Actress Judy McBurney has passed away at the age of 70 after a near four-year battle with cancer on Saturday morning.

McBurney was best known for her roles as Pixie Mason in the Australian TV series hit Prisoner - also known as Cell Block H - and Tania Livingston in The Young Doctors.

'It's with huge sadness the news has just reached me that Judy passed away at 6.15 this morning at a hospital in Sydney after a battle with cancer,' a post on Ms McBurney's official Facebook page read.

Family members shared their sadness and fans lamented the loss of a 'true Australia icon'.

Actress Judy McBurney (pictured playing the role of Tania Livingston in The Young Doctors) has passed away at the age of 70 after a near four-year battle with cancer on Saturday morning

'We have watched Jude bravely fight this cancer over the last three or four years. She was a lovely loving generous person,' a cousin of the actress said.

'Thank you for all the memories and legacy you have left us, love to you and your family. I'm going to listen to 'pixies song' now,' one fan wrote.

'Terribly sad news to lose an actress who lit up the screen with such positive energy,' another fan shared.

'RIP Judy and I hope your friends, family and loved ones can take comfort in the knowledge you gave so many people so much pleasure over the years in your work, and will continue to do so for many years to come.'

She went on to play Sandra 'Pixie' Mason in Prisoner (left) which gained a cult following for its portrayal of life inside a women's minimum-security prison

Judy McBurney became a household name after rising to fame in the hit TV series The Young Doctors where she played the part of nurse Tania Livingston (pictured)

Judy McBurney became a household name after rising to fame in the hit TV series The Young Doctors where she played the role of nurse Tania Livingston from 1977 until the series ended in 1982.

She then went on to play Sandra 'Pixie' Mason in Prisoner, a show inspired by the British television drama Within These Walls.

The show gained a cult following for its portrayal of life inside a women's minimum-security prison.