Barry Humphries, the Australian-born actor and comic who performed as the character Dame Edna Everage for nearly seven decades, passed away on Saturday in Sydney.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Humphries as a great wit and satirist, and Dame Edna was a popular cultural phenomenon. Her performances featured a confessional monologue and signature greeting of “Hellooooo, Possums!” With her colorful wigs and sequins, Dame Edna parodied suburban pretensions, political correctness, and the cult of celebrity.

Her Broadway show and television series aired in the early 1990s in the US and she was considered a national treasure in Britain. Humphries wrote most of the material for Dame Edna and described her as a separate law unto herself. Despite her often caustic wit, Dame Edna was beloved by audiences around the world.

I saw Dame Edna on Broadway in New York City, it was a fantastic show. What a life! Rest in Peace Dame Edna and thanks for the laughs!