Lorrae Desmond AM, MBE (born Beryl Hunt;[4] 2 October 1929 – 23 May 2021)[a] was an Australian Gold Logie-award-winning singer, recording artist, radio and television presenter, character actor, and playwright, with a career that spanned over 55 years both locally and in the United Kingdom.

Desmond carved out a career as a variety performer, as a singer and radio/television presenter, primarily at the BBC, where she had her own shows during World War II.

Returning to Australia, she became a popular presenter and remains best known to early local television audiences as hostess of the musical variety program The Lorrae Desmond Show from 1960 until 1964.

She also toured the Middle East, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya and Somalia,[3] where she became known for her live singing performances, billed as a forces sweetheart, in the style of Vera Lynn and Anne Shelton, for which she was honoured with an MBE for services to entertainment.

However, she became famous for her long-running role in the television series A Country Practice, as the original character of nurse Shirley Gilroy, appearing in 816 episodes from 1981 to 1992.

She performed as both a solo artist and with backing group The Rebels, whilst making studio recordings and featured in everything from theatre, cabaret, pantomime, and radio.

She was widely courted as being the Australian Forces Sweetheart, amongst others including Dinah Lee, Little Pattie, Cathy Wayne, Sylvia Raye, Lynne Fletcher and Jacqui De Paul.

[10] Australia didn't have its own honours system at the time, however Desmond was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1970 for services to "entertainment and the welfare of the Australian Forces in Vietnam".

Desmond co-wrote the lyrics to the musical Man of Sorrows (originally titled Jesus Christ Revolution) which premiered in Melbourne in 1972.

[citation needed]In 2001, she obtained the rights to write the lyrics for a musical play based on Bryce Courtenay's novel Smoky Joe's Cafe, about the effects of the Vietnam War on a veteran.