Maureen Edwards

Maureen Elizabeth Edwards (born 17 April 1944) is a New Zealand-born actress, notable for her small screen roles both in her home country and in Australia.

She is best known for her role in A Country Practice as hospital matron Rosemary Prior and in the New Zealand serial Shortland Street as Dr. Hewitt.

As a surporting player she is probably best known internationally for playing four different cameo roles in cult series Prisoner and also four roles in series Neighbours

Early life and theatre
Born as Maureen Elizabeth Edwards, in New Zealand on 17th April 1944. She initially trained to become a teacher, before becoming interested in theatre.

Edwards was a featured actress at the Globe theatre in Dunedin, New Zealand, in the 1960s, and became an administrator for the Gateway Players Theatre Company.

Television roles
Edwards emigrated to Australia with her husband Peter Tullock in 1977 and as a character actress became best known locally and internationally for her roles in the cult drama television series Prisoner, having portrayed 4 different characters in the series in cameos, although her best known was Officer Sue Bailey.

She remains best known however for her longer term roles in Australian television soap operas, particularly in the series A Country Practice as Matron Rosemary Prior from 1991 until 1993 (after two cameo roles in 1985 and 1990). She replaced hospital DN Ann Brennan (played by Mary Regan) and arrives from Africa to take over running the local hospital. In the series' final episode, Rosemary marries Dr. Terence Elliot (played by Shane Porteous).

In Neighbours, Edwards played Ruby Dwyer in 2002 and 2003. She had appeared previously in Neighbours as Marcia Taylor in 1985, and later had 2 more roles in the series as Hilda Jones and Jill Smith in 2008 and 2009 respectively. She appeared in the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street from 2001 to 2002 as CEO Dr. Patricia Hewitt.

Edwards has also featured in many Australia miniseries and telemovies such as All the Rivers Run and Evil Angels

Other television roles included the series Cop Shop, Skyways, I Can Jump Puddles, The Flying Doctors, G.P., Blue Heelers and The Secret Life of Us.