Born in Melbourne, he was the son of a well-to-do builder who persuaded his parents to buy him an assortment of theatrical costumes to play dress up in.
Barry Humphries, the comedian best known for his character Dame Edna Everage who blossomed from an Australian suburban housewife into a self-described gigastar, died on Saturday. He was 89.
The Sydney Morning Herald said Humphries died at St Vincentâs Hospital in Sydney, where he had been treated for various health issues.
