Allan Steiger

Neighbours

Company type	Television series
Industry	Television soap opera
Founded	March 18, 1985 (1985-03-18)
Founder	Reg Watson
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia
Website	www.neighbours.com.au

Neighbours is a long-running Australian soap opera that first aired on 18 March 1985. Below is an overview of the characters introduced in 2004, all brought in by executive producer Ric Pellizzeri. The show’s twentieth season commenced on 19 January 2004. The character Svetlanka Ristic, mother of Liljana Bishop, made her debut in February, followed by her grandson Luka Dokich in September. Ben Barrack was cast as Gus Cleary in February, with police officer Allan Steiger arriving the following month. The Timmins family was introduced starting with Stingray in March and matriarch Janelle in November. Joe Scully’s brother Tom appeared in May, while corrupt law enforcement officer Olivia McPherson was introduced in June. August marked the arrival of Neighbours' first ongoing lesbian character, Lana Crawford. September saw the introduction of psychiatrist Jeremy Levi, and November brought in Carmella Cammeniti’s mother, Lucia.

Svetlanka Ristic

Template:Infobox soap character Svetlanka Ristic, brought to life by Deidre Rubenstein, is portrayed as the authoritative mother of Liljana Bishop who co-managed a vineyard with her spouse Miroslav near Perth. Her initial appearance was on 13 February 2004, where she was characterized as manipulative.

Struggling to accept Liljana’s relocation to Melbourne, Svetlanka uncovers financial difficulties faced by the family and Serena’s hazardous modelling career. She attempts emotional manipulation and offers monetary incentives to sway Liljana, even feigning illness, but her efforts are ultimately dismissed. She threatens to disclose Liljana’s secret teenage pregnancy; however, David stands firmly by Liljana’s side. Svetlanka later returns with an offer of $100,000, creating friction between Liljana and David. She briefly forms a bond with Harold Bishop but leaves after confrontation.

Opposing the relationship between Serena and her grandson Luka Dokich—whom she had arranged for adoption at birth to protect family honor—Svetlanka plays a pivotal role when Liljana requires a liver transplant and Luka is identified as a compatible donor. Revealing their biological connection triggers family discord. Following the tragic plane crash that claims the lives of David, Liljana, and Serena, Svetlanka mourns profoundly but is unable to attend their funeral due to being sedated.

Gus Cleary

Template:Infobox soap character Gus Cleary, portrayed by Ben Barrack, made his first appearance on 17 February 2004 as a troubled acquaintance of Max Hoyland. Coming from a privileged upbringing yet grappling with responsibility, Gus suffered from mental health challenges including schizophrenia.

After being dismissed from his father’s oil rig job due to negligence, Gus arrives in Erinsborough where he manipulates Max’s family while pursuing a relationship with Izzy Hoyland. His possessiveness and unstable conduct intensify; he administers sedation to Max and generates conflict within the Hoyland household. Ultimately, Gus is institutionalized for his mental illness but makes brief returns before vanishing following a violent confrontation with Max.

He dies under mysterious conditions during the Lassiter's fire incident; subsequent investigations reveal Paul Robinson as responsible for his murder. Gus reappears in flashbacks during later storylines.

Allan Steiger

Template:Infobox soap character Senior Sergeant Allan Steiger, enacted by Joe Clements, featured from March 2004 until July 2007. His presence expanded alongside the introduction of his daughter Pepper Steiger, and he engaged romantically with Janelle Timmins.

Initially at odds with trainee officer Stuart Parker, Allan evolves into a mentor supporting Stuart through undercover assignments and injuries sustained on duty. As Senior Sergeant, he leads investigations into significant incidents such as the Lassiter's fire and the murder of Gus Cleary.

Navigating complex personal dynamics involving his ex-wife Christine’s coming out as lesbian and his relationship with Janelle Timmins, Allan eventually proposes to Janelle before relocating north for professional advancement.

Stingray Timmins

Main article: Stingray Timmins

Stingray Timmins, portrayed by Ben Nicholas, debuted on-screen on 11 March 2004 as the youngest son within the Timmins family headed by Janelle and Kim.

Tom Scully

{{Infobox soap character | series = Neighbours | name = Tom Scully | portrayer = Andrew Larkins | first = May 5, 2004 (2004-05-05) | last = May 18, 2007 (2007-05-18) | years = 2004, 2007 | introducer = Ric Pellizzeri | classification = Former; recurring | occupation = Catholic Priest
Courier
Principal of Erinsborough High |} Tom Scully, played by Andrew Larkins, made his initial appearance on 5 May 2004 as Joe Scully’s younger sibling and a Catholic priest who later becomes romantically involved with Susan Kennedy. Their relationship sparked debate due to Tom’s vow of celibacy.

After renouncing the priesthood for Susan, Tom encounters professional difficulties before taking up work as a courier. He returns in 2007 as Principal of Erinsborough High School where he causes friction with Susan and Karl Kennedy but ultimately resigns to travel overseas to visit family.

Olivia McPherson

Template:Infobox soap character Olivia "Mac" McPherson, portrayed by Silvia de Crespigny, arrived on-screen on 3 June 2004 as a police officer who becomes involved romantically with Jack Scully and Stuart Parker.

Characterized as a spirited party enthusiast, Olivia conceals her involvement in corruption linked to drug use and theft used to support her lifestyle. Her relationship with Jack deteriorates when her illicit activities come to light. After confiding in Stuart Parker and ending their relationship, Olivia attempts to reform but is reported for misconduct.

Lana Crawford

Main article: Lana Crawford

'Lana Crawford, enacted by Bridget Neval, was introduced on 31 August 2004 as Neighbours pioneering openly lesbian character. She is depicted as cousin to Sindi Watts.

Luka Dokich

Luka Dokich, portrayed by Keelan O'Hehir, first appeared on 14 September 2004 as the son Liljana Bishop had given up for adoption at birth.</ref> Luka comes to Erinsborough in search of his birth family and inadvertently enters into a romantic relationship with his half-sister Serena Bishop.

Born from Liljana's teenage involvement with Ivan Petrovic, his adoption was arranged by Svetlanka to safeguard the family's reputation. Luka faces challenges with his sense of self and exhibits destructive behavior at school before learning about his true lineage during Liljana’s liver transplant, when he is identified as a compatible donor.

His arrival causes strain within the family; after disputes over trust and the burning of possessions belonging to his late father Ivan, Luka leaves for Perth to seek assistance.

Jeremy Levi

Jeremy Levi, brought to life by Roger Neave, made his debut on 21 September 2004 as a psychiatrist working at Erinsborough Hospital.

He provides treatment for several main characters, including Izzy Hoyland during her nightmare episodes—which stirs jealousy in Karl Kennedy—and Boyd Hoyland, who experiences a mental health crisis initially diagnosed as adolescent schizophrenia but later revealed to be caused by a brain tumour. Jeremy also oversees psychiatric care for Sindi Watts and evaluates Stephanie Scully’s mental fitness.

His responsibilities extend to addressing Karl Kennedy’s sleep disturbances and conducting hypnotherapy that uncovers Paul Robinson’s involvement in the Lassiter's fire and Gus Cleary’s murder. Jeremy diagnoses paranoia in Nicola West and assesses Zeke Kinski's memory loss due to a fugue state. He also evaluates Miranda Parker following her detention under the Mental Health Act and facilitates psychological assessments related to surrogacy arrangements within the Kennedy family.

Lucia Cammeniti

Lucia Cammeniti, enacted by Maria Mercedes, entered the series on 2 November 2004 as Carmella Cammeniti’s assertive mother who takes charge of family enterprises while her husband Rocco is incarcerated.</ref> Often described as "domineering" and "meddlesome," Lucia upholds traditional customs, such as orchestrating potential marriage arrangements for Rosetta.

She tests Carmella's partner Connor O'Neill through business challenges before ultimately endorsing Rosetta’s relationship with Frazer Yeats, despite initial concerns regarding his disability. Lucia funds their wedding and cautions Rocco upon his release from prison.

Additionally, she urges Carmella to reconcile with Oliver Barnes after learning about Carmella's pregnancy but later acknowledges that Carmella has moved on.

Janelle Timmins

Janelle Timmins, played by Nell Feeney, is the matriarch of the Timmins family—mother to Dylan, Stingray, Janae, and Bree Timmins—and was introduced on 11 November 2004. She is portrayed as a grounded rural woman with a somewhat "bogan" personality.

Additional Characters

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Context
23 January 2004–30 July 2007	Stanford Mundy	Michael Quinn	Stanford serves as a surgeon at Erinsborough Hospital and works alongside Karl Kennedy. He performs a paternity test confirming that Paul Robinson and Oliver Barnes are not biologically related.
4 April	Ryan Swan	Patrick Williams	Ryan visits a café with his father John; Ryan remains unaware that John was responsible for Sky Mangel's mother’s death years earlier. John reflects on abandoning hunting following this event.
6 April	Sally Jeffries	Isabella Stephenson	Sally, younger sibling of Lisa Jeffries, celebrates her birthday where Gus Cleary performs unsuccessfully dressed as a clown.
13 April 2004–14 January 2005	Madeleine Lee	Madison Lu	Daughter of Lori Lee and Connor O'Neill, Madeleine requires surgery for a severe ear infection, with Connor borrowing funds to cover expenses.
4 June 2004–2 February 2005	Krystal	Estelle Andrewartha	As a personal trainer, Krystal coaches David Bishop and persuades Boyd Hoyland to pursue bodybuilding. She offers him human growth hormones before Boyd withdraws upon recognizing her manipulative behavior.
28 June–5 July	Therese Bray	Susan Turner	Therese works alongside Tom Scully at the local Catholic church but resigns after overhearing Tom's feelings for Susan Kennedy and warns Susan about their situation.
28 July 2004–25 February 2005	Caleb Wilson	Joss Kasper	Caleb, son of a wealthy businessman, dates Summer Hoyland but ends their relationship after pressuring her into advancing their physical intimacy.
6, 13 September	Krishneel Nand	Curtis Fernandez	Nina Tucker’s personal assistant who coordinates logistics during her time in Ramsay Street.
13–14 September 2004, 7 December 2021–present	Rhonda Del Rubio	Rebekah Robertson	Legal representative for Karl Kennedy during divorce proceedings; later provides marriage counseling services to prominent characters including Paul Robinson and Terese Willis, focusing on relational dynamics and familial issues.
15 September–19 October	Travis Dean	Adrian Foley	Travis intensifies conflict with Boyd Hoyland through intimidation tactics and arson, leading to legal consequences resolved after intervention by Toadfish Rebecchi.
27 September–30 November	Brendan Bond	Michael Wahr	Brendan dates Lana Crawford; their relationship ends following Lana’s disclosure of her sexuality, which prompts Brendan's homophobic response.
7 October	Buffy Only	Laura Gordon	Editor of the underground gay magazine Leichen, Buffy interacts with Sky Mangel and Lana Crawford regarding submitted comic strips and briefly dates Lana.
17–29 November	Nick Sullivan	Angus Grant	Lori Lee's partner who clashes with Connor O'Neill; plans to relocate family to Adelaide but departs after Lori ends their relationship.
24 November 2004–1 February 2005	Doreen Cassidy	Anne Phelan	Sister of Charlie Cassidy who supports family during Charlie’s terminal illness and encourages reconciliation among relatives.
1 December 2004–12 January 2005	Georgina Harris	Adrienne Smith	Georgina connects with Lana Crawford at school formal after Lana reveals she is lesbian; they share a brief bond before Lana departs for Canada.
10 December 2004–1 February 2005	Michael Cassidy	David Paterson	Son of Charlie Cassidy who returns home upon hearing of his father's illness; initially suspects foul play but reconciles with family prior to leaving.

External links

• Complete cast and characters on the Internet Movie Database