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History
After letting Neighbours slip through its fingers in 1985, only to see it soar to dizzying heights on Network Ten, the Seven Network was determined to get a teen-friendly drama of its own off the ground.
The seeds of Home and Away were planted when head of drama Alan Bateman stopped to buy ice-creams in a small country town in Southern NSW and got chatting to some locals, who were unhappy about a home for foster kids from the city being built in their town. Struck by the potential for plenty of storylines – and conflict – in the idea of streetwise city kids being relocated to a different environment, he went off to develop the idea and eventually Home And Away was born.
In the beginning, the story focused on Pippa (Vanessa Downing) and Tom Fletcher (Roger Oakley). Unable to have kids of their own, they had decided to become foster parents and, after Tom was retrenched from his city job, the Fletchers bought the rundown Summer Bay caravan park from Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher) and moved there with their five foster children. Soon after arriving, they also took in troublesome Bobby Simpson (Nicolle Dickson), bringing their brood to six.
The Home And Away telemovie screened in January 1988 and rated well, but, just as it took the Summer Bay locals a while to embrace the new family in town, so it took a while for the Australian public to take to this new soapie. Ratings were low in the beginning but, obviously learning its lesson from Neighbours, instead of rushing to take it off-air, Seven gave its new show time to find an audience – and gradually its popularity grew.
In some ways Home And Away had the perfect theme for a successful soapie: troubled teens with lots of problems – drugs, run-ins with the law, pregnancies, deaths, dodgy relatives turning up to cause more trouble… And the "foster kids" angle meant that there was always an excuse for bringing in new, attractive teens to replace the old attractive teens. Plus, its beachside setting afforded many opportunities for putting the attractive teens in bikinis and boardies.
When Home And Away briefly went head-to-head with Neighbours in Perth, the newer soapie managed to out-rate its old rival and Neighbours was quickly moved from that timeslot. When the show debuted in the UK in February 1989, it was slow to take off, as Neighbours had been, but soon kids were once again wagging school to see the show. Despite being on air for 18 years, it remains a ratings winner and looks set to continue for many years.
Discussion Board
What do you think about Home and Away and its characters? Share your thoughts and opinions about the drama on its discussion board
Meet the characters
Alf Stewart played by Ray Meagher
Like his father and grandfather, Alf was born and bred in Summer Bay and is a prominent figure and business owner in the area. He can be a bit gruff – "Flamin' mongrels" is a favourite insult – but under it all he's a softie who has helped many of the troubled local kids.
Annie Campbell played by Charlotte Best
Young Annie lives with her grandfather, Bruce, and her brother, Geoff, on the family farm on the outskirts of town. Although she used to be home-schooled by Bruce, Annie now attends Summer Bay High School. She just doesn't understand why her brother can't get along with her reading tutor, Lucas Holden.
Belle Taylor played by Jessica Tovey
Shocked but also relieved to find that her strict religious parents were not really her parents, Belle arrived in Summer Bay looking for her birth mother, who turned out (to everyone's surprise) to be Amanda. It seems that Belle has inherited her mother's scheming ways and starts causing problems with some of the local boys almost immediately.
Jessica answers your reader questions
Brad Armstrong played by Chris Sadrinna
Easy-going, patient and with a daggy sense of humour, spunky headmaster Brad has a talent for working with troubled youngsters. He's popular with the Summer Bay residents, who rallied round him when his wife, Emily, died.
Cassie Turner played by Sharni Vinson
This wild child suffered abuse when she was a youngster, but being fostered by Sally and Flynn helped her overcome her tough start in life. She's got a quick wit, a sharp tongue, is spunky and energetic and gets into her fair share of trouble.
Colleen Smart played by Lyn Collingwood
She's a bossy boots, a stickybeak and a gossip, but she also has a heart of gold and has been a shoulder to cry on for many of the town's youngsters over the years.
Dan Baker played by Tim Campbell
Student counsellor Dan seems like a nice, decent guy, but he's had some rocky relationships and major personal ups and downs, including divorce (from Amanda), death (his brother Peter), near-death (Leah's son VJ and his own suicide attempt) and near-divorce (from Leah).
Tim answers your reader questions
Drew Curtis played by Bobby Morley
The quintessential "angry young man", Drew's got a lot of baggage. Because he's felt rejected by his family in the past, he's acted out in destructive ways and pushed those who've tried to get close to him away. Rebellious, stubborn and brooding, he's a bit of a loner – but he still has an eye for the girls.
Geoff Campbell played by Lincoln Lewis
Geoff lives on a farm outside Summer Bay with his grandfather, Bruce, and his sister, Annie. His biggest enemy is Lucas Holden, who is his sister Annie's school tutor.
Irene Roberts played by Lynne McGranger
Alcoholic Irene got the wake-up call she needed when her kids were taken away and fostered by the Fletchers. She cleaned up her act and came to the Bay hoping for a reunion and has since stayed to act as a mum to many of the local kids.
Jack Holden played by Paul O'Brien
As a policeman, Jack has been at the centre of many a Summer Bay drama, including murders, poisonings, kidnappings, explosions, fires and numerous car crashes and natural disasters. He almost died after one of the explosions, but managed to recover. When not on duty, he's a light-hearted, confident and happy young man.
Paul answers your reader questions
Leah Patterson-Baker played by Ada Nicodemou
Confident, easy-going and fun-loving, Leah is a good listener and a great talker! She's been a supportive friend for a number of the Bay's residents, especially Sally, for whom she carried a surrogate baby. Leah first arrived in town after running away from an arranged marriage and her love-life has been turbulent ever since.
Lucas Holden played by Rhys Wakefield
Close to dad Tony and brother Jack, Lucas is not a typical teen. Thoughtful and introspective, he struggles with his emotions about his dead mother and ends up lashing out at those closest to him and indulging in some uncharacteristic bad-boy behaviour.
Martha MacKenzie played by Jodi Gordon
Alf Stewart's grand-daughter shares his sense of humour and outlook on life. She's a bit of a tomboy, excels at sports and anything physical, and even took the initiative and proposed to husband Jack!
Jodi answers your reader questions
Matilda Hunter played by Indiana Evans
When she first arrived in the Bay, Matilda was often considered snobby and a bit of a drama queen, but it was just because she was used to going to a ritzy boarding school. She slowly settles into life in the area and is inevitably drawn into the conflicts and problems of other Bay dwellers, as well as experiencing her fair share.
Indiana answers your reader questions
Dr Rachel Armstrong played by Amy Mathews
Outgoing, bubbly and independent, Rachel's had an eventful time in Summer Bay. She's fallen for a patient, been sexually harassed and sacked, not to mention kidnapped by a psycho as well!
Ric Dalby played by Mark Furze
Bullied as a youngster by his abusive father, Ric became a bully himself. But under the influence of foster parents Sally and Flynn and grandfather Alf, he got his temper under control, though it still gets the better of him sometimes.
Sally Fletcher played by Kate Ritchie
After arriving with the Fletchers as a child, Sally has grown up in the Bay. She's witnessed all the dramas over the years – and had plenty of her own. She looks set to follow in the footsteps of foster mum Pippa by becoming the resident foster mum in town, and has already taken in a number of local waifs and strays.
Tony Holden played by Jon Sivewright
Widowed dad Tony is supportive of his two sons and a very approachable dad. The three males are great mates. Tony's easy-going, enthusiastic and positive and he's great with kids, which makes him a popular teacher.
Famous Faces
A lot of famous faces passed through Summer Bay on their way to international sucess, find out about the famous faces who cut their acting teeth in Summer Bay! Famous faces
Around the Bay
Find out where the locals hang out in Summer Bay. Around the Bay
Trivia
Tidbits and trivia about the characters and actors in Home and Away. Trivia
