Jane Turner
The comedic force behind Kath Day-Knight, she turned suburban Australian absurdity into a globally beloved and brutally honest cultural touchstone.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Australian comedian·Birthday: December 1·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jane Turner, alongside writing partner Gina Riley, didn't just create a television show; she bottled a very specific, hilarious, and cringe-inducing Australian essence. After cutting her teeth on the sketch comedy show 'Fast Forward,' Turner unleashed Kath & Kim upon the world, a sitcom so precisely observed in its depiction of mother-daughter dynamics and suburban aspiration that it became a national institution. Her performance as Kath—a woman devoted to 'nice, continental' platters, footy shorts, and her 'hornbag' husband Kel—is a masterpiece of character comedy, both mocking and deeply affectionate. The show's success, spawning an international remake, proved that the peculiarities of Fountain Lakes were universally recognizable. Turner’s career is a testament to the power of collaborative female creativity and an unerring eye for the details of ordinary life.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jane was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jane Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jane's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- She co-created, co-wrote, and starred in the massively successful Australian sitcom 'Kath & Kim'.
- She won multiple Logie Awards for 'Kath & Kim,' including the Gold Logie for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2003.
- The character of Kath Day-Knight, which she portrays, has become an enduring icon of Australian popular culture.
- She successfully transitioned the 'Kath & Kim' franchise into feature films with 'Da Kath & Kim Code' and 'Kath & Kimderella'.
Did You Know?
She and Gina Riley, her 'Kath & Kim' co-creator and co-star, have been close friends and collaborators since drama school.
She provided the voice for the character of Marge Simpson in the Australian version of 'The Simpsons' video game.
Before 'Kath & Kim,' she was a core cast member of the sketch comedy series 'Fast Forward' and 'Full Frontal'.
She studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney.
“We never set out to make fun of people. We just observe and then heighten it.”
