Max Osbiston


Maxwell Hamilton Osbiston was an Australian actor, active in radio, stage, film and television.

Biography

Osbiston was born in Sydney, the son of Frank and Iolanthe Osbiston of Cremorne, New South Wales.
He spent three years at the Agricultural School at Yanco, followed by North Sydney High School. He left school during the Great Depression, and with difficulty found employment delivering bread, and spent some time panning for gold in the Central West.
On his return to Sydney he found employment as a traveler for a firm selling dentists' supplies, and remained in this business for four years.
He had been attracted to the stage from schooldays, and in 1935 joined Doris Fitton's Independent Theatre, appearing in The Late Christopher Bean in October 1935, The Three Sisters in September 1936, Hassan in March 1937, and Boy Meets Girl in November 1937. During much of this time he was also acting in radio plays for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and in January 1938 he was signed to a one-year contract. His most enduring, though minor, role was in Blue Hills as Dr Peter Frobisher. He was one of three who took part in both the first and last episodes.
His professional stage career started with a small part in Of Mice and Men at the Minerva, which did not go unnoticed, and followed with French Without Tears at the same theatre, for which he received the highest accolades. Both plays were produced by Harvey Adams.
Osbiston served with the RAAF during WWII, but details are hard to find, though he may have attained the rank of flight lieutenant.
Osbiston married Beulah "Babs" Mayhew of Ermington, New South Wales sometime around early 1939. They had appeared together as a couple in the radio series As Ye Sow, and continued to work on the same shows wherever possible, Mrs Osbiston continuing to appear as "Babs Mayhew".
Max Osbiston was a cousin of film editor Alan Brigstocke Osbiston — see chart below.

Selected appearances

Radio

Osbiston had roles in literally hundreds of radio dramas, including:
Three children of Samuel Osbiston of Ryburgh, Norfolk, England found their way to Australia. Several descendants were prominent in banking, mining and the arts in Sydney: