Wendy Harmer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wendy Harmer
Wendy Harmer in 2014
Born	Wendy Brown (1955-10-10) 10 October 1955 (age 69) Yarram, Victoria, Australia
Occupation	Writer, comedian, journalist
Nationality	Australian
Years active	1982−present
Notable works	It's a Joke, Joyce (1989)
Spouse	Brendan Donohoe
Children	2

Wendy Gai Harmer (born Wendy Brown, 10 October 1955) is a well-known Australian writer, comedian, and TV and radio personality. She has written many books, including popular children's series, and has hosted several famous TV and radio shows.

Early Life and Education

Wendy Harmer was born in Yarram, a town in Victoria, Australia. She grew up in different small towns across Victoria, like Warncoort and Geelong. In Geelong, she studied journalism at the Gordon Institute of TAFE and Deakin University. After her studies, she became a reporter for the Geelong Advertiser newspaper.

Career Highlights

Wendy's journalism career took her to Melbourne, where she worked for The Sun News-Pictorial. She wrote about transport, city news, and state politics.

While working as a writer, she discovered a comedy group. This group performed at a place called the Flying Trapeze. Soon, Wendy decided to try something new.

Becoming a Stand-Up Comedian

Wendy left her full-time job and started working part-time for the Melbourne Times. In her free time, she began performing as a stand-up comedian. She is known as the first Australian woman to become a stand-up comedian. This was a big step, as stand-up comedy was mostly done by men back then.

She quickly became a popular performer. She headlined her own shows at a theatre restaurant called the Last Laugh. Her shows included Faking It and Sunburn Bloody Sunburn.

Comedy Festivals and Theatre

Wendy was part of the first Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 1987. This festival featured famous comedians like Barry Humphries. She has also helped guide important theatre groups, serving on the boards of the Belvoir Theatre and the Malthouse Theatre.

Television Appearances

Wendy first appeared on TV in a children's show called Trap, Winkle and Box. She then joined a funny political TV series called The Gillies Report.

Later, she became the host of ABC TV's popular comedy show, The Big Gig. She also had her own ABC TV talk show called In Harmer's Way.

Wendy performed at the famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland four times:

• She performed a stand-up show with Richard Stubbs.
• She was part of a special Australian comedy group called OZNOST in 1988.
• Her one-woman show, Love Gone Wrong, was a big hit. It even moved to a theatre in London.
• She also performed as a solo stand-up comedian.

In 2015, her early stand-up days were remembered in the ABC TV series Home Delivery.

Radio Career

In the mid-1980s, Wendy started her radio career at 3AK. In 1993, she joined 2Day FM and co-hosted the very popular breakfast radio show The Morning Crew for 11 years.

In 2016, Wendy returned to radio. She presented the morning program on ABC Radio Sydney with Robbie Buck. They worked together for three years before deciding to leave the show in 2021.

Writing Books and Plays

Wendy Harmer is a talented writer. She has written many books for both adults and children.

Books for Adults

She has written seven books for adults. Some of her books include It's a Joke, Joyce (1989) and Farewell My Ovaries (2005). Her books are often described as light, funny novels. She also wrote a collection of her weekly newspaper columns called So anyway--: Wendy's words of wisdom.

Children's Books: Pearlie the Park Fairy

Wendy is especially famous for her series of children's books called Pearlie the Park Fairy. As of 2015, there are 17 books in this series. These books are very popular in Australia and have been published in ten other countries.

The Pearlie books were even turned into an animated TV series. This show has been seen on TV in Australia, Canada, and America. Wendy also helped adapt the first book, Pearlie in the Park, into a stage play.

Teen Novels and Plays

For teenagers, Wendy wrote I Lost My Mobile at the Mall (2009). The sequel to this book was I Made Lattes for a Love God (2012).

Besides her books, Wendy has written two plays: Backstage Pass and What Is the Matter With Mary Jane?. She also wrote the story for an opera called Lake Lost.

She has written for many Australian magazines, sharing her thoughts in columns for The Australian Women's Weekly, New Weekly, and The Good Weekend.

In 2011, Wendy started her own website called The Hoopla. It was a news and opinion site especially for Australian women, and it ran until 2015.

Television Roles

Wendy Harmer has had many roles on television. She hosted The Big Gig and her own chat show, In Harmer's Way. She also co-starred in the World Series Debate with Andrew Denton.

In 2002, she hosted the Logie Awards, which celebrate Australian TV. In 2005, she was featured in an ABC Australian Story episode. Wendy also produced, wrote, and presented a four-part TV series called Stuff in 2008.

She was a creative producer for the animated Pearlie series, based on her books. She wrote many episodes and even made a small appearance as Astrid the Dream Fairy.

Views and Advocacy

Wendy Harmer often shares her views on important topics. She describes herself as someone who cares deeply about fairness and helping people.

Political Views

In 2015, Wendy said her political ideas sounded like an "old fashioned socialist." This means she believes in things like public services being owned by the government, not private companies. She also felt that the GST (a tax on most goods and services) was not fair.

After the Australian government's budget in 2014, Wendy wrote that she found it confusing and tough. She felt it offered "no joy" and was "all punishment."

Republicanism

Wendy is a supporter of the Australian Republican Movement. This group believes that Australia should have its own head of state, like a president, instead of the King or Queen of the United Kingdom. In 1993, she even took part in a debate arguing for Australia to become a republic.

Supporting Good Causes

Wendy was a member of the National People with Disabilities and Careers Council. This group advised the Australian Government on how to help people with disabilities. She was also an ambassador for Interplast, an organization that provides free surgery for people in developing countries.

Wendy has said that activism, or working to bring about change, is a big part of her family's life.

Thoughts on Religion

Wendy grew up in a family that didn't follow a specific religion. Her father called himself a "humanist," meaning he focused on human values and reason. However, Wendy has said she is still interested in stories of religion and belief.

Personal Life

Wendy Harmer is married to Brendan Donohoe. They have two children together.

She is also a co-founder of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles' Angels. This is a group of women who support the local rugby league team, the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

Awards

Mo Awards

The Mo Awards were Australian awards for live entertainment. Wendy Harmer won one of these awards.