Departures of note

Alister Smart was an Australian actor, television presenter, director and screenwriter whose career spanned more than four decades. He began in theatre in the early 1950s, working in England and Australia, before moving into television in the 1960s. He appeared in numerous Australian productions, including Number 96, The Sullivans, Skippy, Cop Shop and Rafferty's Rules, as well as British anthology and drama series. He was best known as one of the original presenters of ABC's children's series Play School, appearing in its debut episode in July 1966 and continuing in the role for 22 years across more than 200 editions, with repeats airing until his retirement in 1993. He also directed extensively, including around 88 episodes of the popular 1980s drama Sons and Daughters, as well as episodes of A Country Practice, Prisoner, Neighbours and Blue Heelers. Smart died in September 2026 at his home in East Gippsland, Victoria, aged 90.