Don Barker

Early life Barker was born in Adelaide, South Australia and attended Brighton's Sacred Heart College. At the time, he had not yet developed an interest in acting. From 1968 until 1973, he was a member of the former South Australian Theatre Company (now the State Theatre Company of South Australia) and appeared in their productions of The Heiress, The Alchemist, Born Yesterday and David Williamson's Jugglers Three. He performed in several of their productions, including Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys, The Fall Guy, The Sound of Silence, The Death of George Reeves, Gone with Hardy, The Perfectionist, Travelling North, Gulls, The Harlequin Shuffle and Sons of Cain. as part of the final detective line up. In 1981 he starred as Bill Williams in soap opera The Restless Years.

He had recurring roles in The Sullivans, All the Rivers Run and The New Adventures of Black Beauty, as well as several miniseries including Ben Hall, Against the Wind, The Far Country, The Mild Colonial Boy and Sun on the Stubble (aka The Valley Between). He had a recurring guest role in the prison drama Prisoner as psychologist Bill Jackson,

His guest credits include Division 4, Matlock Police, Ryan, Certain Women, Cop Shop, The Box, Bellamy, Bluey, Chopper Squad, The Flying Doctors, Rafferty's Rules, Mother and Son, A Country Practice, Blue Heelers, McLeod's Daughters and City Homicide. and political satire A Sting in the Tale (1989). He had small parts in action thriller Heaven's Burning (1997), alongside Russell Crowe, horror film Cut (2000), with Molly Ringwald and political drama Black and White (2002) with Robert Carlyle, Colin Friels and Ben Mendelsohn. He also featured in the AFI Award-winning drama Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002),

Personal life Barker is an avid South Adelaide Football Club fan in the SANFL.

Filmography

Film Title Year Role Type 1975 Solo Flight Feature film 1978 Weekend of Shadows O'Dowd Feature film 1979 Dawn! Doctor Biopic1981 Gallipoli N.C.O at Ball Feature film Revenge Short film 1984 Pete's Pigs: A Journey Through an Intensive Piggery Presenter Short film1986 Fair Game Frank Feature film Playing Beatie Bow Samuel Bow Feature film 1987 The Time Guardian Undertaker Feature film From Bulldust to Bitumen Narrator Video short 1989 A Sting in the Tale Prime Minister Feature film 1990 Struck by Lightning Mr. Jeffries Feature film 1991 Sweet Talker Sgt. Watts Feature film 1995 The Life of Harry Dare Sergeant Feature film 1997 Heaven's Burning Drinker Feature film 1999 In a Savage Land Barman Feature film 2000 Cut Original Producer Feature film 2002 Rabbit-Proof Fence Mr. Paul Evans Feature film Black and White Ceduna Magistrate Feature film 2006 Modern Love Feature film 2007 Lucky Miles Pub Regular #1 Feature film 2019 The Battle for Mr. Jericho Gerald Feature film

Television Title Year Role Type 1970–1971 Division 4 Bill Anderson / Hugo Smith / Stan Robbins 3 episodes 1971–1972 Matlock Police Jimmy Nolan / Maurie Hicks / Sam Gil 3 episodes 1972 Boney Alec Bryce 1 episode 1973 Ryan Steve Roberts 1 episode 1964–1975 Certain Women Norm Coburn 3 episodes 1967–1976 Homicide Det. Sgt. Harry White 119 episodes 1975 Ben Hall Terry Delaney Miniseries, 2 episodes 1976 The Box Johnny Masters 1 episode 1977 Bluey Det. Sgt. Harry White 1 episode The Sullivans Neville Godway 8 episodes 1977–1982 The Restless Years Bill Williams 617 episodes 1978 Chopper Squad Cliff Jackson 1 episode Against the Wind Captain Abbott Miniseries, 4 episodes The Sound of Love Harry Taylor TV movie 1978–1984 Cop Shop Warwick Morgan / Alan Brooks 7 episodes 1979 Prisoner Bill Jackson 3 episodes Taxi Greg Day TV movie1980 The Franky Doyle Story Bill Jackson TV movie The Last Outlaw Publican Miniseries, 4 episodes 1981 I Can Jump Puddles Mr. Tucker Miniseries, 2 episodes Bellamy Baker Miniseries, 1 episode 1982 Holiday Island Rafferty 1 episode 1983 All the Rivers Run George Blakeny 5 episodes The Fire in the Stone Harry TV movie 1985 Robbery Under Arms Wilson TV movie 1986; 1990 The Flying Doctors Frank Kent / Rex Sewell 2 episodes 1987 The Far Country Tom Armitage Miniseries, 2 episodes 1989 Rafferty's Rules Frederich Guilda 1 episode 1990 Shadows of the Heart George Farrell Miniseries, 2 episodes Howard, the Mild Colonial Boy Kevin Miniseries, 6 episodes 1991 Eggshells Jerry Rose The River Kings Pastor Beckman Miniseries, 1 episode 1992 Ultraman: Towards the Future Johnson Miniseries, 1 episode Mother and Son Butcher 1 episode 1992–1993 The New Adventures of Black Beauty Dr. Arthur Osbourne 5 episodes 1993 A Country Practice Stan Laski 2 episodes 1994 The Battlers Publican Miniseries 1996 Sun on the Stubble Uncle Gus Miniseries, 6 episodes 1997; 2006 Blue Heelers Jack Buckley / Lorne Coleman 2 episodes 1999 Chuck Finn Mr. Smith 1 episode 2005 McLeod's Daughters Bob MacKenzie 1 episode 2008 City Homicide Christopher Spotswood 1 episode

Theatre

As actor

As director Year Title Role Notes 1962 Peter Pan and the Carnival Apprentice Director / Producer Willard Hall, Adelaide with Therry Dramatic Society 1963 The House by the Lake Director 1966 The Tower Director 1967 The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore Director Union Hall, Adelaide 1970 Frisch-Grass: Two Modern European Comedies Director Union Hall, Adelaide with South Australian Theatre Company 1978 Cheapside Director Adelaide tour with The Stage Company 1984 Translations Director Space Theatre, Adelaide 1993 The Heiress Director Royalty Theatre, Adelaide with Therry Dramatic Society1994 Bondage Director Theatre 62, Adelaide We've Got a Tent Director University of Adelaide 2005 Bondage Director Holden St Theatres, Adelaide

Radio Year Title Role Notes 1979 Britannicus ABC Radio Adelaide 2013 My Story by General Peter Cosgrove Narrator 2013 Henry Lawson by Henry Lawson Narrator 2014 Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs Narrator 2022 What I cook when nobody's watching by Poh Ling Yeow Narrator

Awards Year Work Award Category Result 1980 Henry IV, Part 1 2nd Conda Awards Best Actor in a Leading Role 2008 The Homecoming Adelaide Theatre Guide Curtain Call Awards Best Male Performance 2012 Don Barker Adelaide Critics Circle Lifetime Achievement Award