From the Paddock to Prime-Time Television, Rod Gregory Proved It Was Never Too Late to Have a Crack
Every country town has its characters.
The kind who can make an entire room laugh with nothing more than a story and a perfectly timed one-liner.
Rod Gregory was one of those characters. Better known as The Old Fella, he spread laughter right across Australia.
The Yorke Peninsula farmer turned comedian was laid to rest today after countless laughs, unforgettable stories and a reminder that it’s never too late to have a crack at something new.
Long before audiences across the country were doubled over laughing, Rod had spent more than five decades on the land in some form or another — everything from shearing and spraying crops to developing his own vineyard.
Retirement wasn’t part of the plan. But after three serious back operations, Rod reluctantly stepped away from the work he loved. Looking for something to keep himself occupied, he began writing stories about farming life.
The Old Fella Finds His Audience
Those stories soon led him to a stand-up comedy workshop in Adelaide, and at 65 years of age, Rod walked onto a comedy stage for the very first time. That was the start of a whole new chapter for The Old Fella”.
Within a year he was standing in line for an Australia’s Got Talent audition, hoping for little more than a couple of minutes on television.
Instead, Australia fell in love with him.
Performing as The Old Fella, Rod’s trademark opening — a long theatrical groan followed by the single word “Viagra” — had audiences laughing before he’d even launched into a story.
He went on to finish fourth in the 2011 series, launching a comedy career that would take him to hundreds of sold-out shows across the country.
Producer Anthony Lamond, who toured extensively with Rod, said there had never been another comedian who achieved the same level of success from the television show.
But it wasn’t simply the jokes people remembered. It was Rod himself.
He had a way of turning everyday country life into comedy gold, whether he was talking about farming, family, failed business ideas or the time a rabbit-trapping venture famously resulted in catching just one penguin.
Rod also had a knack for delivering unforgettable one-liners.
“He had some wonderful expressions,” Lamond said.
“I’d ask him, ‘How did the show go in Sydney?’ His reply was, ‘Yep, had a pearler, mate. Had to fit ’em in with a shoehorn.'”
And when life threw its inevitable challenges his way, Rod’s philosophy was simple.
“You can only play the cards you’re dealt.”
Perhaps no quote summed him up better than the title of his autobiography and the words audiences heard at the end of every show. “Wouldn’t be dead for quids.”
The Man Behind the Laughter
Off stage, Rod was a devoted family man, always talking about his wife Toni (aka The Turtle), daughters Letitia and Ketrice, and his grandchildren.
He was also a passionate advocate for autism, using the end of his comedy shows to raise awareness and understanding for families navigating life on the spectrum.
“I honestly learned more about autism from Rod than you could possibly learn in a four-year-degree,” Lamond said.
“He wasn’t just interested in getting a laugh. He wanted to make a difference.”
Today, the South Australian legend was farewelled in Maitland, and word has it the crowd was so big they had to fit them in with a shoehorn. Rod Gregory was 82.
