Thelma Phoebe Mclean
MBE Mbe may refer to:
* Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo
* Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria
* Mbe language, a language of Nigeria
* Mbe' language, language of Cameroon
* ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language
Molal ...
(5 June 192125 December 2004), known professionally as Dolly Dyer (formerly Mack) was an Australian
Gold Logie
The Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television, commonly referred to simply as the Gold Logie, is an award presented annually at the Australian Logie Awards.
The Gold Logie was first awarded at the 2nd Annual TV We ...
winning radio and TV personality, and wife of fellow game-show host and performer
Bob Dyer
Robert Neal Dyer OBE (May 22, 1909 – January 9, 1984) was a Gold Logie-award-winning American-born vaudeville entertainer and singer, radio and television personality, and radio and television quiz show host who made his name in Australia. Dye ...
.
Early life
She was born and grew up in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Her father died when she was young and she was raised by her mother. The family nickname was "Mack" so she took the name Dolly Mack when she was employed as a showgirl in Sydney's Tivoli Theatre in 1940.
She met her husband there, literally running into him in a doorway. They married within two weeks at
St John's,
Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district (CBD) and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney. ...
, Sydney.
Entertainment career
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Dolly and Bob entertained Allied troops, including performing in South Pacific and New Guinea war zones.
After the war, Bob began the radio version of ''
Pick a Box
''Pick a Box'' was an Australian game shows that first aired on radio in 1948 until the early 1960s; subsequently, the concept transferred to TV and was broadcast from 1957 and 1971. The program was hosted by the husband and wife duo Bob and Do ...
'', which went to television in the late 50s. Dolly appeared with him, introducing contestants and being a sidekick to Bob's humour.
Retirement
They both retired in 1971, shortly before the last episode of ''Pick-a-Box'' was screened.
That year, Bob and Dolly were awarded a Special Gold
Logie "in recognition of their contribution to Australian TV".
Honours
Both were listed on the 1971 Queen's Birthday Honours list, with Dolly being appointed a Member of the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE).
Bob was not eligible for a substantive award as he was an American citizen, but was appointed an Honorary Officer of the Order.
In retirement, Dolly and her husband found time for their shared love of deep-sea fishing. They both broke several records, with Dolly breaking a 12-year women's record for a black marlin weighing 297 kilograms.
After Bob's death in 1984, Dolly took up dancing, winning several medals for her performances.
Death
Dolly Dyer died of a stroke on Christmas Day, 2004. She was 83.
Notes
References
*http://www.smh.com.au/news/Obituaries/An-elegant-and-affable-TV-sidekick/2005/02/14/1108229928709.html
*http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/dyer-consequences-harbourfront-estate-to-set-a-mosman-record-20091023-hdd0.html
*http://www.bdb.co.za/shackle/articles/dolly_dyer.htm
*https://web.archive.org/web/20110721220238/http://www.knowfirst.info/forums/showthread.php?t=961
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dyer, Dolly
1921 births
2004 deaths
Gold Logie winners
Australian game show hosts
Australian fishers
Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire