Norman Coburn

Early life Coburn was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 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. 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. 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. 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. 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, located off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. His daughter Nana Coburn, (born 28 September 1971) is an actress best known for her two roles as Vicki Baxter and Lisa Matthews on Home and Away.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 1960 Circle of Deception Carter (uncredited)Feature film 1961 On the Fiddle Uncredited1962 Carry On Cruising Wireless Operator (uncredited) The Ghost Sonata Coffin Bearer TV film 1963 Tomorrow at Ten Desk Man Feature film 1981 A Step in the Right Direction TV film 1983 At Last... Bullamakanka: The Motion Picture Walter Williams Feature film

Television Year Title Role Notes 1958, 1963 Dixon of Dock Green Jimmy / Wedding Guest (uncredited) Season 5, episode 3Season 9 episode 17 1960 Coronation Street Labourer (uncredited)1 episode 1961 Maigret Extra (uncredited)1962 Suspense 2nd Ambulance Man Season 1, episode 1 The Andromeda Breakthrough Crowd Extra Season 1, episode 2 Compact James Crown Episodes 73-751982 A Country Practice Neville Roebuck Season 2, episodes 1-2 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 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

Theatre sourced from AusStage