Australian TV writer Mac Gudgeon dies at 74: Longshoreman turned screenwriter was known for Waterfront, Stingers and Halifax fp
Veteran Australian screenwriter Mac Gudgeon has died at the age of 74 after a long illness.
Best known for writing the classic 1984 Aussie miniseries Waterfront starring Jack Thompson and Greta Scacchi, Gudgeon’s other credits include the hit TV crime series Halifax fp and Stingers.
Gudgeon also co-wrote the 1989 steamy teen drama The Delinquents, starring Kylie Minogue.
Born in Wollongong, Gudgeon worked as a writer in the film and TV industry for over thirty years.
He later became known as a tireless champion on behalf of writers while serving as President of the Australian Writers Guild between 1998 and 2000.
Veteran Australian screenwriter Mac Gudgeon – pictured – has passed away at the age of 74
Gudgeon wrote the classic Aussie miniseries Waterfront (1984) with Jack Thompson (right)
Gudgeon co-wrote the steamy 1989 drama The Delinquents, starring Kylie Minogue (pictured)
Gudgeon drew on his early experience as a painter and longshoreman when writing Waterfront, a hard-hitting tale of industrial unrest set in the Aussie shipyards during the Depression.
The show launched his career and was a hit for Channel 10 and later won a Logie in 1985 for Best Miniseries.
Known for his versatile talent, he later co-wrote the nuclear action thriller Ground Zero starring Colin Friels in 1987.
He subsequently garnered acclaim for his work on TV, including Channel Nine’s long-running series Halifax, fp (1994-2002) starring Rebecca Gibney.
Gudgeon’s more recent writing credits include the ABC’s indigenous-themed miniseries The Secret River in 2015, starring Succession’s Sarah Snook.
Known for his versatile talent, he later co-wrote the nuclear action thriller Ground Zero, starring Colin Friels in 1987 (pictured)
Gudgeon went on to gain admiration for his work on TV, including Channel Nine’s long-running series Halifax fp, starring Rebecca Gibney (pictured in the show)
Shane Brennan, president of the Australian Writers’ Guild, paid tribute to Gudgeon on Monday.
“Mac was a towering presence in the guild,” he said.
“He wasn’t just our heart and soul, he was our conscience, that little voice in our head that said, ‘We have to fight this.’ And we fought, so many battles with Mac who was fearless on the front line.
Mac not only manned the barricades, he built them. His contribution to this guild, to the place we deserved at the table, to the concessions we won over decades, should never be forgotten. And yes, Mac was a great writer.’