Barry Humphries

Lore & Background

Humphries was born in the suburb of Kew in Melbourne, Victoria, the son of a construction manager and his wife. He grew up in a modern suburban home in Camberwell, where he spent hours playing at dressing-up in the back garden, disguising himself as different characters. During this time he became a follower of the Dada art movement, mounting pranks and performances that have become part of Australian folklore, including an exhibit called 'Pus in Boots' and a mock pesticide product called 'Platytox'.

Reader's Guide

Barry Humphries is significant for his creation of satirical characters that achieved international renown, most notably Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson. Dame Edna evolved from a dowdy housewife caricaturing Australian suburban complacency into a satire of stardom: a gaudily dressed, acid-tongued, egomaniacal 'housewife gigastar'. Sir Les Patterson, a priapic and inebriated cultural attaché, was designed to bring worldwide discredit upon Australian arts and culture. Humphries's legacy lies in his sustained, multi-decade career as a satirist who used character comedy to critique suburban life, stardom, and Australian identity.

Did You Know?

• Humphries's parents nicknamed him 'Sunny Sam'.
• He invented his first sustained character, 'Dr Aaron Azimuth', as a teenager.
• His Dadaist exhibit 'Pus in Boots' consisted of a pair of Wellington boots filled with custard.
• The book version of his comic strip 'The Wonderful World of Barry McKenzie' was banned by the Australian government for relying on indecency for its humour.