Veteran Australian screenwriter Alison Nisselle has died at age 80.

Nisselle was best known for penning episodes of some of the most popular local TV shows in the last 50 years including classic 1970s dramas like The Sullivans and Prisoner.

A beloved industry identity, the hard-working writer amassed an enormous body of work that included more than 280 hours of scripted television reports TV Tonight.

Her credits also include writing episodes of Seven’s long-running soap Home and Away, the ABC’s much-loved 90s drama GP and Seven’s cop show Blue Heelers, which ran from 1994-2006.

Among Niselle’s much recent work was the popular Bryan Brown Stan series Bloom, which ran for two seasons after debuting on the streaming giant in 2019.

Veteran Australian screenwriter Alison Nisselle – pictured – has died at age 80

Nisselle penned episodes of some of the most popular TV shows ever produced in Australia in the last 50-years including classic 1970s dramas like The Sullivans (pictured) and Prisoner

A beloved industry identity, the hard-working writer amassed an enormous body of work that included more than 280 hours of scripted television reports TV Tonight Pictured: Seven’s cop drama Blue Heelers (1994-2006) one of hundreds of Nisselle’s credits

Nisselle also co-creator of the critically acclaimed 90s crime series’ Phoenix and Janus as well as the legal dramas Marshall Law.

Her other notable credits include Carson’s Law and Curtin, Parer’s War, and The Feds.

She also ventured into feature films with the 1998 Hugo Weaving crime pic The Interview.

In a statement from the Australian Writers’ Guild Niselle was described as a ‘towering figure among the generation of writers without whom today’s film and television industry would not exist.’

The statement continued: ‘She will be remembered not only for her vast and varied body of work, and her numerous accolades and awards, but also for her warmth and wit.

Nisselle also wrote episodes of Home and Away

‘She was a brilliant writer, editor, creator, producer and, to many of us, a wise and generous mentor.’

According to to TV Tonight Nisselle herself modestly as an ‘old chick, done everything.’

Over her decades in the industry Niselle was awarded  numerous honours including a Medal in the Order of Australia in 2018 and an Australian Human Rights award in 1995.

She was also awarded a Screen Leader Award Film Victoria in 2016.

Over her decades in the industry Niselle was awarded numerous honours including a Medal in the Order of Australia in 2018 and an Australian Human Rights award in 1995