Dorothy Gordon (Australian actress)

Dorothy Gordon
Andrea in 1941
Born	Dorothy Hetty Fosbery Jenner 1 March 1891 Sydney, Australia
Died	24 March 1985 (aged 94) Potts Point, Sydney, Australia
Other names	pen name Andrea
Occupations	Actress journalist broadcaster art director

Dorothy Hetty Fosbery Jenner (1 March 1891 – 24 March 1985), often recognized as Dorothy Gordon, was an Australian actress, journalist, and radio presenter. She gained prominence through her long-standing work as a newspaper columnist and radio commentator under the pseudonym Andrea. Her acting career included roles in Hollywood and a leading part in the Australian silent movie Hills of Hate. During World War II, she endured captivity as a prisoner of war in Hong Kong.

Life

Born in 1891 as Dorothy Hetty Fosbery Gordon to Dora Ellen (née Fosbury) and William Alexander Gordon—a station manager originally from India—she was initially educated privately before attending various schools in Sydney, including the Sydney Church of England Girls' Grammar School. After spending time in the United Kingdom engaging in social activities, she began working as a chorus girl in Melbourne in 1912 and later started a dressmaking enterprise in Sydney. This venture led to her involvement with James Cassius Williamson's company, where she helped organize wartime theatrical productions.

In 1915, she relocated to Hollywood for a decade, primarily securing uncredited roles in silent films with Famous Players-Lasky starting from 1916, and also performed stunts. Although she claimed to have appeared alongside Rudolph Valentino in The Sheik (1921) and Blood and Sand (1922), these assertions remain partially unverifiable. By 1925, having returned to Australia under the surname Jenner, she starred in the now-lost film Hills of Hate and took on the role of art director for the expensive 1927 production For the Term of His Natural Life. Following a period of illness and travels across Europe, she adopted the pen name Andrea while reporting from Spain during a European tour.

By January 1931, Andrea had become an established byline for her newspaper columns. In 1935, she delivered radio broadcasts about major cities on Sydney’s station 2BL. Throughout the 1930s, she reported from London for The Sun, covering social events and escalating international tensions leading up to WWII.

Caught in Sydney at the outbreak of WWII, she obtained accreditation as a correspondent for The Sun and provided lighthearted reports from Singapore until late 1941. As an officially recognized war correspondent, she traveled extensively across Asia focusing on Australian troops. Present during Japan’s assault on Hong Kong, she was interned at Stanley Camp from January 1942 until liberation. While imprisoned, she maintained a secret diary and sustained vocal damage that permanently changed her voice.

After returning to Sydney in 1945, she received partial compensation for her internment but lost money investing with her nephew. She resumed her journalism career with the Daily Telegraph, followed by stints at Truth and Daily Mirror, where her weekly "dots and dashes" column ran from late 1953 until early 1955. Her writing drew upon her extensive connections within Sydney's social circles and entertainment industry.

During television’s formative years (1957–58), Andrea appeared on ABC’s game show Find the Link. Upon facing retirement from the Daily Mirror, reportedly criticizing new owner Rupert Murdoch as 'a rude young man', she transitioned into radio broadcasting. Beginning at 2UE in 1958, she introduced her signature greeting "Hello Mums and Dads". In 1963, she moved to 2GB, co-hosting with John Pearce during her peak radio period; their collaboration ended contentiously. Her program was also broadcast beyond Sydney, including Melbourne’s 3AW and other Macquarie Broadcasting stations. Audience research indicated that her varied life experiences attracted listeners outside typical demographics.

Starting in 1967, Andrea was a pioneer of Australian talk-back radio but found the format challenging. From 1968 onward, pre-recording became standard amid increasing political controversies; a committed supporter of the Liberal Party of Australia, she faced libel actions from leading Labor figures after likening their party to communists. She was dropped by 2GB in 1969, briefly worked with ABC before concluding her radio career at 2CH in 1972 at age eighty-one.

Between 1954 and 1960, Andrea served as director of the Phillip Street Theatre, contributing significantly to its vibrant theatrical community. Although humorously parodied there, she retained credibility through genuine social connections referenced in her work.

Recognized with an OBE in 1968—personally awarded by Queen Elizabeth II—she co-wrote her autobiography Darlings I've Had a Ball! in 1975. Known for meticulous grooming and a signature beauty spot applied since her Hollywood days, Andrea remained an enduring figure bridging entertainment and journalism throughout her lifetime.

Later years, passing, and impact

Residing in a fifth-floor apartment within the Macleay Regis building in Potts Point, she was surrounded by an array of photographs and keepsakes reflecting her extensive career. She maintained a connection with the Wayside Chapel located in Kings Cross, which she formally inaugurated in 1964.

In 1976, she was involved in a major traffic accident that was erroneously reported as fatal; although she emerged unscathed, the motorcyclist involved tragically lost their life. At the time of the incident, she was returning from the Channel 7 studios where she was engaged in producing a new television show.

Continuing her public presence well into her nineties, she remarked, "Age bores me stiff. I don't feel old and I don't think I look it. Inside I'm the same as I ever was." She passed away on 24 March 1985 at her residence, having spent the final three years of her life as an invalid.

Her letters and wartime journals (spanning 1938–1947) are preserved by the State Library of New South Wales. The National Portrait Gallery of Australia holds two photographic portraits taken by Melbourne Spurr during her Hollywood period, while a painted portrait from 1952 by her friend Judy Cassab is housed at the State Library of New South Wales. In recognition of her legacy, Andrea Place in the Canberra suburb of Bonython bears her name.

Selected filmography

• The Chorus Girl's Romance (1920)
• First Love (1921)
• Hills of Hate (1926)
• For the Term of His Natural Life (1927) – art direction

External links

• Dorothy Hetty Fosbury (Andrea) Jenner (1891–1985) – Australian Dictionary of Biography entry by Bridget Griffen-Foley
• Dorothy Gordon – Women Film Pioneers Project profile by Deb Verhoeven
• Andrea: Darlings I've Had a Ball! (Part 1) – Australian Women's Weekly, 8 October 1975
• Andrea: Darlings I've Had a Ball! (Part 2) – Australian Women's Weekly, 15 October 1975
• Andrea: Darlings I've Had a Ball! (Part 3) – Australian Women's Weekly, 22 October 1975
• For the love of mike – Chapter 22, "HELLO, MUMS AND DADS" – Andrea – John Pearce’s memories and collaboration with Andrea