She began performing at age 10 on radio and went on to star in major Australian musicals including Oliver!, Cabaret, My Fair Lady and Annie Get Your Gun, establishing a long-stage career.

Lamond maintained a prolific presence on television and variety/talk shows, appearing on programs such as The Graham Kennedy Show, The Mike Walsh Show, The Bert Newton Show, and Good Morning Australia.

Her theatre work extended to television roles in series like Number 96, The Unisexers and The Last Frontier, alongside landmark stage productions.

Her legacy centers on perseverance, creativity, and resilience, encapsulated by the motto to “hang in there” and never give up, which continues to inspire artists and audiences.

In 1966, while touring Oliver!, she faced the death of her husband Frank by suicide, a heartbreak she described as lasting for years yet she performed the next night.

Her family’s showbiz lineage is celebrated by her son Tony Sheldon, who publicly commemorated her career and her role as a pioneer, including recognition as a pioneering Tonight Show host.

She authored several autobiographical works, including First Half, Along the Way, and Still a Gypsy.

Her sister Helen Reddy, also a renowned singer and actress, passed away in 2020 at age 78.

In 2019, at age 90, she recorded As Long As He Needs Me with a 35-piece orchestra, a late-career milestone praised as a curtain call.

Toni Lamond, a distinguished Australian performer spanning vaudeville, musical theatre and cabaret, died at 93 after more than eight decades in entertainment.

Her death on November 29, 2025, at age 93 marked the end of a career that bridged cabaret, theatre, film and television.

Lamond’s career encompassed cabaret, theatre, film and television, solidifying her status as a prominent figure in Australian entertainment.

Her honors include the Order of Australia for service to the entertainment industry, along with multiple lifetime achievement and arts awards from various organizations.

Her accolades span Logie Awards, Mo Awards, Variety Club Awards, Helpmann and Equity lifetime achievements, the Centenary Medal, and inclusion on the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

The broader recognition of her contributions underscores a lasting impact on Australian performing arts and television history.

Her son Tony Sheldon became a celebrated actor and singer, notably performing as Bernadette in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, and publicly honoring his mother on social media.

Lamond’s family legacy in show business extends across generations, with her son continuing to carry the torch on international stages.

Born in Sydney in 1932 to a showbiz family, she hailed from a lineage of entertainers, with her half-sister being Helen Reddy.

From the mid-1970s, Lamond split her career between Australia and Los Angeles, influencing cross-cultural entertainment exchanges and mentoring future performers.

She is regarded as one of the three grand dames of Australian theatre, with landmark credits in Oliver!, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy, 42nd Street, Cabaret and many more.

In the 1960s and 1970s, she became a familiar TV presence, hosting and appearing on major shows and was the first woman to guest host In Melbourne Tonight in 1961.

Lamond endured personal tragedy, including her husband’s suicide, yet continued performing while raising her son, Tony Sheldon, who also pursued performance.

Her career extended internationally with work in the United Kingdom, Los Angeles and New York, including a New York stage debut at age 63 in Cabaret.

She is noted as the first woman to host a Tonight Show and to portray a lesbian character on television, marking historic milestones in TV history.

Her first marriage to Frank Sheldon ended amid tragedy in 1966, a turning point that influenced her career moves and resilience.