatre, Launceston, Civic Theatre, Burnie 1983 In Duty Bound Marian Street Theatre, Sydney 1984; 1985 The Quiet Achievers Reader Marian Street Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra with Northside Theatre Company for Sydney Festival 1988 The Men Who Made Australia Reader Parramatta Cultural Centre

[22][23]

## Discography

- Leonard Teale *The Man From Snowy River - Leonard Teale Reading Bush Ballads By A. B. (Banjo) Paterson* LP, CBS 1956

- Leonard Thiele *Henry Lawson Spoken By Leonard Thiele - When Your Pants Begin To Go* LP, Festival Records 1957

- Bruce Finlay, Leonard Teale & Jim Gussey *Seven Cities Suite* LP, His Master's Voice 1960

- Leonard Teale & Andy Sundstrom *Songs Of The Sundowners* LP, CBS 1964

- Leonard Teale & Andy Sundstrom *Travelling Down The Castlereagh* LP, CBS 1965

- Leonard Teale *Henry Lawson Spoken By Leonard Teale - His Life Story In His Own Verse* LP, CBS 1965

- Leonard Teale *The Australiana Collection - Australian Verse Read By Leonard Teale* LP, CBS 1980

- Leonard Teale *My Country - Traditional Australian Verse* LP, CBS 1988

- Leonard Teale *Henry Lawson's Australia* CD, CBS 1988

- Leonard Teale: *Leonard Teale's Australia* CD, Sony Australia 1994

- Peter Sullivan, Frank Strangio, Noel Watson & Leonard Teale *Banjo Paterson's The Man From Snowy River* CD, PolyGram 1995

- Leonard Teale: *Famous Australian Poems* 2011[24]*Leonard Teale *My Country (Australian Verse Selected And Read By Leonard Teale)* LP, Pacific

- Leonard Teale *Henry Lawson's Australia Spoken By Leonard Teale* LP, CBS

- Leonard Teale, Chips Rafferty, Kevin Brennan, Tex Morton and The Bush Music Club *Songs & Poems Of Australia: Henry Lawson, John O'Brien, Adam Lindsay Gordon, C. J. Dennis* LP, Festival Custom Recording

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-adb_1-0)** "Leonard George Teale (1922–1994)". [*Teale, Leonard George (1922-1994)*](https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/teale-leonard-george-27244). Australian Dictionary of Biography.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Lane, Richard (2000). *The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2*. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 124–127.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Beyond Right and Left"](http://beyondrightandleft.com.au/archives/history/index.html). Beyond Right and Left. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["8 September 1954 - Cabinet Sees Royal Visit Film"](http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27257417). *Mercury*. Trove.nla.gov.au. 8 September 1954. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ar2020_5-0)** ["PACT Centre for Emerging Artists facing an uncertain future"](https://artsreview.com.au/pact-centre-for-emerging-artists-facing-an-uncertain-future/). *Australian Arts Review*. 25 August 2020. Retrieved 10 May 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** John, Peter. ["Hanson, Raymond Charles (1913–1976)"](https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hanson-raymond-charles-10421). *Raymond Charles Hanson profile: Australian Dictionary of Biography*. Adb.online.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Connie Healy: Women in Radical Theatre in Brisbane"](https://web.archive.org/web/20081007000233/http://roughreds.com/twopdf/healy2.pdf) (PDF). Roughreds.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-split_8-0)** Vagg, Stephen (21 May 2021). ["Forgotten Australian TV Plays: Split Level"](https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-tv-plays-split-level/). *Filmink*. Retrieved 9 August 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Originally Teale had been signed for 13 episodes, but went on to become the longest-serving series regular (357 episodes).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["It's an Honour"](https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869740). Itsanhonour.gov.au. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Homicide 30 years on"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvl8yvpJRbk&ab_channel=Film%26Television). *Youtube*. 1994. Retrieved 24 April 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Harrison, Tony *The Australian Film and Television Companion* Simon & Schuster 1994; [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7318-0455-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7318-0455-4)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Forgotten_Australian_TV_Series_13-0)** Vagg, Stephen (6 May 2023). ["Forgotten Australian TV Series: Adventure Unlimited"](https://www.filmink.com.au/forgotten-australian-tv-series-adventure-unlimited/). *[FilmInk](/source/FilmInk)*. Retrieved 23 July 2023.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Meet the Aussie Superman"](https://www.nfsa.gov.au/latest/meet-aussie-superman). *www.nfsa.gov.au*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** ["NFSA - Search the Collection"](https://www.collection.nfsa.gov.au/title/1759354).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["NFSA - Search the Collection"](https://www.collection.nfsa.gov.au/title/391497).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["NFSA - Search the Collection"](https://www.collection.nfsa.gov.au/title/696722).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["NFSA - Search the Collection"](https://www.collection.nfsa.gov.au/title/640421).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["NFSA - Search the Collection"](https://www.collection.nfsa.gov.au/title/717301).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Leonard George Teale (1922–1994)"](https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/teale-leonard-george-27244). *Australian Dictionary of Biography*. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["More beaut Australian radio serials on CD"](https://dailynightly.co.uk/2017/09/17/106463-radio/). *dailynightly.co.uk*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["Notification"](https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/821).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["Notification"](https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/228562).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** ["Leonard Teale: Famous Australian Poems"](http://finepoets.com/?page=Products&product=Leonard-Teale-Famous-Australian-Poems). Finepoets.com. Retrieved 13 March 2013.

## External links

- [Leonard Teale](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0853581/) at [IMDb](/source/IMDb_(identifier))

- [Photo of Leonard Teale in an article about "Homicide"](http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/09/20/1095651239068.html) at [The Sydney Morning Herald](/source/The_Sydney_Morning_Herald)

- [Interview with Leonard Teale](https://web.archive.org/web/20211021231005/http://www.classicaustraliantv.com/INTVWLeonardTeale.htm) at *Classic Australian Television*

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