Lyn Collingwood (born 6 September 1936 in Sydney, Australia), credited also as Lynn Collingwood, is an Australian actress, writer and theatre director.

She has appeared in television and film roles, as well as worked in theatre as an actress and director. She is best known for her role in the TV series Home and Away as sticky-beak comic relief character Colleen Smart Stewart, where she became well known for her trademark catchphrase "Yoo Hoo, It's Only Me".

Early life Collingwood was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 6 September 1936. She attended the University of Sydney, where she acted in undergraduate stage productions alongside John Bell and Richard Ward.

Collingwood after graduating university worked as an English, drama and history teacher for seven years and as a social worker.

Career Early career While teaching, she conducted school plays, which lead to her performing in an Australian musical, upon which the director encouraged her to hire a talent agent, which lead to acting work in television commercials.

Collingwood appeared in a film short in the early 1960s, before appearing in a few TV roles from the late 1970s. One of her early roles was a guesting part in popular local soap opera Number 96.

Home and Away She became most known however, when she was cast in serial Home and Away as recurring gossip comic character Colleen Smart (later Stewart) in 1988 to 1989. In 1997 she returned for a guest appearance, before returning again in 1999, this time as a regular character, remaining a permanent member of the cast for the next 14 years until leaving in May 2012, to concentrate on writing and directing. She did however make a return to the series in November 2012, before departing again in 2013.Oram, James "Home and Away: Behind the Scenes p.8 published 1989 She has since stated that she has no intention of returning to Home and Away, feeling she is now too old to do so.

Television and film roles Collingwood has had guest roles in numerous other TV serials including A Country Practice, Rafferty's Rules, E Street, G.P. Spellbinder, Murder Call and All Saints. Other small-screen credits include 2015 online sitcom A Shared House and an episode of Remember My Name, playing the role of Grandma Doris.

Collingwood's film credits include Palm Beach (1979), alongside Bryan Brown, ...Maybe This Time (1980), opposite Bill Hunter and Judy Morris, TV movie Chase Through the Night (1983), alongside Nicole Kidman and John Jarratt and A Test of Love (1984), opposite Angela Punch McGregor. Further credits include 1985 family TV film Archer’s Adventure, once again with Nicole Kidman, 1986 dystopian Ozploitation film Dead End Drive-In, and later, a small role in 2009 film The Makeover, opposite her former Home and Away cast mate Martin Dingle-Wall. In 2013, she appeared in short film Worm.

Theatre Collingwood has also performed in theatre production's, joining Sydney's New Theatre in 1980. In 2009, she founded 'Players in the Pub', a company presenting play readings, in which she both acts and directs. She more recently appeared in a production of Marat/Sade at New Theatre in 2016.

Publications and other works Collingwood has also worked in research and was an editor of The Australian Encyclopaedia, as well as a sole updater of the 21st Century Junior World Encyclopedia and the 30-volume Everyman's New Age Encyclopedia. She was also a project developer on the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Australia. Additionally, she worked as a book editor, primarily for publisher Hale & Iremonger, compiling their annual An Australian Woman's Diary.

Collingwood is also a historian and writer and member of the Glebe Society. In 2017, she launched a website detailing the history of Sydney's New Theatre.

In 2025, Collingwood wrote a book about the history of Dover Heights, the Sydney suburb where she grew up, titled Dover Heights: Rocks and Sand They Couldn't Sell.

Personal life Collingwood has one daughter.

In 2025, a death hoax rumour started circulating on Facebook, stating that Collingwood had died after a long illness. She later addressed the rumour to New Idea magazine.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1963 It Droppeth as the Gentle Rain Short film1980 Palm Beach Mrs. Adams Feature film ...Maybe This Time Myrtle Feature film 1982 A Dangerous Summer Woman in Van Feature film 1984 Annie's Coming Out (aka A Test of Love) Mrs. O'Farrell Feature film 1986 Dead End Drive-In Fay Feature film 1990 Call Me Mr. Brown Woman Caller at Phone Box Feature film 1994 Cops and Robbers Boss Feature film 1995 From Sand to Celluloid: Round Up Matron Short film 2009 The Makeover Gran on Beach 2013 Worm Aunty Beth Short film

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref. Number 96 1979 Patrol Boat Swain's Wife Season 1, episode 6 1980 People Like Us Maisie Stanley TV movie 1981 Bellamy Mrs. Marks Season 1, episode 1 1982 Spring & Fall Sister Season 2, episode 2 1983 Chase Through the Night Mrs. Y. TV movie 1985 Possession Iris Dawson Season 1 Archer (aka Archer's Adventure) Shoekeeper TV movie 1987 The Harp in the South Nursing Sister Miniseries, 3 episodes Rafferty's Rules Janine Graham Season 3, episode 4 1987, 1990A Country Practice June Nunn Season 7, episode 42 Jean Quigley Season 10, episode 20 1988–1989, 1997,1999–2013 Home and Away Colleen Smart Seasons 1–2 (recurring), Season 10 (guest)Seasons 12–25 (regular),Season 25–26 (guest)1989E Street Mrs. Wilson Season 1, episode 1 Mrs. Jenkins Season 1, episode 50 1990 The Money or the Gun Season 2, episode 10 1991 G.P. Marge Slater Season 3, episode 6 1995 Spellbinder Nurse Season 1, episode 15 1997 Murder Call Mother Agnes Season 1, episode 12: "Wages of Sin" 1999 All Saints Laraine Parkes Season 2, episode 5 2002 Home and Away: Secrets and the City Colleen Smart Direct-to-video special 2016 A Shared House Helen Season 2, episode 1 2022 Remember My Name Grandma Doris Season 1, episode 3

Theatre

As actor Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1975 A Bunch of Ratbags The Australian Theatre, Sydney 1979 The Sea Mafanwy Price Nimrod Theatre, Sydney 1980 And I Still Call Home Australia Stage Manager / Ronald MacDonald's Victim / Miss Fiske New Theatre, Sydney 1981 Flexitime Beryl Phillip St Theatre, Sydney Goldilocks and the Three Bears 1982 Amadeus Teresa Salieri Theatre Royal Sydney with STC 1985 Yobbo Nowt Marie New Theatre, Sydney 1987 An Enemy of the People 1990 The Government Investigator Q Theatre, Penrith 1992 A Hard God Ensemble Theatre, Sydney Traitors New Theatre, Sydney Macbeth 1993 Cloud 9 The One Day of the Year Riverina Playhouse, Wagga Wagga 1994 The Family Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney with QTC 1996 Kafka's Dick Melbourne Athenaeum 1997 The Season at Sarsaparilla Girlie Pogson New Theatre, Sydney 1998 Love for Love Sydney Opera House with STC 2001 Les Liaisons Dangereuses New Theatre, Sydney 2002 Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde Stop Laughing, This is Serious: 70 years of Review at the New Theatre 2003 The Killing of Sister George June Buckeridge 2015 Medea Roxbury Hotel, Sydney with Players in the Pub 2016 Marat/Sade Madame Coulmier New Theatre, Sydney 2024 That's Murder! and Other Plays The Harold, Sydney with Players in the Pub Sherlock Holmes All the World's a Stage 2025 Under Milk Wood Les Femmes Savantes (The Learned Ladies)

As director Year Title Role Notes Ref.2002 Stop Laughing, This is Serious – 70 Years of Review at the New Theatre Director New Theatre, Sydney One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Director 2004 Hating Alison Ashley Director A Christmas Carol Adaptor / Director 2005 Manly Mates Director 2013 An Ideal Husband Director Roxbury Hotel, Sydney with Players in the Pub 2020 Bleak House Director Toxteth Hotel, Sydney with Players in the Pub 2022 Hedda Gabler Director The Friend in Hand, Sydney with Players in the Pub 2023 Reedy River Director Broken Hill with New Theatre, Sydney 2025 Lady Charing is Cross Director The Harold, Sydney with Players in the Pub

Notes

References

External links

Lyn Collingwood biography, Home and Away, Network Seven.