Lynn Foster (1914-1985), was a playwright, radio producer and writer, a script editor and television writer. She was the first woman in Australia both to direct and write a major national radio show, this being the serial " Big Sister". In 1945, she wrote a play called "Lost Generations", to aid in the sale of war bonds, and was given a letter of thanks from Prime Minister Ben Chifley.

Biography

Foster was born in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, Australia in 1914. She wanted to become a playwright. When she was nineteen Foster won second prize in a competition which led to a job offer with the radio station

2UE 2UE is an all-music radio station in Sydney owned by Nine Entertainment Co and run under a lease agreement by Ace Radio. It currently broadcasts from its studios in Pyrmont, New South Wales. History 1920s 2EU Electrical Utilities applied to the ...

in Sydney. Slowly she began to develop through short pieces for their channel until 1936 when she was writing scripts for the

Broadcasting Service Association Nine Radio (formerly Macquarie Media Limited) is an Australian media company, owned by parent company Nine Entertainment Co. and headquartered in North Sydney, New South Wales, the company operates radio stations nationally in the capital ci ...

with a team that became known as the

Macquarie Players 2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia owned by parent company Nine Radio, a division of Nine Entertainment Co., who also own sister station 2UE. 2GB broadcasts on 873 kHz, AM. In 2010, 2GB held 14.7% of the total radio ra ...

in 1938. Foster preferred to work for herself and wrote for many different patrons. Her career progressed through adapting radio scripts from America until 1942 when she became the director of ''Big Sister''. The show held top ratings of the daytime programs during its five-year run and starred Thelma Scott, and Nigel Lovell. When it finished Foster directed ''Crossroads of Life''. She added a role for a friend, actor

Peter Finch Frederick George Peter Ingle Finch (28 September 191614 January 1977) was an English-Australian actor of theatre, film and radio. Born in London, he emigrated to Australia as a teenager and was raised in Sydney, where he worked in vaudeville ...

. He used his pay to cover the fare to London where his career bloomed. In 1949 Foster followed him and stayed in London, working in radio and television there for twenty years. She returned to Sydney in 1970 and worked on the television show ''

Number 96 96 (ninety-six) is the natural number following 95 and preceding 97. It is a number that appears the same when turned upside down. In mathematics 96 is: * an octagonal number. * a refactorable number. * an untouchable number. * a semiperfect ...

''.

Grace Gibson Grace Isabel Gibson AO, (17 June 1905 – 10 July 1989), also known as Grace Atchison and Grace Parr was an American Australian radio entrepreneur, executive and producer. She was best known for her long-running serials Dr. Paul and the local ...

from Texas formed Grace Gibson Productions in 1944 and hired Foster to be the company's first director. The following year Foster wrote ''Lost Generation'' and went on to become the representative commercial radio writers who were working to be able to transfer to Actors Equity which has developed into the Writers Guild. During her time in the United Kingdom she wrote ''The Exiles'', described as a cycle of four plays and set in Australia between 1873 and the then present day."https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/b3080c9716d44d04972eed8810cb4a40" Foster died in Mosman, Sydney in 1985, aged 71.

References and sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Lynn 1914 births 1985 deaths 20th-century Australian women writers 20th-century Australian writers Women radio writers Australian radio writers