Obituary: Peter Newberry

By PHOEBE FALCONER

Clown. Died aged 78.

Crunchy the Clown, with his black suit covered in colourful squiggles, water-squirting flower and tiny bicycle, was instantly recognisable.

Peter Leonard Newberry, who died on November 5 in Tweed Heads, New South Wales, was known and loved as Crunchy by generations of New Zealand children.

Born in Whangarei, Newberry enjoyed early success as a swimmer until ear trouble set in. He and his twin, Paul, took up weightlifting and bodybuilding and formed the De Mon acrobatic team.

They performed shows such as "Gambols Galore" in Whangarei, complete with pit orchestra and drum rolls.

Their comedy piano act entertained American servicemen stationed in the area during World War II.

The troupe disbanded and Peter Newberry and his new wife, Pat Ford, headed to Auckland. Winning second prize in a radio talent quest led to his first professional engagement - as a trick cyclist at the Avondale RSA, for £2.

Newberry and a new partner, David Baylis, formed a trick cycling duo, and took their act to the Theatre Royal in Brisbane in 1959.

When they arrived, they found they needed a second act because the Theatre Royal alternated its programme every week. They worked out a slow-balancing act and practised it on Manly Beach.

This second act, known as "Mavados, the laziest acrobats in the world", later became a favourite in Auckland cabarets.

The clowning came about by chance. The producer of Max Cryer's TV show Do-Re-Max wanted a clown, but there was no time to prepare a script, so Crunchy the whistling clown was born.

The act changed little over the next 30 years. Crunchy added talking to his whistling, and became a familiar figure at shopping malls, children's parties and galas around the country.

He toured as a circus act to Noumea, Tahiti and Fiji, and performed at the Nauru independence celebrations in 1968.

His circus career had its moments of excitement: he narrowly missed being mauled by an enraged chimpanzee, and once stood in a circus ring preventing panic as a freak storm threatened to take the tent, and the audience, away.

Newberry was recognised by his fellow entertainers with a Benny Award in 1974, and was made a companion of the Queen's Service Order in 1980.

His most difficult appearance was as Crunchy the Clown at the Auckland Easter Show in 1980. Hours before he was due to perform, he learned that his daughter Marie had died in a shooting accident in Sydney.

"It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do," he said later. "But you've just got to go out there and do what you've been paid to do - and that includes the funny faces."

Newberry moved to Australia in 1981 to follow up offers of work in shopping malls in Brisbane and Sydney. His later years were spent in retirement in northern NSW.

Peter Newberry is survived by his wife, Pat, twin brother, Paul, son Robert and three granddaughters.