Here’s Dawn

1 9 6 4 – 1 9 6 5 (Australia)
30 minute episodes

After an absence of eight months, comedienne Dawn Lake returned to Australian television on Wednesday 8 April 1964, as the compere of her own show on TCN-9.

Character comedy was the keynote of Here’s Dawn, which also featured Noel Brophy, Frank Ward and Bruce Henries in the regular company.

Dawn played characters including suburban housewife Freda Frampton (in a tatty dressing gown and curlers), a warm and bouncy bus conductress called Florrie (pictured), and a mousey librarian.

The special guest on the first show was one of Dawn’s oldest friends, Lorrae Demond.

Subsequent guests included Jimmy Hannan, Judy Farr, Toni Lamond, comedian Buster Fiddess, Col Joye, Johnny Lockwood, Barbara Wyndon, and Ted Hamilton.

The show returned for a second series on Wednesday 5 May 1965, with IMT host Graham Kennedy as Dawn’s special guest.

Critics praised Dawn’s talents but criticised the poor writing, sympathising with the comedienne for having to work with such poor material, with the Sydney Morning Herald calling the show “a stale cake studded with rich pieces of fruit”.

The Bulletin said, “the show is as predictably dull and lifeless as all Australian television variety”.

The Sydney-based show was produced by Lake’s husband, Bobby Limb.

Dawn Lake passed away on 1 January 2006. She was 78.