Norman Coburn (born 6 March 1937) is an Australian former actor and playwright best known for his television serial and soap opera roles. He started his early career in theatre, film and television in the United Kingdom in the mid-1950s.
Coburn became famous as High School English teacher and Deputy/headmaster Donald Fisher in the early years of the soap opera Home and Away. As one of 16 original cast members, he appeared from the pilot episode in 1988 until 2003, and reprised the character in brief sporadic returns between 2004 and 2007. Coburn retired from industry in 2008, with the exception of a TV series guest appearance in 2019 with Home and Away co-star Debra Lawrance.
Coburn was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia [2] and trained with the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in North Sydney, Australia, before travelling to Britain in the 1950s to pursue an acting career. He appeared briefly in iconic British TV shows such as Dixon of Dock Green and Coronation Street.[3] He quit acting for a time and worked as a restaurateur in London before moving to Cornwall in the south west of the country. Here he owned a vineyard and was involved in converting BBC ventriloquist and artist Francis Coudrill's studio in St Ives into The Mermaid Seafood Restaurant.[4][5] After being in Cornwall for a number of years in the 1970s, he returned to Australia in the early 1980s and decided to take on acting roles again, one of which, would be the role of Donald Fisher in soap opera Home and Away.
Coburn is best known for his portrayal of Donald Fisher, the principal of Summer Bay High School, in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He appeared from the show's pilot episode in 1988 until 2003.[6] Coburn was featured in the Guinness World Records as the longest serving actor in an Australian serial, along with co-stars Ray Meagher and Kate Ritchie.[7] Since his departure from Home and Away, he has returned in consecutive guest appearances, the last being in 2007.[3]
In 2014, 11 years after leaving Home and Away, he was featured in a photo shoot for New Idea, in a reunion with former cast members Nicolle Dickson who played his daughter Bobby, Ross Newton, who played Greg and Ryan Clark who played his adoptive grandson.
Coburn has also appeared briefly in guest roles in soap opera including The Young Doctors, A Country Practice, Sons and Daughters, Special Squad, The Hollowmen and Rosehaven.
Coburn originally resided in Perth, and later Brisbane, Queensland. He currently resides on Bruny Island, and located off the south-eastern coast of Tasmania, Australia. His daughter Nana Coburn, (born 28 September 1971) is an actress best known her two roles as Vicki Baxter and Lisa Matthews on Home and Away.