Shane Withington (born 22 August 1958) is an Australian actor, notable for roles in theatre, television, and film.

Career

Withington is best known for roles in TV serials, with two famous character portrayals. These include his role as Brenden Jones, a farmer, nurse, and subsequently the Deputy Matron of the fictional Wandin Valley in the television series ''

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...

'' from 1982 until 1986. Withington first appeared in TV serial ''

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip to Kangaroo Point, N ...

'' as a guest character called Colin, before being given the permanent role of cranky but warm-hearted surf lifesaver and patrol officer John Palmer in 2009, initially as a 3-month stand-alone stint; he'd been in the role for ten years by 2019. He has also featured in '' Willing and Abel'', as Abel Moore, and the sitcom '' The Family Business''. He had a guest star appearance in the film '' Strange Bedfellows'' in 2004. In 2008, he was in the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

drama '' Out of the Blue'', playing the detective in charge of investigating a murder. Withington co-starred in the play '' The Boys Next Door'' in 1992.

Personal life

Withington was born in Toowoomba, Queensland to a cowgirl mother, who was the daughter of a drover and an English father who worked in food processing and was a nightclub singer and champion first grade soccer player in Queensland. After being expelled from school, Withington worked as a horsesman and jackaroo, before auditioning an acting scholarship with the Elizabethan Quest Scholarship at 16. He toured with the Twelfth Night Theatre. Withington lives in the Pittwater area of Sydney's

Northern Beaches The Northern Beaches is a region within Northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, near the Pacific coast. This area extends south to the entrance of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), west to Middle Harbour and north to the ...

and led a community campaign to preserve the Currawong Workers' Holiday Camp. Withington is married to actress

Anne Tenney Anne Tenney (born 1954) is an Australian film, television and theatre actress, perhaps best known for her roles as Melissa "Molly" Jones in the television drama ''A Country Practice'', Liz Taylor in ''Always Greener'', and as Sal Kerrigan oppos ...

, who played his character's wife Molly Jones on ''A Country Practice''.

Filmography

Films

Television

References

External links

* 1958 births 20th-century Australian male actors 21st-century Australian male actors Australian male film actors Australian male television actors Living people Logie Award winners Actors from Queensland Blinky Bill People from the Northern Beaches {{Australia-tv-actor-stub