Bill Kerr was 'born into a showbusiness family in Cape Town, South Africa, while his Australian parents were on a lengthy tour'. A few years later, the family returned to Australia and settled in Wagga Wagga, NSW, (hence Kerr's later recognition as 'the boy from Wagga Wagga', on British comedian Tony Hancock's BBC radio program, Hancock's Half Hour).
Kerr worked extensively in British radio, film and television, eventually returning to Australian in 1979. He was well regarded as a character actor, appearing in films such as The Dam Busters (1955), Doctor in Distress (1963), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) and Peter Weir's Gallipoli (1981).
Source: 'Bill Kerr Obituary', The Guardian, 1 September 2014
