Margaret Fink AO

Margaret Fink AO (b. 1933), film producer, was a key figure in the renaissance of Australian cinema in the 1970s. Born in Sydney, she became associated with the Sydney Push while working as a high school art teacher in the early 1950s and around this time, inspired by friends such as Clive James and Barry Humphries, decided that she wanted to make films. 'That was an unusual decision for anyone in Australia, boy or girl,' she recalls. She married businessman Leon Fink in 1961, placing her creative ambitions on hold while raising her three children. They lived in a mansion in Woollahra and Fink was renowned for her riotous dinner parties with guests including actors, artists, authors and journalists. In 1971, she saw a production of David Williamson's The Removalists in Kings Cross and decided to make a film of it, despite having very little training or experience in film. With a cast including Jacki Weaver, Kate Fitzpatrick and Chris Haywood, The Removalists appeared in 1975 and established Fink as a 'hands-on' producer who worked closely with her director. Her collaboration with young director, Gillian Armstrong, on My Brilliant Career (1979) launched the careers of Armstrong and its lead actors, Judy Davis and Sam Neill. The film won Best Picture at the AFI Awards in 1979 and was shown at the Cannes Film Festival. Fink also produced For Love Alone (1986), based on the novel by Christina Stead, and the well-received television series Edens Lost (1988) which in 1989 won an AFI Award and a Penguin Award. Candy (2006), her last production, starred Heath Ledger in his final Australian film.