Outside the Ritz Randwick today, flowers were placed on Charles Tingwell's plaque in the pavement.

Tingwell was best known as the star of the iconic police show and the much-loved Australian film . Tingwell was born in Coogee, NSW, in 1923. He became the country's youngest radio announcer when working at 2CH in Sydney before going on to serve in Britain's Royal Air Force as a Spitfire pilot in World War II.

After the war, his first speaking role was in 1945 in the film , about aviator Charles Kingsford Smith. After a stint in Hollywood, Tingwell and his wife Audrey lived in London from 1956 until the early '70s. He became well known as the star of a live-to-air drama . When returning to Australia in 1972 Tingwell went on to star in a number of TV shows including and . He became the star of the iconic police drama , playing Inspector Reg Lawson. His recent credits include the 1997 film , the miniseries and a role in . He also appeared in .

In 1994, he was admitted to the Gold Logie Hall of Fame. During an interview with the program in 2004, Tingwell spoke extensively about his love for his family and his deep sense of loss after his wife died in 1996. He was also proud of the late renaissance of his career. "If you keep your wits about you, you can learn from everything you do," he said. Vincent O'Donnell, the former president of the Producers and Director Guild and a friend of Tingwell for more than 25 years, praised the actor for his fine character. "In an industry where rumour and innuendo are the lingua franca, and mischief and malice is all too commonly the currency of small talk, I was deeply impressed with his charity and humanity, Dr O'Donnell said today.

Tingwell was given the nickname Bud by his family. It was adopted during his mother's pregnancy, when her friends at Coogee Surf Club teased her about "what's budding in there".

It was later contracted to "the bud" and finally " Bud".

"I rather liked Charles. But I also love the ordinariness of Bud," Tingwell said.

On his website, Tingwell described his great passion for his wife, Audrey. "I opened the door and there she was: a dark-haired, hazel-eyed sixteen year old vision called Audrey Wilson. I was dazzled. I can't remember if I said to myself that this was the girl I was going to marry, but I do know I fell for her quickly and decisively," he said.

Loading He is survived by his son Christopher and daughter Virginia Tingwell, who is also an actor.

