Australia has had only a few TV Horror Hosts, with many of them known as Deadly Earnest. The first Deadly character was performed by Roland Barnes. The idea of the character was developed by Max Bostock of the Western Australian television station - TVW-7 in 1959. The idea for a Deadly was picked up by four other states from 1966 to 1978. Barnes was born in Lancashire, United Kingdom in 1926. After arriving in Australia, he spent time in Queensland in the 1950's and later in Western Australia, where he played Charlie Davenport in the stage show "Annie Get Your Gun", and "The Teahouse of the August Moon" at the Playhouse, Perth; as well as other productions Barnes - old gentleman on the left Although sources state that Barnes commenced as Deadly Earnest in 1961, other sources suggest that it may have been from 16 October 1959 until November 1960. He returned to the United Kingdom and was married on 31 December 1960. He died in 2014. These behind the scenes photographs are all that have survived from the show. Portrait of the "Deadly Earnest" by Dave Dunlap.

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