Ernest Alfred Bourne[3] (1 August 1926 – 21 January 2009) was an English-Australian actor, entertainer, comedian and puppeteer, whose career spanned 50 years.
Bourne was born in Shaftesbury, Dorset, England and raised in Yeovil, Somerset where his mother ran a boarding house following the early death of his father.
Leaving school and home at the age of 14, Bourne worked in a cafe before joining the British Merchant Navy during World War II, where he became interested in acting after appearing in a pantomime.
Joining the Geelong Musical Comedy Company, he appeared in numerous stage roles starting from 1955[4] and later moving to Melbourne.
In the 1960s, he was loved (and booed) as a series of pantomime-style villains on Australian television such as Sir Jasper Crookley (in Magic Circle Club), and multiple similar baddies in Adventure Island including Sir Cedric Sneak, Captain Crook, Chummy Chums and Miser Meanie's sidekick Fester Fumble.