From Number 96 to Australia’s oldest PhD graduate

Former Number 96 actress Elisabeth Kirkby, now 93, has become Australia’s oldest PhD graduate.

Kirkby, who played Lucy Sutcliffe on the 0-TEN soap from 1972-1975, has graduated from the University of Sydney after completing her thesis comparing the Great Depression and the Global Financial Crisis.

“One of the reasons I did the thesis, because I had been told as I was getting much older that you either use it or lose it,” she told ABC’s 7:30.

British born Kirkby still remembers the impact of the Great Depression on her family, before emigrating to Australia.

“It was distressing for my father and the family because they were cotton manufacturers and of course the cotton industry took a terrible slump during that period. We didn’t have the same big country house that we’d had before and I think my brother and I felt, ‘Oh, dear, this isn’t very nice.'”

In addition to her acting career, Kirkby later became a member of Parliament for the Democrats and received the Order of Australia medal. Her son, actor Tony Llewellyn-Jones  (GP, All Saints) admits he is astounded by her zest for life.

“Words fail one. She’s extraordinary. We want to know what she’s going to do next,” he said.

“It’s been extremely interesting working with students so much younger than I am,” says Kirby. “When you do get to retirement, have a holiday by all means, relax, but then find something interesting to do, something you’ve always wanted to do and maybe never have the opportunity because too many other things happened in your life.

“I think that that is what is really important.”

Congratulations Elisabeth!