Belinda Giblin
Belinda Giblin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Sue Belinda Giblin 2 March 1950 |
| Education | University of Sydney, National Institute of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Known for |
|
| Spouse | Axel Bartz |
| Children | 2 |
Sue Belinda Giblin (born 2 March 1950) professionally billed as Belinda Giblin, is an Australian actress who has played prominent roles in theatre and television soap operas, and several feature films.
Giblin's television roles include Kay Webster in The Box (1974-1975); Sister Sue Marriott in The Sullivans (1977–1978); and Alison Carr in Sons and Daughters (1985-1987). She has also had two stints in Home and Away, first briefly as Cynthia Ross in 1991, then as a more long term role of Martha Stewart, the long-presumed-dead wife of Alf Stewart, a role she played on a recurring basis from 2018 to 2022.
Early life
Giblin was born in Tamworth, New South Wales to Phyllis and Ted. She has two older brothers Ted Jnr. and Graham, and a younger sister Allison. Her father Ted was a doctor at the Tamworth Base Hospital. Her mother ran the dramatic society, and acted and directed in productions.[1] She died of breast cancer when Belinda was 23; her father died when he was 83.[2]
Giblin later recalled that her first stage role was playing Buttons in Cinderella, a school play. "It was the first in a string of boy roles I played throughout my childhood."[3] She was offered a scholarship to the Australian Ballet School when she was 17, but chose to study arts at the University of Sydney. She then studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, before leaving after a year to practise her craft.[4] In 2015 she told Cassie Tongue at AussieTheatre.Com that 'the first professional acting work I did was playing young boy roles for ABC radio.'[3]
Career
Giblin appeared in the risqué, satirical 1970s soap opera The Box as Kay Webster,[1] a role she reprised in the film based on the series in which the character used her married name, Kay Webster-Brooks. She also starred in the 1980s melodrama Sons and Daughters as Alison Carr. The Alison Carr character was revealed to be the post-plastic surgery incarnation of the show's original and much vaunted villain, 'Pat the Rat' – Patricia Hamilton,[5] originally played by Rowena Wallace. Giblin was cast in the role because of her resemblance to Wallace.[6]
Giblin featured in numerous series made by Crawford Productions, over a 12-year period early in her career. These included Matlock Police,[2] Division 4, Homicide, The Sullivans,[1] Bluey (1976) and Skyways,.[1] Aside from Crawford shows, she has been seen in Alvin Purple (1976), Heartbreak High, and Good Guys, Bad Guys, as well as Home and Away in which she played Cynthia Ross in 1991 and Martha Stewart, the first wife of regular Alf Stewart, from 2018.[7]
Since 2013, she has also guest starred in The Horizon, a gay shortform web series on YouTube, as Wilma (the drag queen's) mother.[8]
In 2015, Giblin received acclaim and a nomination for Best Actress at the Sydney Theatre Awards for her role as Stella Goldschlag in Blonde Poison in a range of performances across Australia.[9] The Gail Lowe play is a one-woman show about a Jewish woman who became a Nazi collaborator during World War II.[5]
In 2017, she appeared as Babs DeVure in Bent 101, an Australian short form comedy series that was on the Seven Network.[1]
On 9 February 2026, Giblin was named in the cast for the Australian tour for Steel Magnolias.[10]
Giblin also works as a corporate trainer.[1]
Personal life
Giblin has been married to Axel Bartz (a set designer) since around 1984. She was performing in a theatre production Bedroom Farce when it came to Adelaide and Bartz was the resident designer of the Adelaide Theatre Company.[2] She has two children, Romy and Nicholas, and lives in Leichhardt.[5] Her father-in-law was in the German music corps.[2]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Sacrifice | Girl | Film short |
| 1974 | Petersen | Moira | Feature film |
| 1975 | The Box | Kay Webster-Brooks | Feature film |
| 1975 | End Play | Margaret Gifford | Feature film |
| 1979 | Alison's Birthday released 1981 | Isobel Thorne | Feature film |
| 1985 | The Empty Beach | Marion Singer | Feature film |
| 2002 | Spur | Film short | |
| 2003 | At The Edge of the Bed | The Wife | Film short |
| 2008 | Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! | Self | Feature film documentary |
| 2018 | Stille Nacht | Mother | Film short |
| 2021 | Venus & Adonis | Queen Elizabeth 1st | Feature film |
| 2022 | A Stitch in Time | Christine | Feature film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | GTK | Self - Actress as Girl 'Sacrifice' film | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | The Spoiler | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | Odyssey | TV pilot | |
| 1973; 1975 | Matlock Police | Guest roles: Jessica Fielding / Tracey | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Homicide | Guest role: Niki | TV series, episode 408: "As Simple As ABZ" |
| 1973 | The Box | Regular role: Kay Webster | TV pilot |
| 1974-1975 | The Box | Regular role: Kay Webster / Kay Webster-Brooks | TV series, 193 episodes |
| 1975 | Quality of Mercy | Guest role: | TV series, 1 episode: "Papa" |
| 1975 | Division 4 | Guest role: | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | Whose Nude... Who Cares? | Self - Actress in scene as Kay Webster from The Box | TV documentary |
| 1976 | Alvin Purple | Guest role: Monique | TV series, episode 11: "O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?" |
| 1976 | Who Do You Think You Are? | Guest role | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977 | Bluey | Guest role: Sergeant Tracey Alexander | TV series, episode 25: "It's Worth the Risk" |
| 1977-1978 | The Sullivans | Recurring role: Sister Sue Marriott | TV series, 106 episodes |
| 1977 | Say You Want Me | Julie Crosby | TV movie |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Guest role: Gail | TV series, episode 12: "Dangerous Weapon" |
| 1978 | Case for the Defence | Guest role: Terri Simpson | TV series, episode 4: "The Man Who Died Twice" |
| 1978 | Ripkin | Teleplay (screened as Stuart Wagstaff’s World Playhouse series) | |
| 1978 | Demolition | Faith Camden | TV movie |
| 1979-1981 | Cop Shop | Guest roles: Cheryl Haywood / Roxanne Patton / Fiona Bradley | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1979-1980 | Skyways | Recurring role: Christine Burroughs | TV series, 12 episodes |
| 1980 | Bellamy | Guest role: Julie | TV series, episode 7: "Daring Young Man" |
| 1981 | A Sporting Chance | Guest role: Claire Bartlett | TV series, episode 6: "A Full House" |
| 1983 | A Country Practice | Guest role: Zoe Parker | TV series, episodes 37 & 38: "Still Life" |
| 1984 | Carson's Law | Guest role: Myra Atridge | TV series, episode 125: "An Anxious Advocate" & episode 126: "The Devil’s Work" |
| 1984 | Crime of the Decade | Jane Fletcher | TV movie |
| 1984 | Hospital | TV Pilot | |
| 1985 | The Man in the Iron Mask | Self - Voice | Animated TV film |
| 1985 | Winners - On Loan | Marj | TV film |
| 1985–1987 | Sons and Daughters | Regular role: Alison Carr | TV series, seasons 4–6; 316 episodes |
| 1991 | Home and Away | Recurring role: Cynthia Ross | TV series, season 4, 11 episodes |
| 1995–1996 | Heartbreak High | Recurring role: Suzie Miller | TV series, Seasons 2 & 4, 4 episodes |
| 1997 | Good Guys, Bad Guys | Loretta Monk | TV series, pilot episode: "Only the Young Die Good" |
| 1998 | Home and Away | Guest role: Catherine Clements | TV series, season 11, 1 episode |
| 2003 | MDA | Guest role: Renee Salmon | TV series, season 2, episode 9: "Crossing the Line" |
| 2004 | Out There | Guest role: Aging Movie Queen | TV series, season 2, episode 3: "This Just In" |
| 2013–2015 | The Horizon | Recurring role: Yvonne Forbes | YouTube web series; season 2 |
| 2017 | Bent 101 | Babs De Vure | TV series |
| 2018–2022 | Home and Away | Recurring role: Martha Stewart | TV series, Seasons 31–35 |
| 2019 | Home and Away: Christmas In Summer Bay | Self - Actress as Martha Stewart | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2025 | Optics | Regular role: Meredith Laughton | ABC TV series |
Theatre
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Actress Belinda Giblin's 'outrageous' return to television". startsat60.com. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 "What I know about men". 17 April 2016. dailylife.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- 1 2 Cassie Tongue, 'A Quick Chat With Belinda Giblin, star of Blonde Poison' AussieTheatre.Com 2015 https://www.aussietheatre.com.au/features/20-questions/a-quick-chat-with-belinda-giblin-star-of-blonde-poison
- ↑ Jo Litson, "The Face: Belinda Giblin", Weekend Australian, 27–28 April 2002, Review, R3
- 1 2 3 Veerhuis, Jennifer (25 April 2016). "For former Tamworth girl, Belinda Giblin, space was important so it was love at first sight when she found her dream property in Leichhardt". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 30 April 2017.
- ↑ Albert Moran and Chris Keating The A to Z of Australian Radio and Television, p. 347, at Google Books
- ↑ "Alf's wife returns". Soap World. No. 307. May 2018. p. 14.
Actress Belinda has previously appeared in Home and Away in 1991, in the role of Cynthia Ross, the first wife of regular character Michael Ross
- ↑ Bond, Nick (8 November 2013). "Slice of Sydney gains worldwide following". starobserver.com.au. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
- ↑ John Bailey, 'Belinda Giblin plays Gestapo 'greifer' in gripping solo show Blonde Poison' Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/theatre/belinda-giblin-plays-gestapo-greifer-in-gripping-solo-show-blonde-poison-20160516-gow3z0.html
- ↑ News🥇, Breaking (9 February 2026). "Cast Announced For New Australian Production Of Steel Magnolias - Whats The Show". Retrieved 17 March 2026.
- ↑ "AusStage".
- ↑ "Showcast".