One of Australia's favourite actors and presenters, Noni Hazlehurst recently added another notch to her impressive list of awards when she was bestowed an Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy from Flinders University in South Australia.

The beloved Playschool presenter, Better Homes and Gardens host, and celebrated film, theatre and TV actress has undoubtedly one of the most impressive and wide-ranging career portfolios in the business.

With four AFIs (Little Fish, Waiting At The Royal, Fran, Monkey Grip), two Logies (Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-series for Waterfront, Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-series for Ride On Stranger) and an Order of Australia. Noni's talents have made her a household name for more than 30 years.

Her latest role is Detective Superintendent Bernice Waverley on City Homicide.

"It's great to be playing a professional woman who commands the respect of her peers," says Noni.

"Bernice joined the force when she was 18 - attitudes to women were different then and for a female to achieve the rank Waverley currently holds means she has been a remarkably successful and diligent police officer. Her working life has encompassed a period where there have been numerous cultural and societal shifts, and Waverley is, of necessity, pretty savvy and politically aware."

Noni is particularly excited to be working opposite Shane Bourne again. The duo appeared together in a Sydney production of stage show, "Love Letters", two years ago.

"We bounced off each other really well then, and Shane's a terrific actor who is great to work with," she says. "Our characters, Waverley and Wolfe, have a wonderful rapport and mutual respect, which for police officers, is an absolute must if they are to have a decent and effective working relationship."

Noni is thrilled with the whole cast, crew and production team. "The regulars are all very experienced and in demand actors, which makes a big difference, not just from the point of view of working with them, but for the audience too."

"Not many drama series excite me, but I'm extremely optimistic about City Homicide - apart from a terrific cast, the production team is as good as any I've worked with, and the writers' list of credits speaks for itself. It's a rare thing to have the same writers all the way through, and to be working with a number of Australia's most interesting and talented directors, who all bring their own talents and perspectives to the stories. I'm pleased that Channel Seven is giving so many of our good creative people a chance to do quality work."

As National Ambassador for children's charity Barnardos and spokesperson for children's financial literacy program, "Finance First", Noni thrives on her charity work and is also an in-demand writer, penning articles for newspapers and magazines, as well as contributing to several books.