Arna-Maria Winchester was an Australian actress, appearing on film, TV and in the theatre.
Career Winchester played the lead role of Carmel Stilson in the 1980 science fiction thriller film The Chain Reaction, alongside Steve Bisley. She also played Doona Douglas in the 1984 TV film Man of Letters, opposite Warren Mitchell.
Her other film credits included sex-comedy sequel Alvin Rides Again (1974), Sidecar Racers (1975), adventure film Eliza Fraser (1976), TV movie Cass (1978), fantasy comedy horror Pandemonium (1987) and thriller Initiation (1987). She also appeared as herself in the documentary film, Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! about Australian New Wave cinema of the 1970s and 1980s.
Winchester also appeared in numerous television series. From 1983 to 1984, she played one of the lead roles as daughter Christine King in the 1983 TV series Kings. She also appeared in 1982 World War I drama miniseries 1915 as Brigid Scott.
Winchester had guest roles, in several Crawford Productions series including Ryan, Homicide Division 4 and Matlock Police. Further guest credits included Spyforce, Boney, Certain Women, Silent Number, Shannon's Mob, The Box, Cop Shop, Bellamy, A Country Practice, Special Squad, miniseries The Dirtwater Dynasty and Rafferty's Rules. She made later guest appearances in E Street, Heartbreak High, The Lost World, All Saints and H2O: Just Add Water.
Winchester's stage appearances included Come Live With Me at Sydney's Phillip Theatre in 1971, The Hell Of It and Baby Baby at Sydney's Stables Theatre in 1982 and La Musica at Lookout Theatre in 1996.
Personal life
Winchester was married to Terry Stanton and lived with him in Bali, where she opened a clothing boutique, while Stanton worked as a hotel manager.
She gave birth to son, Putu (meaning 'first born') Sugiarta Winchester-Stanton in Denpasar on New Year's Eve. Putu is also an actor, best known for playing Dennis Klinsmann in Heartbreak High from 1997 to 1999, from the age of 18. While pregnant with Putu, Winchester was bitten by a wild dog and underwent injections which compromised her health for the rest of her life.
Stanton became violent after a motorcycle accident in Bali, which led to Winchester moving back to Australia with her son, and her marriage ending.
Winchester left behind a grandson, Ryder.https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/heartbreak-high-star-putu-winchesters-tragic-fall-from-fame-231748305.html
Death
Winchester died from a brain tumour in Byron Bay in 2008. At her wake, her son Putu and ex-husband Stanton got into a physical fight, resulting in Stanton being placed in a coma and eventually dying. Putu was cleared of any wrongdoing in his father's death.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Type 1974 Alvin Rides Again Nancy Feature film 1975 Sidecar Racers Marlene Feature film1976 Eliza Fraser Mrs Cameron Feature film McManus MPB Policewoman Farrow TV movie 1977 Out of It Hitch-Hiker Film 1978 Cass TV movie 1980 The Chain Reaction Carmel Stilson Feature film 1984 Man of Letters Doona Douglas TV movie 1985 Taking a Look Woman Short film1987 Coda Dr Steiner TV movie Pandemonium B. De Woolf / Wife Feature film Initiation Sal Feature film 1997 Dust Off the Wings Guest Film 1992 September Her Short film2008 Mixed Bag Brigid Short film Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! Herself Documentary film
Television Year Title Role Type 1969–1975 Homicide Mary Callaghan / Pam Condon / Shirley White / Valerie Kersten / Margaret Jackson 5 episodes 1970 Phoenix Five Leonian S1E3: "To End Is to Begin" 1971 The Comedy Game S1E4: "Gaudeamus Igitur" 1971–1972 Spyforce Jill Stewart 3 episodes 1972 Boney Robin Pointer S1E9: "Boney and the Black Virgin" 1972–1974 Matlock Police Poppy Reid / Julie Turner / Judy Winter 3 episodes 1973 Certain Women The Evil Touch Jeanette / Evie 2 episodes 1973; 1974 Ryan Misty / Terri Davis 2 episodes 1973; 1975 Division 4 Janie / Melanie 2 episodes 1974 This Love Affair Diane S1E3: "Good Time Charley – The Chequer Cab Kid"1975 Silent Number Leah S1E31: "The Outlook for Monday" Shannon's Mob Ingrid S1E10: "The Playpen" 1976 The Box Ann Chambers 2 episodes Up The Convicts 1980–1982 Cop Shop Ruth Hill / Nancy O'Neil 4 episodes 1981 Bellamy Gwen S1E1: "The Massage Girl Murders" Sporting Chance S1E5: "99th in the World" 1982 1915 Brigid Scott Miniseries, 3 episodes 1983 The Dismissal Miniseries, episode 2 A Country Practice Frances McNichol 2 episodes 1983–1984 Kings Christine King 13 episodes 1984 Special Squad Cassie Summers Episode 17: "Wild Man" 1985–1987 The Fast Lane S1E7: "The Sound of One Hand Counting" 1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty Mrs Tarbox Miniseries, episode 1 1989 Rafferty's Rules Rose Willis S5E5: "Out of Line" 1991 Boys from the Bush Gloria Goodson Episode 2: "Poetic Galah" 1993 E Street Helen Newman Episode 396 1997 Heartbreak High Michelle Williams S5E34 2000; 2001 The Lost World Hagen Queen / Lor 2 episodes 2002 All Saints Susanne Zinenko S5E31: "Where the Heart Is" 2006 H2O: Just Add Water Aunt Thea S1E7: "Moon Spell"
Theatre Year Title Role Type1969 The Imaginary Invalid Louise Theatre Royal, Hobart Mrs Porter and the Angel Tatty Hollow PACT Youth Theatre, Sydney 1971 Come Live With Me Phillip St Theatre, Sydney 1973 Jugglers Three Keren Playbox Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1974 The Chapel Perilous Sally Banner Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre Company1975 Ivanov Sydney Opera House A Programme on Farce UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney 1976 Look Back In Anger Monash University with The Alexander Theatre Company 1981 Outside Edge Ginnie Marian St Theatre, Sydney1982 The Hell Of It Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company Baby Baby Myra Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 1985 Steaming Seymour Centre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre 1996 La Musica Lookout Theatre 2004 Howard the Arselicker Seymour Centre, Sydney with 24HRRR
References
External links
Biographical cuttings on Arna-Maria Winchester, actress, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals at the National Library of Australia