Veteran actress Janet Andrewartha, the former Neighbours star, has died at the age of 72, her family has confirmed.
In a statement, Andrewartha’s family confirmed to the Herald Sun that the actress passed away peacefully on Friday surrounded by her two daughters.
The Melbourne-born music teacher turned to acting, and was known for her performances in hit TV series Neighbours and Prisoner.
On Neighbours, Andrew Wartha portrayed Lynn Scully, the matriarch of the Scully family, the on-screen mother of daughters Stephanie Scully, played by Carla Bonner, Felicity Scully, played by Holly Valance (now Holly Candy) and Michelle Scully, played by Kate Keltie.
Andrewartha appeared on the series from 1999 to 2006 and then returned sporadically to the show in 2019.
She has also kept in touch with her former Neighbours co-stars, and reunited with Kandi in December during a trip to the UK.
“I’m home watching TV with my mum,” Candy captioned a selfie of herself and Andrew on the sofa at her London home.
The official Neighbours Facebook account also celebrated Andruarta and her “extensive body of work.”
“Everyone at Neighbours is deeply saddened by the passing of Janet Andrewartha,” reads a post on the Australian series’ official page.
“Janet is best known for her role as Lynn Scully on Ramsay Street, and will be remembered for her diverse work, including her unforgettable role as Reb Keane on Prisoner: Cell Block H.”
Former Neighbours casting director Jan Ross paid tribute to “the beautiful, talented, wonderful actress and human being, the unforgettable Janet Andrewartha,” on Facebook on Sunday.
“I chose Janet to play Rip Keene in Prisoner because I was a fan of her work and was confident she would embrace the role and make it her own,” Ross wrote.
“(I) also cast her as Lynn Scully on Neighbours where she again excelled in her role.
“Of course her theatrical successes were also great and many theatregoers will remember her work with the Melbourne Theatre Company.”
Andrewartha also had a prolific theatrical career, appearing in dozens of Australian productions of popular plays including Otello, Tom and Viv, and The Three Musketeers.
The actor’s most recent on-screen role was in the Paramount+ drama Fake alongside Asher Keddie, which debuted on the streaming service earlier this month.
