Sheila Mary Florance (24 July 1916 – 12 October 1991) was an Australian actress known for her work in theatre, television and film.

In 1948, Florance returned to Australia and resumed her acting career, initially in the theatre before transitioning to film and television.

She achieved international fame for her portrayal of Lizzie Birdsworth, an elderly alcoholic convict, in the television series Prisoner.

Florance died in 1991 from lung cancer, a week after receiving the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her final film, A Woman's Tale.

She was the eldest daughter of costumier Frances Josephine (née Lalor) and school teacher James Horn Florance.

With her father's support, she developed an interest in acting and began taking small roles with the Melbourne Little Theatre at St Chad's in South Yarra.

[2][3] In February 1935, Florance achieved one of her early theatrical successes, appearing in John Hastings Turner's play The Spot on the Sun.

[4] On 19 April 1934, at the age of 17, Florance married Roger Lightfoot Oyston, a visiting Englishman, at Holy Angels Catholic Church[note 1] in Balaclava following a whirlwind romance.

[8] As World War II approached, Florance joined the Women’s Land Army and worked on a farm near Bempton while her husband enlisted as an officer cadet.

[2][6][10] However, no official record of Bridget’s birth or death exists, and Florence's eldest son, Peter, was unable to verify the story.

[3] After returning to Australia, Florance often recounted experiences of working with the British Drama League, the Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts, and the Oxford Repertory Company during her time in Britain.

"[10]In March 1954, Florance's 18-year-old daughter, Susan Oyston, fell from the roof of her workplace, the nine-storey National Bank building in Collins Street, Melbourne.

Nine days earlier, her son Philip had accepted the AACTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role on her behalf at for her performance in her final film, A Woman's Tale.

[3] Bud Tingwell wrote her obituary and said, "nothing I write can express properly the admiration and love for Sheila Florance felt by so many of us who knew her ...

This week at a service of celebration for Sheila Florance in St Kilda, Melbourne, where she was born and lived, the church was packed.

[22][23][24] By January 1954, Florance became a member of the Union Theatre Repertory Company, receiving acclaim for her role as the mischievous aunt in Lesley Storm's The Day's Mischief.

She also played Cassandra in Christopher Fry's adaptation of Tiger at the Gates at the opening of the newly built theatre complex on St Martin's Lane.

[38] By 1961, Florance had left Channel 2 to concentrate on repertory theatre, appearing in Ferenc Molnár's The Guardsman (1961),[39] The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1961),[40] and Dracula (1962).

[46] In 1963, Florance toured Victoria with the Union Theatre Repertory Company's productions of Arms and the Man and Peter Batey's The No-Hopers.

[65] In 1987, Florance performed in two final stage productions: Uncle Vanya at the Anthill Theatre[66] and The Impostor at St Martin's Youth Arts Centre.

[72] Florance also made her first of 18 appearances[note 7] in Homicide[73] and performed in Dangerous Corner,[74] The Magic Boomerang (episode "The Stand-In"),[75] and Romanoff and Juliet in 1965.

[note 9][82] She continued to make single-episode appearances in television series such as Tandarra (1976),[83] Bluey (1977),[84] and Bobby Dazzler (1978),[85] while increasingly focusing on film work.

During filming, Florance broke her knee while handling an antique shotgun and completed her scenes with her leg and hip in plaster.

[note 10] Initially depicted as a recalcitrant, alcoholic inmate who was later revealed to be innocent, Lizzie was originally a minor character.

Florance was the only original cast member hired without an audition; Reg Watson offered her the role after reviewing her photograph and credits.

[108] Florance's final film, A Woman’s Tale (1991), was written specifically for her by Paul Cox and Barry Dickins as a tribute after they learned she was terminally ill with cancer.