Joy Chambers

{{Short description|Australian actress, author, poet and businesswoman (1947–2023)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Joy Chambers

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Carolyn Joy Chambers

| birth_date = 1947

| birth_place = Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

| death_date = {{Death date and given age|2023|09|17|76|df=y}}

| death_place = Queensland, Australia

| occupation = {{hlist|Actress|author|poet|businesswoman}}

| known_for = {{bulleted|The Restless Years (TV series) as Rita Merrick|The Young Doctors (TV series) as Dr. Robyn Porter|Neighbours (TV series) as Rosemary Daniels}}

| years_active = 1965–2010

| spouse = {{marriage |Reg Grundy|1971|6 May 2016|end=d.}}

| partner =

| children =

| website = {{url|http://www.joychambers.com/}}

}}

Carolyn Joy Chambers-Grundy ({{nee}} Chambers; 1947{{Cite web |title=Joy Chambers {{!}} Actress |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0150359/ |access-date=18 September 2023 |website=IMDb |language=en-US}} – 17 September 2023) was an Australian actress, author, poet and businesswoman. As the wife of multimillionaire television tycoon Reg Grundy, she wrote for, worked as a production assistant on and appeared in his productions, and served on the board of Grundys Worldwide; subsequently with her husband, she formed media investment company "RG Capital Holdings", and pursued a career as a writer of historical novels.

Biography

=Early career=

Chambers was named the inaugural Miss Surf Girl in 1965 by the Queensland Surf Life Saving Club and was a model when she was spotted by her future producer husband Reg, who placed her as a panellist on the Australian version of his game show I've Got A Secret in which she featured over a 10-year tenure and won two Logie Awards in 1969 and 1970 as Most Popular Female Personality in Queensland. She went on to appear in numerous other Grundy's game shows including Everybody's Talking, The Celebrity Game and Blankety Blanks.{{Cite web|url=https://televisionau.com/2023/09/obituary-joy-chambers.html|title=Obituary: Joy Chambers|date=17 September 2023|website=Televisionau.com|access-date=18 September 2023}}

=Television soap opera=

Chambers-Grundy is known for several television soap opera roles including Rita Merrick in The Restless Years, Dr Robyn Porter in The Young Doctors, and Rosemary Daniels in Neighbours. Chambers first played Rosemary, businesswoman and adopted daughter of Anne Haddy's character Helen Daniels, as a guest appearance in 1986 and then played the character on a recurring basis until 2010. Chambers made a brief return to the show in 2005, after line producer Linda Walker emailed her asking if she would return for the 20th anniversary celebrations. She shot her scenes in April on a visit to Melbourne.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/sauce/stardom-in-the-bag/2005/07/29/1122144019458.html|title=Back in the Hood|last=Hornery|first=Andrew|date=30 July 2005|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|access-date=5 May 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/a21458/first-neighbours-20th-anniversary-shots.html|title=First 'Neighbours' 20th anniversary shots|last=Green|first=Kris|work=Digital Spy|date=2 June 2005 |publisher=Hachette Filipacchi UK|access-date=5 May 2010}} In May 2010, it was announced that Chambers would again be reprising the role of Rosemary.{{cite web|url=http://holysoap.five.tv/neighbours/news/blast-from-the-past-7776|title=Blast from the past|date=10 June 2010|work=Holy Soap|publisher=Channel Five|access-date=10 June 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100617225337/http://holysoap.five.tv/neighbours/news/blast-from-the-past-7776|archivedate=17 June 2010}} Chambers also appeared in film All at Sea.

=Career as writer=

Chambers had a keen interest in poetry and literature which began in childhood, with her father encouraging her deep love of the English word. Chambers was an author of historical novels. She was also the International Patron of the Ipswich Poetry Feast.

Personal life and death

Chambers was the second wife of television media mogul Reg Grundy from 1971 until his death in 2016. The couple lived in Bermuda.{{cite news |last1=Bell |first1=Jonathan |title=Dispute over Grundy's $38m luxury estate |url=https://www.royalgazette.com/other/news/article/20171028/dispute-over-grundys-38m-luxury-estate/ |access-date=21 September 2023 |work=The Royal Gazette |date=28 October 2017}} Chambers died in Queensland, Australia on 17 September 2023, at the age of 76.{{cite news |last1=Marshall |first1=Michelle |title=Neighbours legend Joy Chambers-Grundy dies 'in her sleep' as family mourn loss |url=https://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/1813819/neighbours-cast-joy-chambers-grundy-dead-death-tributes |access-date=21 September 2023 |work=Express.co.uk |date=17 September 2023 |language=en}}

Filmography

Television

class = "wikitable sortable"
Year !Title !Role !Notes
1967-1972 \| I've Got A Secret \| Herself - Regular Guest \| TV series, 1 episode
1968 \| Everybody's Talking \| Herself - Regular panelist \| TV series
1969 \| The 11th Annual TV Week Logie Awards \| Herself \| TV special
1970 \| The 12th Annual TV Week Logie Awards \| Herself \| TV special
1974 \| Barry McKenzie: Ogre Or Ocker \| Herself \| TV special
1976–1977 \| The Celebrity Game \| Herself – Regular Panelist \| TV series
1977–1978 \| Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks \| Herself – Panelist \| TV series
1977 \| All at Sea \| Joy \| TV movie
1977–1979 \| The Restless Years \| Rita Merrick \| TV series, 101 episodes
1981–1982 \| The Young Doctors \| Robyn Porter \| TV series
1981 \| Channel Nine Celebrates: 25 Years Of Television \| Herself in audience with Reg Grundy \| TV special
1986–1987, 1989–1991, 1993–1998, 2005, 2010 \| Neighbours \| Rosemary Daniels \| TV series, 88 episodes
1993, 1996, 2000, 2003 \| Good Morning Australia \| Herself – Guest \| TV series, 4 episodes
2005, 2010 \| A Current Affair \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series
2010 \| Sunrise \| Herself - Guest \| TV series, 1 episode
2010 \| Ten News \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series, 1 episode
2010 \| Seven News \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series, 1 episode
2010 \| Nine News \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series, 1 episode
2010 \| Sky News \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series, 1 episode
2010 \| Today Tonight \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series, 1 episode
2010 \| ABC News \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series, 1 episode
2010, 2016 \| A Current Affair \| Herself & Reg Grundy \| TV series
2016 \| A Current Affair \| Herself \| TV series, 1 episode \|{{cite news\|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/broadcast/reg-grundy-australian-media-mogul-dead-at-92/news-story/a2a3041eba4afd25a5fcafeac17d12d5?nk=cfb429b18655ca0e93ccfee99540e4e4-1462754521\|title=Reg Grundy, Australian media mogul, dead at 92\|last=Mitchell\|first=Jake\|date=9 May 2016\|work=The Australian\|access-date=9 May 2016}}{{cite news\|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/three-cheers-for-mr-television/2008/11/29/1227491893121.html\|title=Three cheers for Mr Television\|last=Teutsh\|first=Danielle\|date=30 November 2008\|work=The Sydney Morning Herald\|publisher=Fairfax Media\|access-date=15 June 2013}}
2017 \| Sunrise \| Herself - Archive clips \| TV series, 1 episode

class = "wikitable sortable"

Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

1967-1972

| I've Got A Secret

| Herself - Regular Guest

| TV series, 1 episode

1968

| Everybody's Talking

| Herself - Regular panelist

| TV series

1969

| The 11th Annual TV Week Logie Awards

| Herself

| TV special

1970

| The 12th Annual TV Week Logie Awards

| Herself

| TV special

1974

| Barry McKenzie: Ogre Or Ocker

| Herself

| TV special

1976–1977

| The Celebrity Game

| Herself – Regular Panelist

| TV series

1977–1978

| Graham Kennedy's Blankety Blanks

| Herself – Panelist

| TV series

1977

| All at Sea

| Joy

| TV movie

1977–1979

| The Restless Years

| Rita Merrick

| TV series, 101 episodes

1981–1982

| The Young Doctors

| Robyn Porter

| TV series

1981

| Channel Nine Celebrates: 25 Years Of Television

| Herself in audience with Reg Grundy

| TV special

1986–1987, 1989–1991, 1993–1998, 2005, 2010

| Neighbours

| Rosemary Daniels

| TV series, 88 episodes

1993, 1996, 2000, 2003

| Good Morning Australia

| Herself – Guest

| TV series, 4 episodes

2005, 2010

| A Current Affair

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series

2010

| Sunrise

| Herself - Guest

| TV series, 1 episode

2010

| Ten News

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series, 1 episode

2010

| Seven News

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series, 1 episode

2010

| Nine News

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series, 1 episode

2010

| Sky News

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series, 1 episode

2010

| Today Tonight

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series, 1 episode

2010

| ABC News

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series, 1 episode

2010, 2016

| A Current Affair

| Herself & Reg Grundy

| TV series

2016

| A Current Affair

| Herself

| TV series, 1 episode

|{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/broadcast/reg-grundy-australian-media-mogul-dead-at-92/news-story/a2a3041eba4afd25a5fcafeac17d12d5?nk=cfb429b18655ca0e93ccfee99540e4e4-1462754521|title=Reg Grundy, Australian media mogul, dead at 92|last=Mitchell|first=Jake|date=9 May 2016|work=The Australian|access-date=9 May 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/tv--radio/three-cheers-for-mr-television/2008/11/29/1227491893121.html|title=Three cheers for Mr Television|last=Teutsh|first=Danielle|date=30 November 2008|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|access-date=15 June 2013}}

2017

| Sunrise

| Herself - Archive clips

| TV series, 1 episode

= Net worth =

class="wikitable" ! rowspan=2 \| Year ! colspan=2 width=40% \| Financial Review Rich List ! colspan=2 width=40% \| Forbes Australia's 50 Richest
Rank ! Net worth (A$) ! Rank ! {{nowrap\|Net worth (US$)}}
2019{{cite web\|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-wealthiest-people-revealed-20190529-p51sj0\|title=Australia's 200 richest people revealed\|work=The Australian Financial Review \|publisher=Nine Publishing\|date=30 May 2019\|last=Bailey\|first=Michael\|access-date=31 May 2019}} \| align="center" \| {{nowrap\|{{nts\|108}} {{gain}}}} \| align="right" \| $871 million {{gain}} \| align="center" \| \| align="right" \|
2020{{cite web\|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/the-10-richest-australians-revealed-20201028-p569c7\|url-access=subscription\|title=The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed\|work=The Australian Financial Review\|publisher=Nine Publishing\|date=30 October 2020\|author1=Bailey, Michael\|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne\|access-date=31 October 2020}} \| align="center" \| {{nowrap\|{{nts\|114}} {{decrease}}}} \| align="right" \| $871 million {{steady}} \| align="center" \| \| align="right" \|
2021{{cite news \|author1=Bailey, Michael \|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne \|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20210526-p57vfr \|title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed \|work=Australian Financial Review \|date=27 May 2021 \|access-date=28 May 2021}} \| align="center" \| {{nowrap\|{{nts\|122}} {{decrease}}}} \| align="right" \| $871 million {{steady}} \| align="center" \| \| align="right" \|
2022 \| align="center" \| n/a \| align="right" \| unlisted \| align="center" \| \| align="right" \|
2023{{cite news \|author1=Bailey, Michael \|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne \|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20230523-p5dapa \|title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed \|work=Australian Financial Review \|date=26 May 2023 \|access-date=6 June 2023}} \| align="center" \| {{nowrap\|{{nts\|156}} {{up}}}} \| align="right" \| $901 million {{up}} \| align="center" \| \| align="right" \|

class="wikitable"

! rowspan=2 | Year

! colspan=2 width=40% | Financial Review
Rich List

! colspan=2 width=40% | Forbes
Australia's 50 Richest

Rank

! Net worth (A$)

! Rank

! {{nowrap|Net worth (US$)}}

2019{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-wealthiest-people-revealed-20190529-p51sj0|title=Australia's 200 richest people revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review |publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 May 2019|last=Bailey|first=Michael|access-date=31 May 2019}}

| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|108}} {{gain}}}}

| align="right" | $871 million {{gain}}

| align="center" |

| align="right" |

2020{{cite web|url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/the-10-richest-australians-revealed-20201028-p569c7|url-access=subscription|title=The full list: Australia's wealthiest 200 revealed|work=The Australian Financial Review|publisher=Nine Publishing|date=30 October 2020|author1=Bailey, Michael|author2=Sprague, Julie-anne|access-date=31 October 2020}}

| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|114}} {{decrease}}}}

| align="right" | $871 million {{steady}}

| align="center" |

| align="right" |

2021{{cite news |author1=Bailey, Michael |author2=Sprague, Julie-anne |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20210526-p57vfr |title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed |work=Australian Financial Review |date=27 May 2021 |access-date=28 May 2021}}

| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|122}} {{decrease}}}}

| align="right" | $871 million {{steady}}

| align="center" |

| align="right" |

2022

| align="center" | n/a

| align="right" | unlisted

| align="center" |

| align="right" |

2023{{cite news |author1=Bailey, Michael |author2=Sprague, Julie-anne |url=https://www.afr.com/rich-list/australia-s-10-richest-people-revealed-20230523-p5dapa |title=The 200 richest people in Australia revealed |work=Australian Financial Review |date=26 May 2023 |access-date=6 June 2023}}

| align="center" | {{nowrap|{{nts|156}} {{up}}}}

| align="right" | $901 million {{up}}

| align="center" |

| align="right" |

class="wikitable" !colspan="2"\|Legend
Icon ! Description
{{steady}} \|Has not changed from the previous year
{{profit}} \|Has increased from the previous year
{{loss}} \|Has decreased from the previous year

class="wikitable"

!colspan="2"|Legend

Icon

! Description

|Has not changed from the previous year

|Has increased from the previous year

|Has decreased from the previous year

Bibliography

Mayfield (1993). {{ISBN|0747238634}}
My Zulu, Myself (1995). {{ISBN|0747248591}}
Vale Valhalla (2000). {{ISBN|0747260885}}
None But the Brave (2003). {{ISBN|0755305213}}
For Freedom (2007). {{ISBN|0755309405}}
The Great Deception (2012). {{ISBN|0755352645}}{{cite book |last1=Chambers |first1=Joy |title=The Great Deception |date=2013 |publisher=Headline Review |location=London |isbn=978-0-7553-5266-1 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/greatdeception0000cham/page/n3/mode/2up?q=%22Great+Deception%22+%22my+zulu+myself%22 |chapter=[Front matter]}}{{cite news |last1=Johns |first1=Victoria |title=Neighbours legend dies age 76 as tributes pour in |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-neighbours-actress-joy-chambers-30960589 |work=Daily Mirror |date=17 September 2023 |language=en}}

References

External links

[http://www.joychambers.com/ Official website]
{{IMDb name|id=0150359|name=Joy Chambers}}
[http://www.hachette.com.au/authors/joy-chambers/ Joy Chambers] at Hachette

Category:1947 births

Category:2023 deaths

Category:Australian soap opera actresses

Category:Australian women novelists

Category:People from Ipswich, Queensland

Category:Australian expatriates in Bermuda