Biography

Avril "Polly" Wynne was born in 1959. Her parents, along with Avril’s two older brother’s, lived and worked on a sheep property near Coolabah, a small community in western New South Wales. Initial schooling was at Mount Parry Primary and later at Ascham boarding school in Sydney.

Avril explains she held the high jump record at Ascham and a few land speed records from Mount Parry Primary and all in bare feet.

Schooling completed, Avril moved back home and began working on a rural property with livestock and like many country kids Avril was well versed in driving trucks, tractors and motorcycles. That is however where the comparison ended, because “Avril”, the high jumping and bare foot land speed record holder, would go on to be one of Australia’s hardest working Stunt Performers.

"The idea of becoming a Stunt Performer had been incubating from my teens while growing up with two adventurous brothers and having many falls from horses, motor bikes and the old Toyota truck. Sometimes it was jump for your life," Avril said.

My dear mum was not that keen on the idea, although supportive of my venture into stunt work. Mum thought it was ultimately safer to work in a professional Stunt environment as opposed to some of the misadventures her daughter and son’s managed to involve themselves in on the farm.

Fast forward to the early 1980’s and Avril met and started training with the late Max Aspin, Barry Gul Branson and Guy Norris.

Barry went on to start a business called “Film Services” and Guy “The Stunt Agency” in Sydney. Max Aspin was employed as the Stunt Coordinator for Mad Max II, hiring Avril for her very first feature film. I had a blast she explained. “Little or no safety back then.”

Barry Gul Branson:
"During Mad Max II Avril shared a house with myself and others and in the evenings after work Avril would apply copious amounts of face cream to the point where I mentioned it looked like a filling product from a hardware store and so the nickname “Polly” was implemented. Polly also had a pony called "Mini" and she would bring "Mini" inside and taught her to sit on the lounge to watch television. "

Apparently "Mini’s" favourite program was “Mr Ed”.

Some years later Avril was asked to perform a stunt for an American production called “Stunt Women of the World”. Quite a memorable stunt for Avril as she jumped her motorcycle some 60 odd meters from the road at Milson’s Point onto a barge on the harbour, with the Sydney Harbour Bridge as the backdrop. The barge had a box rig to arrest the bike as it landed which worked a treat. So much so, that the bike pulled up too quickly and Avril flew over the handle bars and landed on the deck of the barge. All good! Although Avril said "I had the biggest haematoma on my thigh!"

Avril has a lifelong love of horses; competes in “Three Day Eventing” and is passionate about retraining “off the track” thoroughbreds. One horse in particular called “Bare Essentials” was the sort of horse that very few others could ride, however after a test of wills; Avril’s patients and horsemanship won out and they both went on to become a successful pair in "Eventing".

Today Avril lives on her property in the upper New England area of New South Wales working with her beloved horses.

It is a great pleasure for me to induct the tough, tenacious and talented Avril “Polly” Wynne into the Australian Film and Television Stunt Performers Hall of Fame.


Researched & Written by Spike Cherrie