Peter Cummins

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For the Irish musician, see Pete Cummins.

Peter Cummins
Born
Donald Cummins

(1931-06-02)2 June 1931
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died4 October 2024(2024-10-04) (aged 93)
OccupationActor
Years active1965–2003[1]

Donald Cummins (2 June 1931 – 4 October 2024), better known as Peter Cummins, was an Australian actor of stage and screen and chorister who was especially prominent in the 1970s and appeared in some of the most famous Australian films of the period.

Early life

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Peter Cummins was born on 2 June 1931, in Melbourne, Victoria. Before becoming an actor, he was a plumbing teacher.[2]

Career

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Cummins was part of the Carlton group that were influential in Australian theatre of the early 1970s, which also included David Williamson, Max Gillies, Graeme Blundell and Bruce Spence.[3] He performed extensively for the stage, working for all of Australia's major theatre companies, including the Melbourne Theatre Company for whom he appeared in The Christian Brothers, The Threepenny Opera, Glengarry Glen Ross,[4] Trumpets and Raspberries, The One Day of the Year, Heartbreak House, The Servant of Two Masters, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like, And the Big Men Fly and A Respectable Wedding.[5]

He also undertook a two year contract with Adelaide's Lighthouse Theatre[4] (now State Theatre Company of South Australia) under the artistic direction of Jim Sharman from 1982 to 1984, alongside fellow actors Geoffrey Rush, Melissa Jaffer, Gillian Jones, Melita Jurisic, Russell Kiefel, Robert Menzies, Robert Grubb, Kerry Walker and John Wood.[6]

Cummins won the Sammy Award for Best Actor for his performance in 1976 Australian film The Removalists, based on the 1971 play of the same name by David Williamson.[4] which he had also performed on stage several times. That same year he also starred in the film adaptation of Colin Thiele's Australian literary classic Storm Boy.[4] Other film credits include Stork (1971), Between Wars (1974), Sunday Too Far Away (1975), Mad Dog Morgan (1976), and Blue Fire Lady (1977),[4] Twelfth Night (1986), Ground Zero (1987) and The Man from Snowy River II (1988).[5]

Cummins has also appeared in numerous television series, including miniseries Power Without Glory, children's series Come Midnight Monday, police procedural series' Division 4 and Cop Shop, Australian classic The Sullivans, legal drama Carson's Law, miniseries' Against the Wind[4] and The Great Bookie Robbery and medical drama A Country Practice.[5]

Personal life and death

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Cummins was a long-term resident of Fitzroy, Victoria.[7][8] He died on 4 October 2024, at the age of 93. He was survived by nieces Jane and Juliet.[9][8]

Awards

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Year Work Award Category Result
1976 The Removalists Sammy Award Best Actor Won[4]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1970 Dead Easy Stranger 2
1970 Nothing Like Experience
1971 Country Town First Lair
Bonjour Balwyn TV repairman
Stork Sculptor
Carson's Watermelons Short film
The Hot Centre of the World Short film
1973 Dalmas Plastic Man
Alvin Purple Cab Driver
1974 Between Wars Steele
1975 The Firm Man Gerald Baxter
Sunday Too Far Away Arthur Black
The Great Macarthy Rerk
The Removalists Sergeant Simmonds
1976 The Dreamers
God Knows Why, But it Works Father / The Hospital Super / The Judge / The Public Servant
Mad Dog Morgan Thomas Gibson
Storm Boy Hideaway Tom
1977 High Rolling Bus Driver
Blue Fire Lady McIntyre
1983 Double Deal Detective Mills
1985 I Live with Me Dad Sergeant
1986 Sky Pirates Colonel Brien
Frog Dreaming Neville
Kangaroo Struthers
Devil in the Flesh Brother
1987 The Umbrella Woman (aka The Good Wife) Ned Hopper
Slate, Wyn & Me Old Man Downer
Ground Zero Ballantyne
1988 The Man from Snowy River II Jake
Rikky and Pete Delahunty

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1970–1975 Division 4 Various 8 episodes
1970–1975 Homicide Various 6 episodes
1973 Frank and Francesca 6 episodes
Brumby Innes Jack Carey TV play
Dimboola: The Stage Play Horrie McAdam TV play
1973–1976 Matlock Police Various 3 episodes
1974 Marion Bus Driver 3 episodes
Who Killed Jenny Langby? Frank Langby TV movie
1976 Tandarra Elliot Bjornstrom Miniseries, 1 episode
Solo One Rod Hudson 1 episode
Power Without Glory Detective Sgt O'Flaherty Miniseries, 4 episodes
The Outsiders Mick Dunn 1 episode
1977 Bluey Detective Sgt Stoner 1 episode
Trial of Ned Kelly Sergeant McIntyre TV movie
1977–1981 Cop Shop Various 15 episodes
1978 The Lion's Share Sam Jackson TV movie
Against the Wind Isaac Nichols Miniseries, 1 episode
The Sullivans Colonel Walker 8 episodes
1979 Twenty Good Years Tom Evans 3 episodes
Skyways Les Mitchell / Raymond Dixon 2 episodes
1980 Water Under the Bridge Rumbolt Miniseries, 1 episode
1981 Mortimer's Patch Johnny Morgan 1 episode
Prisoner Hartman 2 episodes
Holiday Island Robert Porter 1 episode
The Homicide Squad Harry TV movie
1982 Come Midnight Monday Albert Spack 7 episodes
1984 Special Squad Dixie Hanrahan 1 episode
Carson's Law Dr James West 2 episodes
1985 Robbery Under Arms Moran TV movie
1986 A Fortunate Life Stepfather Miniseries, 1 episode
The Fish Are Safe Ned Foley Miniseries
The Great Bookie Robbery Father Moore Miniseries, 3 episodes
The Local Rag Phil Bonnard TV movie
Twelfth Night Malvolio TV movie
1988; 1990 The Flying Doctors 2 episodes
1989 Beyond Innocence
1990 A Country Practice Father Moore 2 episodes
1991 Turn It Up Mr Banks TV movie
1992 Fast Forward Additional cast 1 episode
1992–1993 Phoenix Superintendent Wallace 26 episodes
1993 R.F.D.S. Reg Matthews 1 episode
2003 The Forest David TV movie

Theatre credits

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1965 Oklahoma!
1968 Commitment
1969 Escape La Mama, Melbourne
I Don't Know Who to Feel Sorry For [10]
May Day [11]
Dimboola
The Kitchen Table
Mr Big the Big Big Pig
The Elephant Calf / The Exception and the Rule
Whatever Happened to Realism?
1970 Customs and Excise University of Melbourne
The Front Room Boys La Mama, Melbourne
The Coming of Stork
The Man from Chicago [12]
1971 Life of Galileo
1971; 1977 The Removalists Sergeant Dan Simmonds La Mama, Melbourne with MTC [13]
1972 Bastardy Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG
Brumby Innes Jack Carey [14]
1972; 1973 A Stretch of the Imagination Monk O'Neill Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG, Newtown Theatre, Sydney [15][16]
1973 One of Nature's Gentlemen / O / Just Before the Honeymoon / Mrs Thally F Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG
Waltzing Matilda: a national pantomime with tomato sauce
Dimboola Horace 'Horrie' McAdam
1974 The Floating World
1976 Chidley Chidley Grant St Theatre, Melbourne [17]
The Overcoat Kak Pram Factory, Melbourne
Waiting for Godot Monash University Alexander Theatre, Melbourne
1977 Memories of a Carlton Bohemian: Revival La Mama, Melbourne [18]
Ravages: Heels Over Head / Dropping In [19]
Three Old Friends [20]
1977 Dimboola
1978 Oh / Let Me In Playbox Theatre, Melbourne [21]
1979 Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book for Boys
Flexitime
The Club Jack 'Jacko' Holbrook St Martins Theatre, Melbourne [22]
The Hypothetical End of Bert Brecht Russell St Theatre, Melbourne
1980 A Month in the Country
The Seagull Monash University Alexander Theatre, Melbourne
The Ship's Whistle
The One Day of the Year Alf MTC [23]
1981 Fanchen Price Theatre, Adelaide
I Sent a Letter to My Love Stan Evans Playbox Theatre, Melbourne [24]
True West [25]
1982 Lighthouse Playreading Lighthouse Theatre, Adelaide
Mother Courage and Her Children
Royal Show
Silver Lining
Signal Driver Being [26]
Spellbound
The Prince Of Homburg
1982; 1983 A Midsummer Night's Dream Lighthouse Theatre, Adelaide
1983 Pal Joey
Sunrise
The Blind Giant is Dancing Doug Fitzgerald STCSA with Belvoir Theatre Company [27]
The Marriage of Figaro Lighthouse Theatre, Adelaide
Twelfth Night
1983; 1984 Netherwood Harry [28]
1984 The Christian Brothers
The Threepenny Opera Tiger Brown
1985 Glengarry Glen Ross Levene Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC [4]
Trumpets and Raspberries Antonio Beradi Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC [29]
1986 The One Day of the Year Alf Cook [30]
Heartbreak House
The Servant of Two Masters STCSA
1987 Away
1988 And the Big Men Fly Wally Sloss Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC [31]
Romeo and Juliet / As You Like It Capulet / Corin Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC [32]
A Marriage Proposal / A Respectable Wedding
1989 Little Murders
The Cherry Orchard
A Respectable Wedding Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC [5]
Top End Dolly [33]
1990 On Top of the World Clive [34]
1991 Diving for Pearls Den [35]
On Our Selection Abe Pettigrew Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC [36]
The Crucible Giles Corey [37]
The Taming Of The Shrew
1993 Coriolanus
1995 The Floating World Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company
2001 Nowhere Josh Playbox Theatre, Melbourne [38]
2021 The Boy from Oz Greg Connell Australian national tour [39]

References

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  1. ^ AusStage. "Peter Cummins stage credits".
  2. ^ "Enter the New Wave, Melbourne". Double Dialogues, Issue 11, Winter 2009.
  3. ^ 'Graeme Blundell', Talking Heads, 29 June 2009, accessed 9 Oct 2012
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "Glengarry Glen Ross". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "A Respectable Wedding". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  6. ^ "Company History". State Theatre Company of South Australia. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  7. ^ "Old mate Peter Cummins has died. He was in his 90s and when I saw him about a year ago on a visit to Melbourne he was in very good spirits". Cinema Reborn on Facebook. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b "Donald Cummins". Legacy. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 7 December 2024.
  9. ^ "State Theatre Company South Australia would like to acknowledge the passing of a stage and screen legend who rose to prominence in the early 70s and was instrumental in shaping Australian theatre, Peter Cummins". State Theatre Company South Australia on Instagram. 10 October 2024.
  10. ^ "I Don't Know Who to Feel Sorry For". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  11. ^ "May Day". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  12. ^ "The Man from Chicago". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  13. ^ Stubbings, Diane (17 March 2025). "The Removalists". www.australianbookreview.com.au.
  14. ^ Dumevy, Maurice (25 November 1972). "A brutal vital bit of theatre". The Canberra Times via Trove.
  15. ^ "An audience of pensioners watching a play about an old pensioner The Play-'A Stretch of the Imagination' by Jack Hibberd". Getty Images. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  16. ^ Meyrick, Julian (6 October 2017). "The Great Australian Plays: Williamson, Hibberd". www.artshub.com.au.
  17. ^ "Chidley". Malthouse Theatre. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  18. ^ "Memories of a Carlton Bohemian: Revival". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  19. ^ "Ravages". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Three Old Friends: Revival". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  21. ^ "Oh / Let Me In". Malthouse Theatre. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  22. ^ Stubbings, Diane (17 March 2025). "The Removalists – David Williamson's classic of Australian theatre". Australian Book Review.
  23. ^ "From the Reading Room – Re-Reading The One Day of the Year by Alan Seymour". Melbourne Theatre Company. 23 April 2015.
  24. ^ "I Sent a Letter to My Love". Malthouse Theatre. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  25. ^ "True West". Malthouse Theatre. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  26. ^ "Signal Driver (1982)". www.patrickwhitecatalogue.com. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  27. ^ "The Blind Giant Is Dancing" (PDF). www.stagewhispers.com.au. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  28. ^ "Netherwood (1983)". www.patrickwhitecatalogue.com. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  29. ^ "Trumpets and Raspberries". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  30. ^ "The One Day of the Year". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  31. ^ "And the Big Men Fly". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  32. ^ "Romeo and Juliet / As You Like It". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  33. ^ "Top End". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  34. ^ "On Top of the World". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  35. ^ "Diving for Pearls". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  36. ^ "The Selection". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  37. ^ "The Crucible". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  38. ^ "Nowhere". Malthouse Theatre. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  39. ^ Case, Mystery. "Nowhere". www.agentmysterycase.com. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
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