Aussies We Lost In 2022 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Religious song

Janet Mead (known as Sister Marietta by the Church) sang a rock-y version of 'The Lord's Prayer', in 1974 that was a surprise Top Ten hit in Australia and the United States. The proceeds of the sales of her record went to charity. She continued to dabble in the music industry, but never achieved the same level of success.

Oddly enough, she was the second nun to hit the charts- the Belgian, Sister Luc-Gabrielle, had a Number 1 pop hit ten years earlier with 'Dominique'.

Bob Shearer, a well-known Australian golf pro, also died in January.

Answer: Glider pilot

He was born in Germany in 1940, and became a naturalised Australian in 1974, settling in Tocumwal on the Murray River. He opened a gliding company named Sportavia Soaring Centre, which was not far from this author's boyhood home. He was a champion in his sport, winning many national titles and four World Championships. He also set endurance and speed world records. He passed away in February, aged 81.

Others that died in this month were Glenn Wheatley, 74, entertainment executive, talent manager, and long time manager for Aussie superstar John Farnham.

Johnny Raper, was a rugby league player, spending much of his career at St George, during their golden years- they won ELEVEN premierships in succession. He represented New South Wales many times, and played lock forward for the national team 39 times.

Another famous sportsman who died in February was John Landy, the second person to break the four-minute mile. He was also the Governor of Victoria from 2001-06.

Answer: Cricket

Shane Warne was one of the best exponents of leg-spin bowling ever. He set many records, including taking 708 Test match wickets- a record he held till his retirement from top-level cricket in 2007. He was a bit of a larrikin, too, known for his partying. He was even engaged to English actress, Elizabeth Hurley, for a while. He died suddenly while on holidays in Thailand- he was only 52 years old. The Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) was renamed in his honour.

Warney learned of the death of Rod Marsh shortly before he died, and had sent a tribute to the Marsh family.

Rod Marsh was born in Western Australia in 1947 and is remembered as one of the best wicket keepers to play for Australia. He set a world Test record of 355 dismissals, a record that stood until overtaken by Ian Healy in 1998, fourteen years later. After retiring from playing, he took up coaching and commentating, and was heavily involved with the Australian Cricket Academy and Cricket Australia, mainly as a selector. He was awarded an MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to cricket.

Marsh's brother, Graeme, was a pro golfer, and was a handy cricketer. His son, Daniel, also played cricket at a State level, representing South Australia and Tasmania.

In March, we also lost cyclist Dean Woods, Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist. Ernie Carroll, who was the man behind the iconic Ossie Ostrich on 'Hey, Hey, It's Saturday', also passed away. He was 92.

Answer: Golf

Newton won thirteen titles around the world, and finished second in the 1975 Open Championship and the 1980 Masters Tournament. His career was cut short in 1983, when he walked into the spinning propeller of a small plane. He lost his arm at the shoulder, and also his right eye, and was not expected to survive.

He pulled through, and became determined that his injuries would not slow him down. He went into commentating, golf course design, and public speaking. He even taught himself to play golf again! In 2020, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and passed away in April 2022.

Answer: Journalism

Jones was one of the first female journalists to work at the national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), when she joined the current affairs programme, 'This Day Tonight', in 1963. She also worked on 'Four Corners' (1972-1981) and 'Australian Story' (1996), as well as serving on the Australian Classification Review Board, the body responsible for censorship in Australia. Jones was elected as a National Living Treasure in 1997 and inducted into the Australian Media Hall of Fame.

Another Aussie to die in May was cricketer, Andrew Symonds, who was killed in a car crash.

Answer: Actress and comedienne

Carol Raye was born in England in 1923, and made her showbiz name there on the screen and stage. She was a dancer, singer, actress, comedienne, producer, and director. After moving to Australia in 1964, she starred in the satirical sketch television programme, 'The Mavis Bramston Show' (1964-1968), which she also co-wrote and co-produced. It was a groundbreaking moment, as it was one of the first locally produced shows - the majority of television content was imported from England and America.

She starred in the risqué soapie, 'Number 96' (1973-1975), played a nurse in 'The Young Doctors' (1976-1977) and was a regular on 'Blankety Blanks' (1977-1978). She was also very active on the stage, before retiring in 2000. She passed away in June 2022, just a few months short of her 100th birthday.

Paula Stafford also died in June, aged 102! She is credited with designing the two-piece swimsuit- several years before Frenchman Louis Réard launched the bikini.

Answer: Singer and actor

Frankie Davidson was the consummate performer. He was one of the pioneers of rock and roll in Australia, releasing 'I Care for You' in 1960. He also had a whole string of novelty hits, including '50 Million Blow Flies Can't Be Wrong' (1972), 'I Hope Your Chooks Turn into Emus (and They Kick Your Dunny Down) (1991)' and 'Gimme Dat Ding' (1970). He turned his hand to acting, appearing in many television series, movies and stand-up comedy. Another forte was as a variety cabaret artist. He even won a Logie (Australian entertainment award), for the 'Most Versatile Entertainer'.

Billy Picken was an Australian Rules footballer, mainly for Collingwood, known for his spectacular marking ability, and his incessant chatter on the field. He played in four Grand Finals, losing all of them, but was selected in the Collingwood Team of the Century.

Both men died in July 2022.

Answer: Boxing

August was not a good month.

Jean-Pierre (Johnny) Famechon was born in Paris, but moved to Melbourne when he was young. His father and uncle were both boxers, and Fammo followed in their footsteps, winning the national featherweight title when he was only 19. A few years later, he was the Commonwealth champion, and by 1969, he was champion of the world. He lost that title the following year, and retired from the sport. He was only 25 years old and his record was an impressive 58 wins and only five losses. Australia also had another world champion at the same time- Lionel Rose was the bantamweight world champ. Famechon was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1997 and was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) in 2022, shortly before his death.

In the same month, the pure voice of Judith Durham, lead singer of The Seekers, succumbed to a lung disorder. The Seekers were one of the biggest folk bands of the 1960s, often out-selling the Beatles in the Australian and British markets.

Only three days later, we learned that Olivia Newton-John, star of 'Grease', and singer of a host of Gold records, died after a lifelong battle with breast cancer. She had an interesting family - her father was involved in the arrest of Rudolf Hess in WWII, and her grandfather, physicist Max Born, won a Nobel Prize.

Answer: Aboriginal actor and activist

He had a rough childhood, as one of the 'Stolen Generation' children, being separated from his mother as an infant. He was abused in various institutions before turning to acting in his 20s. He had a part in the movie 'The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith'(1978) and founded Nindethana, Australia's first Indigenous theatre. His stage career was extensive, performing all over the country, and several overseas trips.

His personal life was troubled as well, including addiction to drugs, and many terms in prison for minor offenses. He became a voice for young Aboriginals fighting racism, and also for homosexuality in the indigenous community.
He achieved several awards in his lifetime, including Victorian Senior Australian of the Year (2015), Tudawali Indigenous Film and Television Awards (2009), and his portrait won the People's Choice Award at the 2017 Archibald Prizes.

He died in September, the same month as John Hamblin, who hosted the kid's show 'Play School' for 30 years.

Answer: Jockey

Harry White won Australia's richest race, the Melbourne Cup, on four occasions, including a rare double on Think Big in 1974 and 1975. In all, he rode more than 2,000 winners.

He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2003. After retiring from the track in 1995, he became a farmer in regional Victoria. He was later diagnosed with MS, and succumbed in October 2023.