Norman Coburn

{{Infobox person

| image = |

| imagesize = 150px

| name = Norman Coburn

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|6 March 1937}}

| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia {{Cite web|url=https://www.girl.com.au/celebrities/norman-coburn.htm#:~:text=Norman%20Coburn%20(born%206%20March,as%20a%20restauranteur%|title = Norman Coburn}}

| education = Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust

| occupation = {{hlist|Actor |playwright |writer}}

| years_active = 1955–2008, 2019

| known_for = Home and Away as Donald Fisher

}}

Norman Coburn (born 6 March 1937) is an Australian former actor, playwright and writer{{cite web|url=https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/288293|title=Norman Coburn theatre credits|work=AusStage}} best known for his television serial and soap opera roles. He started his early career in theatre, film and television in the United Kingdom in the mid-1950s.

Coburn became famous as High School English teacher and Deputy/headmaster Donald Fisher in the early years of the soap opera Home and Away. As one of 16 original cast members, he appeared from the pilot episode in 1988 until 2003, and reprised the character in brief sporadic returns between 2004 and 2007. Coburn retired from the industry in 2008, with the exception of a TV series guest appearance in 2019 with Home and Away co-star Debra Lawrance.

Early life

Coburn was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia {{Cite web|url=https://www.girl.com.au/celebrities/norman-coburn.htm#:~:text=Norman%20Coburn%20(born%206%20March,as%20a%20restauranteur%|title = Norman Coburn}} and trained with the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in North Sydney, Australia, before travelling to Britain in the 1950s to pursue an acting career. He appeared briefly in iconic British TV shows such as Dixon of Dock Green and Coronation Street.{{cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/what-happened-stars-home-away-7893120|title=What happened to the stars of Home and Away? From major Hollywood success to devastating tragedy|last=O'Leary|first=Abigail|date=4 May 2016|work=Daily Mirror|access-date=2 August 2017}} He quit acting for a time and worked as a restaurateur in London before moving to Cornwall in the south west of the country. Here he owned a vineyard and was involved in converting BBC ventriloquist and artist Francis Coudrill's studio in St Ives into The Mermaid Seafood Restaurant.{{cite web | url=https://www.stives-cornwall.co.uk/food_drink/mermaid-seafood-restaurant/ | title=Mermaid Seafood Restaurant }}{{cite news|title=Wine hopes for UK|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110333181?searchTerm=%22Norman%20Coburn%22&searchLimits=sortby=dateDesc|access-date=6 April 2016|work=The Canberra Times|date=21 July 1970}} After being in Cornwall for a number of years in the 1970s, he returned to Australia in the early 1980s and decided to take on acting roles again, one of which, would be the role of Donald Fisher in soap opera Home and Away.

Career

Coburn is best known for his portrayal of Donald Fisher, the principal of Summer Bay High School, in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He appeared from the show's pilot episode in 1988 until 2003.{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&kw=norman+coburn&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=AGE030227LVKBF66FNM9|title=Preview|last=Bellman|first=Annmaree|date=27 February 2003|work=The Age|access-date=2 August 2017}} Coburn was featured in the Guinness World Records as the longest serving actor in an Australian serial, along with co-stars Ray Meagher and Kate Ritchie.{{cite news|url=http://newsstore.fairfax.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?page=1&sy=nstore&kw=norman+coburn+and+guinness&pb=all_ffx&dt=selectRange&dr=entire&so=relevance&sf=text&sf=headline&rc=10&rm=200&sp=nrm&clsPage=1&docID=NCH030117E51RQ52LBCE|title=Channel surfing – The TV week|last=Barnier|first=Linda|date=17 January 2003|work=Newcastle Herald|access-date=2 August 2017}} Since his departure from Home and Away, he has returned in consecutive guest appearances, the last being in 2007.

In 2014, 11 years after leaving Home and Away, he was featured in a photo shoot for New Idea, in a reunion with former cast members Nicolle Dickson who played his daughter Bobby, Ross Newton, who played Greg and Ryan Clark who played his adoptive grandson.

Coburn has also appeared briefly in guest roles in soap opera including The Young Doctors, A Country Practice, Sons and Daughters, Special Squad, The Hollowmen and Rosehaven.

Personal life

Coburn originally resided in Perth, and later Brisbane, Queensland. He currently resides on Bruny Island, and located off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. His daughter Nana Coburn, (born 28 September 1971) is an actress best known her two roles as Vicki Baxter and Lisa Matthews on Home and Away.

Filmography

=Film=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1960 \| Circle of Deception \| Carter (uncredited) \| Feature film
1961 \| On the Fiddle \| Uncredited \| Feature film
1962 \| Carry On Cruising \| Wireless Operator (uncredited) \| Feature film
1962 \| The Ghost Sonata \| Coffin Bearer \| TV movie
1963 \| Tomorrow at Ten \| Desk Man \| Feature film
1981 \| A Step in the Right Direction \| \| TV movie
1983 \| At Last... Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture \| Walter Williams \| Feature film

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1960

| Circle of Deception

| Carter (uncredited)

| Feature film

1961

| On the Fiddle

| Uncredited

| Feature film

1962

| Carry On Cruising

| Wireless Operator (uncredited)

| Feature film

1962

| The Ghost Sonata

| Coffin Bearer

| TV movie

1963

| Tomorrow at Ten

| Desk Man

| Feature film

1981

| A Step in the Right Direction

| TV movie

1983

| At Last... Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture

| Walter Williams

| Feature film

=Television=

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Role ! class="unsortable" \| Notes
1958 \| Dixon of Dock Green \| Jimmy \| Season 5, episode 3
1962 \| Suspense \| 2nd Ambulance Man \| Season 1, episode 1
1962 \| The Andromeda Breakthrough \| Crowd Extra \| Season 1, episode 2
1962 \| Compact \| James Crown \| Episodes 73-75
1982 \| A Country Practice \| Neville Roebuck \| Season 2, episodes 1-2
1982 \| 1915 \| English P.O.W. \| Miniseries, episode 7
1983 \| Five Mile Creek \| Stage Coach Passenger \| Season 1, episode 1
1984 \| Special Squad \| Griffin \| Season 1, episode 5
1986 \| Sons and Daughters \| Fred Sykes \| Season 5, episode 42
1987 \| Rafferty's Rules \| Const. Skeggs / Doug \| 2 episodes
1988-2003, 2004-05, 2007, 2019 \| Home and Away \| Donald Fisher \| Seasons 1-16 (main; 1,489 episodes) Seasons 17-18, 20 (recurring; 36 episodes)
2008 \| The Hollowmen \| Jeff \| Season 2, episode 6
2019 \| Rosehaven \| Gareth \| Season 3, episode 2

class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Role

! class="unsortable" | Notes

1958

| Dixon of Dock Green

| Jimmy

| Season 5, episode 3

1962

| Suspense

| 2nd Ambulance Man