Nadine Lynette Garner (born 14 December 1970) is an Australian actress, known for her roles as Tamara in The Henderson Kids, Detective Senior Constable Jennifer Mapplethorpe in City Homicide, and Jean Beazley in The Doctor Blake Mysteries. She made her feature film debut in The Still Point (1986) and received an AFI nomination for Best Actress in a Lead Role for her role in Mull (1988). Garner has worked extensively in film, theatre and TV (both in Australia and the UK) and received awards and nominations for performances in each field.
Career Garner's first major role was in 1985 at age 15 as Tamara Henderson in The Henderson Kids, for which she won critical acclaim and several awards, including the Logie Award for Best Performance by a Juvenile. This was followed by a role in the soap opera Neighbours as Rachel Burns, and guest appearances in Prisoner and Prime Time. She played the lead role in the 1986 feature film The Still Point, and guested in episodes of The Flying Doctors and A Country Practice. She also appeared in two episodes of the four-part miniseries My Brother Tom as Jean Quayle. In August 1986, she reprised her role of Tamara Henderson and filmed the second season of The Henderson Kids, which was released the following year. Garner made her stage debut in the 1987 Melbourne Theatre Company production of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg.
Garner appeared in the 1987 Australian film Bushfire Moon, followed by Mull (1988) for which she won Best Actress at the 1988 Australian Film Institute Awards. She also starred in the television series House Rules. Garner played Arlene Toomer in the BBC comedy series Boys from the Bush for two series in 1991–1992. Further film roles include Metal Skin (1994), and Fresh Air (1999).
Garner has appeared in a series of minor and guest roles in multiple Australian and British television series, including The Bill, Shadows of the Heart miniseries, G.P., Twisted Tales, Good Guys Bad Guys, Raw FM, Tribe miniseries, Class Act, Water Rats, The Love of Lionel's Life telemovie, Changi miniseries – Ep.5, Heroes' Mountain telemovie, Young Lions, The Secret Life of Us, Stingers, My Life Is Murder and Through My Eyes miniseries.
Also interested in writing, she wrote and performed in the stage work Birds Eye View in Sydney in 2002. Garner has worked with most state theatre companies in a wide variety of roles in works by Shakespeare, Molière, Sheridan, Ibsen, Ziegler, Chekhov, Orton, Shaffer, Lawler and Elton. She also played the role of Desire in the highly controversial Australian musical Bad Boy Johnny and the Prophets of Doom.
In 2002–03, Garner played in a national tour of the musical Cabaret and received enthusiastic reviews—as well as two theatre awards—for her performance as "Fraulein Kost/Fritzi". From 2005 until 2006, she appeared in the Australian teen drama Blue Water High. She also appeared in feature films The Book of Revelation (2006), and Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance (2007).
Garner played the regular role of Detective Senior Constable Jennifer Mapplethorpe in the police drama series City Homicide, from 2007 to 2011. In 2010, she returned to film, appearing in The Wedding Party.
Starting in February 2013, she starred as housekeeper Jean Beazley in The Doctor Blake Mysteries opposite Craig McLachlan. In September 2013, Garner appeared as Eve in episode four of the ABC1 television comedy series It's a Date.
On 13 January 2026, Garner was cast in the second season of High Country.
Personal life Garner grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Knoxfield. She was married to Director of Photography Cameron Barnett, and they have one son and a daughter. Having divorced from Barnett, her partner (since 2019) is a designer and academic in Melbourne.
Filmography
Television Year Title Role Notes 1985 The Henderson Kids Tamara "Tam" Henderson Main cast Neighbours Rachel Burns Recurring Prisoner Young Girl Episode 526 (S7-E21)1986 My Brother Tom Jean Quayle TV miniseries A Country Practice Bonnie Stewart Episodes: "Growing Pains Parts 1 and 2" The Flying Doctors Amanda Episode: "E.T - New Girl in Town" 1987 The Henderson Kids II Tamara "Tam" Henderson Main cast 1988 House Rules Sophie TV series, 24 episodes1989 The Flying Doctors Judy McKenzie Episode 22: "Blues for Judy" All The Way TV series, 1 episode 1990 Shadows of the Heart Recurring role: Lanty Fargo TV miniseries, 2 episodes1991 All Together Now Karen Moyer Episode: "I Want to be Bobby's Girl" A Country Practice Donna Hume Episodes: "For all the Good Times Parts 1 and 2" Boys from the Bush Arlene Toomer TV series, 20 episodes1993 Cluedo Anita Lockhart TV series, 1 episode Phoenix Lindy Episode: "Inside Information" Secrets TV series, 1 episode 1994 Under the Skin TV film series, episode 1: "Dino, Where You Been"1994–1995 Class Act Gloria O'Grady TV series, 14 episodes 1996 G.P. TV series, 1 episode1997 Twisted Tales Mallory Episode: "The Crossing" Raw FM Zelda Lee TV series, 13 episodes 1999 Tribe Marie Sinclair TV miniseries, 4 episodes 2000Water Rats Shelley Andrews Episode: "Obsession" 2001 Changi Lisa TV miniseries, 1 episode 2002Young Lions Rebecca Ann Sharpe Episodes: "Kickboxer Kills Racist"; "Kickboxer on Trial"2004 Through My Eyes: The True Story of Lindy Chamberlain Sally Lowe TV miniseries, 2 episodesStingers Evelyn Ballantyne Episode: "House of Mirrors" 2005 The Secret Life of Us Anna Episodes: "Dead Man Walking"; "Kicking the Habit" 2005–2006 Blue Water High Deborah Callum / Deb TV series, 27 episodes 2007–2011 City Homicide Detective Senior Constable Jennifer Mapplethorpe Main cast 2013 It's a Date Eve Episode: "Do Opposites Attract?" 2013–2017 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Jean Beazley Main cast 2014 Farmland Not Gaslands Voice Short film documentary 2017 Shakespeare Republic Viola Episode: "Viola" 2019 Mr. Black Rowena Black TV series, 2 episodes My Life Is Murder Katrina Logan Episode: "Remains to Be Seen" Part-Time Private Eyes Karen TV series, 2 episodes 2020 Bloom Julie Cole TV series, 4 episodes 2021 Lie With Me Detective Taormina TV miniseries, 4 episodes 2022 Savage River Lynne Anderson TV series, 6 episodes2026High Country: What Lies Beneath Lynn McKenzieTV series
Film Year Title Role Notes 1986 The Still Point Sarah Feature film 1987 Bushfire Moon Sarah O'Day Feature film 1988 Half Circle Short film 1988 Mull Phoebe Mullens Feature film Australian Film Institute Awards ***1988: Won — Best Actress in a Lead Role 1993 The Feds Tammy Warren TV film series("Deception")1994 Metal Skin Roslyn Feature film1997 Good Guys, Bad Guys: Only the Young Die Good Jinx TV film / TV pilot Treading Dirt Rosy Short film, 12 minutes 1999 Fresh Air Kit Feature film 2000 The Love of Lionel's Life Lena TV film 2002 Heroes' Mountain Federal Policewoman TV film 2005 In the Shadows Short film, 10 minutes 2006 The Book of Revelation Margot Feature film 2007 Razzle Dazzle: A Journey into Dance Sarah Gunner Feature film 2010 The Wedding Party Lisa Feature film2017 Speaking Daggers Emilia Short film Mrs McCutcheon Jenny Short film, 17 minutes The Doctor Blake Mysteries: "Family Portrait" Jean Beazley TV film (broadcast in UK as episodes 9 and 10 of series 5)2018 The Blake Mysteries – A New Beginning: "Ghost Stories" Jean Blake TV film Celeste Grace Feature film2022 Darklands Samantha Romans Feature film
Music video Year Title Role Notes 1998 You Am I: What I Don't Know 'Bout You Partygoer 4 minutes
Awards and nominations Year Association Category Work Result 1985 Television Society of Australia Penguin: Certificate of Special Recognition for Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series The Henderson Kids 1986 Logie Award Best Performance by a Juvenile The Henderson Kids 1987 Television Society of Australia Best Actress in a Lead Role The Henderson Kids II 1988 AFI Best Actress in a Lead Role The Mull 1995 AFI Award Best Actress in a Supporting Role Metal Skins FCCA (Film Critics Circle of Australia) Best Actress in a Supporting Role 1997 AFI Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a TV Drama Raw FM 2003 Australian Dance Awards Outstanding Performance in a Stage MusicalCabaret Mo AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Musical Melbourne Green Room Award Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical
References
External links
Lunch with Nadine Garner. Sydney Morning Herald, February 9, 2013 City Homicide Official Website