Rolf Harris (born 30 March 1930) is an Australian entertainer. He has worked as a composer, comedian, actor, painter, television personality, musician and singer-songwriter. He is considered the inventor of the wobbleboard and plays both the didgeridoo and the stylophone.
Songs released by Rolf Harris include ‘Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport’ (Top 10 hit in Australia, UK and US), ‘Jake the Peg’ and ‘Two Little Boys’. He was born in Perth, Western Australia, to Agnes Margaret (née Robbins) and Cromwell (“Crome”) Harris.
Rolf Harris grew up in Wembley and was named after the Australian writer Rolf Boldlewood, whom his mother greatly admired.
Regarding his education, Rolf Harris attended Bassendean Provincial School and Perth Modern School in Subiaco. He holds a BA from the University of Western Australia and a teaching degree from the Claremont Teachers Institute (now Edith Cowan University).
His portrait was exhibited at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1947 as an entry for the Archibald Prize. He was only 16 and attending the Perth Modern School when he entered the 1947 Archibald Prize competition.
His portrait was one of his 80 which was selected from among a maximum of 200 submissions. Rolfe Harris painted the portrait of then Lieutenant Governor of Western Australia, Sir James Mitchell.
He was nominated for the Archibald Prize in 1948, but was unsuccessful. However, he won the Claude Hotchin Award for Oil Painting in 1949 for Guildford’s landscape painting May Morning.
During his childhood Rolf Harris was a swimmer and junior backstroke he was the Australian champion in the 110 yards (100 m).
From 1948 to his 1952 he was champion of Western Australia in various distances and shots. He has also hosted shows such as ‘Rolf’s Cartoon Club’ and ‘Animal Hospital’.
Rolf Harris was the host of “Kids Can Say No!” in 1985, a show aimed at advising young people on how best to avoid situations that could lead to sexual abuse. .
Rolf Harris was arrested by police in late 2012 when the Jimmy Saville sexual abuse scandal came to light.
As a result of these crimes, he was convicted of sexually assaulting four underage girls in England in 2014, effectively ending his career.
In 2014, 84-year-old Rolf Harris was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison, but he was released in 2017.
Rolf Harris died on May 10, 2023 at the age of 93 after being unable to speak due to throat cancer. Thirteen days after his death, the public was informed of his death.
Daughter of Rolf Harris
The daughter of Rolf Harris was Bindi Harris. Bindi Harris was born on March 10, 1964 to Rolf Harris and his wife Arwen Hughes.
Although she was born in England, she grew up in Berkshire, England. Bindi Harris is an abstract artist and she was educated at an art school.
Bindi Harris had a passion to become an artist since childhood. She enrolled in Amersham School of Art and completed a two-year BTEC course in just a year .
She also graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Bristol Polytechnic.
