Ted Hamilton
Ted Hamilton (OAM) (born 1937), is an Australian singer, composer, playwright, entrepreneur and actor. He is possibly best known for playing the Pirate King in The Pirate Movie and police constable Kevin Dwyer in Division 4 (1969–73). More recently, he played Merlin in the TV series Guinevere Jones.
Among his many other acting credits are Homicide, The Love Boat, M*A*S*H, The Six Million Dollar Man, Hawaii Five-O, Mission: Impossible, and Rafferty’s Rules.
In 1955, hailed as a teenage singing sensation, Hamilton began performing in nightclubs, and live on national radio. He guest starred on The Ford Show, Calling The Stars and The Gladys Moncrieff Show. He also had hit records with “Primrose Lane” and “The Things We Did Last Summer”.
Hamilton was also the featured singer with The Bob Gibson Band, Australia’s premier swing-band, and the Australian All-Stars jazz quintet.
In 1956 Hamilton guest starred on Australia’s first variety show broadcast on New Year’s Eve on ABC TV. Also in the 1950s, Hamilton featured in variety shows on all channels, including The Hit Parade (ABC), Make Mine Music (ABC), Bandstand (Channel 9), Sydney Tonight (Channel 7), and in the 1960s the seminal variety show Revue 61/62.
Hamilton made his debut as singer-songwriter and starred with many of the top musicians and groups of the day, including Don Burrows, Terry Wilkinson and Errol Buddle – Bob Gibson’s swing band – The Australian Jazz Quintet and The Australian All Stars. He was voted best singer in jazz and pop by Bandstand and Downbeat.
In 1961–62, Hamilton was a regular on the television show Revue 61/62, produced by MCA (America) for the 7 Network.
Best singer and national variety show award (Logie and Penguin awards).
In late 1965, Hamilton compered In Melbourne Tonight on Monday nights on Channel 9.
He provided the voice/image for some of Australia’s most popular and successful commercials. Craven A, Mac. Robertson Land – IC-POTA – Beautiful Rheingold – Marshall Batteries – Philip Morris (Oh! What a Beauty) – Coca-Cola – Kodak – Louie the fly.
He also starred in several variety specials, among them Ted Hamilton and Johnny Farnham – together again for the very first time.
Hamilton starred in the famous Australian TV series, Division 4 as Senior Constable Kevin Dwyer, winning best actor and best drama Logie awards. He also performed in a number of national theater productions.
Hamilton was founder and chairman of the: TV-Make it Australian Committee, a lobby group that pushed to have Australian culture represented by local productions on Australian TV stations. The group lobbied the government for delineation of categories for Australian TV in: drama, variety, comedy, current affairs, sport. Further that a requirement for every channel to provide a mandated quota of Australian drama. The group was the most successful lobby group in the history of Australian show business.[citation needed] Hamilton and the committee were acknowledged by Hector Crawford, and Prime Minister John Gorton as “The man, and the committee that saved Australian drama from extinction”
In the 2013 Australia Day Honours List Hamilton was awarded an OAM or service to the performing arts and to the community.
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