Patricia Lamond Lawman AM (29 March 1932 – 29 November 2025), known professionally as Toni Lamond, was an Australian vaudevillian, cabaret performer, singer, actress, dancer, comedian, writer and television and radio personality. She had a successful career spanning over eight decades, both locally and internationally, including in the United Kingdom and United States.
Lamond, who came from a family involved in the performing arts, started her career as a child actor in variety entertainment aged ten and was the first woman in the world to host a midday show; the second was her younger half-sister Helen Reddy.
Alongside her showbusiness contemporaries Jill Perryman and Nancye Hayes, Lamond was called one of the three grand dames of Australian musical theatre, and in her prime a talent that could rival Doris Day.
Life and career Early life Lamond was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on 29 March 1932, to vaudevillian, actress and comedian Stella Lamond (1909–1973), who appeared in guesting parts in early TV shows like Homicide and Bellbird and actor father Joe Lawman. She learned to tap-dance at 8 and began her professional career aged 10 when she sang on the radio while touring with her vaudevillian parents in variety shows.
Theatre and variety Lamond worked on the Tivoli Theatre circuit, the Brennan-Fuller Vaudeville Circuit and J. C. Williamson's and was a staple of touring mainstream theatre since 1951.
Her first stage performances were at the Tivoli Theatre in Sydney. Her first performances as a leading lady were with English comedian Tommy Trinder in The Tommy Trinder Show in 1952.
She also starred in Australian productions of Oliver!, Annie Get Your Gun, The Pajama Game, and Gypsy: A Musical Fable.
Lamond was given the nickname 'Lolly-Legs' by entertainer Noel Ferrier, who stated she had the "second best legs in the industry" when she featured on In Melbourne Tonight.
Television first and screen Lamond was a regular in a number of 1960s and 70s television shows such as Number 96 in a controversial black mass storyline and Graham Kennedy's In Melbourne Tonight. She compèred her own IMT, becoming the first woman in the world to compère a variety television show in 1961, repeating the role the following year.
In 1986, she appeared on the US television fiction crime series Murder, She Wrote starring Angela Lansbury in the episode "Murder in the Electric Cathedral". She also appeared in films, telemovies, and features such as the 2007 mockumentary Razzle Dazzle: A Journey Into Dance.
International career, recordings and stage Lamond travelled to the United Kingdom, where, in a similar vein to entertainer Lorrae Desmond, she appeared in the British night club and cabaret circuit and on BBC-TV, a programme called "First Night" (broadcast on the first night of the ITV franchise holder Yorkshire Television in 1968), and BBC Radio. She also recorded two singles in London for record label Philips.
In the mid-1970s, Lamond moved to Los Angeles, where she appeared in musicals and television shows. She debuted on the New York stage with a production Cabaret at the age of 67. On her return to Australia in the mid-1990s, she performed in shows including 42nd Street, The Pirates of Penzance, and My Fair Lady.
In April–May 2008, she appeared in an autobiographical one-woman show, Times of My Life (co-written with her son Tony Sheldon), at the Seymour Centre in Sydney.
Publications Lamond wrote several autobiographical books, including First Half (1990), Along the Way (2002), and Still a Gypsy (2007). The first book went to the top of the bestseller list in eight days.
In July 2010, Lamond was a headline act in the inaugural Melbourne Cabaret Festival.
Notable work Lamond joined the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with Trisha Crowe, Michael Falzon, Amanda Harrison, Lucy Maunder, Andy Conaghan, and others to record I Dreamed a Dream: The Hit Songs of Broadway for ABC Classics, released on 21 June 2013. Lamond sang "Send in the Clowns" from Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.
Personal life and death
Lamond through her mother was the half-sister to the late singer Helen Reddy, whom she raised as a surrogate mother while their parents were performing.
Lamond married performer Frank Sheldon in 1954; however, in 1966, shortly after a separation, he took his own life. Her son is actor and writer Tony Sheldon.
An addiction to prescription drugs followed, and she was a patient at Chelmsford Private Hospital, where she underwent deep sleep therapy. She overcame and publicly discussed the issue in an episode of The Mike Walsh Show, becoming one of the first Australian media personalities to do so.
Lamond died on 29 November 2025 in Sydney, Australia, at the age of 93.
Filmography Film YearTitleRoleType 1987 Running from the Guns Davie's Mum Feature film 1989 How Wonderful! Kerry's Mum TV movie 1991 Spotswood (aka The Efficiency Expert) Mrs. Lorna Ball Feature film 1994 The Pirates of Penzance Ruth TV movie 2007 Razzle Dazzle Sherry Leonard Feature film
Television YearTitleRoleType 1972 Number 96 Karen Winters TV series, 10 episodes 1973 The True Blue Show Various characters TV series, episode 5 1974 Division 4 Janie Gibson TV series, 1 episode 1974 Mac and Merle TV series 1975 The Unisexers Mrs. Lewis TV series (recurring role) 1977 Starsky & Hutch Ruth Willoughby TV series (US), 1 episode 1977 The Bob Newhart Show Mrs. Doris Peterson TV series (US), 1 episode 1979 Eight Is Enough Mrs. Dreissen TV series (US), 1 episode 1982 Three's Company Patient TV series (US), 1 episode 1984 Punky Brewster Stage Manager TV series (US), 1 episode 1985 The Love Boat Mrs. Burton TV series (US), 1 episode 1986 Murder, She Wrote Ad-Lib Woman TV series (US), 1 episode 1986 The Last Frontier Auntie Dier TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 Starman Edna TV series (US), 1 episode 1987 The Tortellis Mrs Hamilton TV series (US), 1 episode 1987 Highway to Heaven Maggie (as Tony Lamond) TV series (US), 1 episode 1992 Fish Police Voice Animated TV series (US), 1 episode 1992 Capitol Critters Voice Animated TV series (US), 1 episode 1997 Fallen Angels Irene Lucas TV series, 1 episode
Television (as self) YearTitleRoleType 1967 I'm Alright Now Herseif TV series 1952 The Tommy Trinder Show Guest TV series UK, 1 episode 1958 Personal Album Herself TV series, 1 episode 1959–60 BP Super Show Comedian TV series, 3 episodes 1959–70 In Melbourne Tonight Guest TV series, 6 episodes 1960 Be My Guest Guest TV series, 1 episode 1960–65 Graham Kennedy's Channel 9 Show Regular guest performer TV series 1962 The 3rd Annual Logie Awards Winner TV special 1966 Jimmy Guest TV series, 3 episodes 1968 First Night Guest performer TV Special (UK) 1969 Bandstand Guest performer TV series, 1 episode 1969 Show of the North Guest TV series (UK), 1 episode 1969; 1975 The Don Lane Show Guest TV series, 2 episodes 1972 Kamahl Guest TV series, 1 episode 1972–75 The Graham Kennedy Show Guest TV series, 5 episodes 1974 The Bert Newton Show Guest performer TV series, 1 episode 1978; 1979 The Mike Douglas Show Guest performer TV series US, 2 episodes 1978 This Is Your Life Special guest TV series, 1 episode: "Toni Lamond" 1978 The Mike Walsh Show Guest TV series, 1 episode 1981 Channel Nine Celebrates: 25 Years of Television Herself (archive clips from In Melbourne Tonight) TV special 1982 The Mike Walsh Show Guest (with son Tony Sheldon) TV series, 1 episode 1982 Parkinson in Australia Guest TV series, 2 episodes 1983; 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest TV series, 2 episodes 1986 Star Search Guest judge TV series, 1 episode 1987 The Tortellis Guest role: Mrs. Hamilton TV series (US), 1 episode 1989 The Bert Newton Show Guest performer TV series, 1 episode 1989; 1990 In Melbourne Today Guest (with Tony Sheldon) TV series, 2 episodes 1989 Turn onto Tap Presenter Video 1990 Hey Hey It's Saturday Herself TV series, 1 episode ("Red Faces" segment) 1992 The Morning Show Guest TV series, 1 episode 1994 At Home Guest TV series, 1 episode 1996 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode 1998 Good Morning Australia Guest (with Tony Sheldon) TV series, 1 episode 1998 Denise Guest (with Tony Sheldon) TV series, 1 episode 1999; Good Morning Australia Guest performer (singing "Breezin' Along with the Breeze" with Helen Reddy) TV series, 1 episode 1999 Good Morning Australia Guest performer (singing "The Place That I'll Call Home") TV series, 1 episode 2002 Good Morning Australia Guest performer (singing "I'm Still Here") TV series, 1 episode 2003 This Is Your Life: Helen Reddy Guest performer (singing "Best Friend" with Helen Reddy) TV series, 1 episode 2004 Good Morning Australia Guest performer (singing "St Louis Blues" with Tony Sheldon) TV series, 1 episode 2005 Graham Kennedy: Farewell to the King Guest performer (singing "I Believe in You") TV special 2005 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode 2005 Talking Heads Guest TV series, 1 episode 2005–2009 Spicks and Specks Guest TV series, 5 episodes 2005 50 Years 50 Shows Herself TV Special 2005 Sunday Afternoon Herself & Stuart Wagstaff (June Bronhill Tribute) ABC TV series, 1 episode 2007 Bert's Family Feud Contestant (with Noeline Brown, Val Jellay & Val Lehman) TV series, 1 episode 2009 The Real Graham Kennedy Herself ABC TV Special 2010 Lights! Camera! Party! Television City Celebrates Herself TV special 2011 Helpmann Awards Special guest - recipient of JC Williamson Award for Lifetime Achievement (with Jill Perryman & Nancye Hayes) TV special 2015–17 Stop Laughing...This Is Serious Herself TV series, 3 episodes 2018 The Recording Studio Herself TV series, 1 episode
Theatre