Elspeth Ballantyne

Acting

Elspeth Ballantyne

Born 1939-04-20 · Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Elspeth Ballantyne (born 20 April 1939) is an Australian retired actress, who appeared in productions in theatre, television and films over a career that spanned nearly 60 years, a veteran of the industry having started her career as a child actor and becoming a staple of the theatre starting from in 1947 and by the age of 15 in 1954 had turned professional. She became best known for her role in the TV cult series Prisoner from 1979 to 1986 as original character of but fair Prison Officer Meg Jackson (later Morris). Ballantyne's parents were actors and she is the sister of film producer Jane Ballantyne. She was married to actor Dennis Miller from 1968 to 1977.

Acting credits

End Play poster
6.4

And just when you believe there is nothing more to fear, you will begin to experience the ultimate terror of the END PLAY.

End Play

1976

Selkie poster
5.3

Teenager Jamie moves with his mother, sister and grandfather to an island off the South Australian coast where mum has a job running a marine research station. To his discomfort, Jamie discovers he's a "selkie" - half human, half seal - that explains the webbing on his hands and also why he changes completely into a seal as soon as he hits water.

Selkie

2000

Three Dollars poster
6.9

Eddie is a principled man, with a wife, a daughter and a mortgage and leads a seemingly stable and happy life as a government land assessor. Yet when the forces of economic and social change threaten this, he realises just how fragile his reality and security is. After losing his job, he checks his bank balance and finds he has only 'three dollars' to his name.

Three Dollars

2005

Boronia Boys poster
2.0

Kane and Darren are two 'rag and bone men' who have lived in the outer suburb of Boronia all their lives. Now as they approach their early thirties, they decide that it is time to leave their comfortable suburb and travel the world for the first time. In order to do so the 'boronia boys' follow hard rubbish collections and help themselves to discarded rubbish and sell them overpriced at trash & treasure markets.

Boronia Boys

2011

Blue Fin poster
6.4

Based on the children's novel by celebrated South Australian author 'Colin Thiele' , this is an emotional father and son story about tuna fishing of Southern Blue Fin tuna in South Australia's Port Lincoln fishing district. Accident prone son Snook is forever making mistakes much to the chagrin of his father Pascoe. But when tragedy strikes the fishing boat during a deep sea fishing trek in the Southern Ocean, the boy is called on to become a man in a rites of sea passage to reconcile is past mishaps and save both his father and the ship from certain disaster.

Blue Fin

1978

The Caterpillar Wish poster
4.8

A young girl's view on belonging and loss.

The Caterpillar Wish

2006

Mondo Maniacs poster
NR

The adventures of two punk maniacs on the run after they have escaped from a psychiatric ward.

Mondo Maniacs

2023

Captain Johnno poster
8.5

A young deaf boy who calls himself "Captain Johnno" befriends Tony, an Italian fisherman in the small Australian fishing town they live in. Both feel outcast by the town and both share a great love of the sea. When Johnno's beloved sister leaves to go to boarding school, he is so upset he runs away to an island hiding place, causing much distress in the town. His friend Tony helps him understand how much he is loved and missed by the townsfolk and his family.

Captain Johnno

1988

Boronia Backpackers poster
NR

Picks up on the journey of the 'Boronia Boys' gang from sleepy Boronia to the big wide world.

Boronia Backpackers

2022

One Way Ticket poster
5.3

Based on a true story, One Way Ticket is about a criminal named Webb. He has been arrested for murder and looks like he will be spending the rest of his days behind bars before he has an affair with a female guard. She helps him escape and they spend the next few days on the run. Can they make it?

One Way Ticket

1997

Breakfast in Paris poster
7.0

Fashion executive Jackie Wyatt discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her. She flies to Paris and bumps into photographer Michael who she at first dislikes but grows to love.

Breakfast in Paris

1982

Blowing Hot and Cold poster
10.0

The story of two men from opposite backgrounds and social structures who become friends. Jack Phillips is a laid-back, wry service station proprietor in a small Australian country town. His world is disrupted when a fast talking, gesticulating, vocal Italian, Nino Patrovita bursts upon the scene.

Blowing Hot and Cold

1989

Life in Australia: Melbourne poster
NR

This film shows an idyllic picture of life in the Victorian capital of Melbourne in the mid 1960s.

Life in Australia: Melbourne

1966