Brian Alcott

Home and Away

Company type	Television series
Industry	Television soap opera
Founded	January 17, 1988 (1988-01-17)
Founder	Seven Network
Area served	Australia
Website	7plus.com.au/home-and-away

Home and Away is a long-running Australian soap opera that premiered on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. The characters introduced during 2002 were all introduced under the supervision of Series Producer Julie McGuaran. The show's fifteenth season commenced broadcasting on 14 January 2002. Sebastian Elmaloglou joined the cast in January as Max Sutherland. Rhett Giles was cast as Paris Burnett in April, followed by Laurie Foell portraying Deputy Principal Angie Russell in September, and her son Dylan (played by Brett Hicks-Maitland) appearing in October.

Max Sutherland

Max Sutherland, played by Sebastian Elmaloglou, made his first appearance on 21 January 2002 and remained until 1 September 2004. Prior to this role, Elmaloglou had guest-starred in several series such as GP, but this marked his inaugural regular role. He described Max as "very cheeky," a trait quite different from his own personality. Around the time of his debut, Elmaloglou viewed reruns featuring his sister, Rebekah Elmaloglou, who portrayed Sophie Simpson.

Max arrives in Summer Bay accompanied by his father, Pete (Christopher Mayer), to reside with his uncle Rhys Sutherland (Michael Beckley) and aunt Shelley Sutherland (Paula Forrest). When Pete escapes to Hong Kong due to gambling debts, Max’s stay becomes indefinite. He quickly forms a friendship with caravan park resident Colleen Smart (Lyn Collingwood) and frequently experiences conflicts at school alongside his cousin Kirsty Sutherland (Christie Hayes). Max assists Colleen in authoring a book under the pseudonym "Maxine Peterson," which leads to a brief romantic entanglement involving Tamara Simpson (Sophie Luck) and Caitlin (Bree Beadman), both of whom soon leave his life.

Max develops a bond with the confused beachcomber Tasha Andrews (Isabel Lucas) and harbors romantic feelings for new student Eloise Lennox (Suzanne McEachern), who faces challenges from overprotective parents and reveals she is battling leukaemia. Max supports her final wishes; following a date, Eloise passes away in his arms.

He constructs a memorial for Eloise inside an abandoned mineshaft, which collapses while Rhys, Kirsty, and Jade (Kate Garven) attempt to rescue him. After Rhys divorces Shelley and marries Beth Hunter (Clarissa House), Max deals with her younger children, twins Henry (Tobi Atkins) and Matilda (Indiana Evans), who initially have conflicts with the Sutherlands. A boxing match arranged by Principal Barry Hyde (Ivar Kants) between Max and Henry—won by Henry—eventually leads the boys to become friends. Max’s short-lived interest in Matilda is rejected.

As familial tensions escalate and Rhys reconciles with Shelley, Max feels increasingly isolated. Although offered accommodation with his uncle and aunt in the city, he chooses to leave Summer Bay for boarding school instead.

Elmaloglou was nominated for "Best Young Actor" at the 2004 Inside Soap Awards. Channel 5 recognized the 2003 mineshaft collapse episode as one of the program’s standout moments. In 2017, Digital Spy’s Daniel Kilkelly commended Max’s story arcs for their complexity, highlighting elements such as love triangles, boxing confrontations, and a poignant death. Nevertheless, Inside Soap critiqued the storyline involving Max and Eloise’s terminal illness as repetitive of earlier plots.

Paris Burnett

Paris Burnett, played by Rhett Giles, made his debut on 29 April 2002 and exited the series on 10 September 2003. Giles, who had previously appeared in All Saints, returned to that show following his stint on Home and Away.

Paris arrives in Summer Bay as the new headmaster of Summer Bay High, succeeding Donald Fisher amid efforts by the education department to shut down the school. He quickly develops a rapport with Irene Roberts, though both initially deny any romantic feelings. Their bond strengthens during a gathering in the local area.

By exposing departmental mismanagement through Donald, Paris plays a crucial role in saving the school. He grows increasingly close to Irene but is reluctant to fully commit to their relationship. After Donald resumes his position, Irene ends things due to Paris’s planned departure. However, they reunite after being stranded together during the Summer Bay 150th anniversary shipwreck, which sparks a romance. Irene’s foster son Nick disapproves, believing Paris is too young for her. Paris later receives a job offer in Orange but returns briefly to say goodbye to Irene.

Several months later, Paris comes back to replace Donald following his retirement, creating friction with Angie Russell over the promotion. He attempts to rebuild his relationship with Irene and moves into the Beach House. Despite ongoing difficulties with Nick, Irene and Paris reconcile after she is diagnosed with depression. Paris’s storyline concludes when he must leave town to care for his orphaned niece and nephew after his brother’s passing. He invites Irene to join him, but she chooses to stay behind, leading to an emotional farewell.

Angie Russell

Angela "Angie" Russell, portrayed by Laurie Foell, first appeared on 26 September 2002 and departed on 21 March 2003, later returning in ghost form in 2004. The revelation of Angie's murderer attracted Australian audiences of 1.5 million viewers, surpassing the ratings of Nine Network's Big Brother Australia 2003. Angie earned a spot among "The 50 most evil soap villains of all time" according to What's on TV, with Foell recognized for twice stirring upheaval within the series. A writer from the Sunday Mercury described Angie as a "crackpot," noting how swiftly her storyline was resolved by the show.

Dylan Russell

Dylan Russell, enacted by Adelaide native Brett Hicks-Maitland, first appeared on 8 October 2002 and exited in 2003, returning for episodes in 2004. A graduate of NIDA, Hicks-Maitland moved to Sydney seeking acting roles and was offered an extended part due to his strong performance. Even years after leaving the show, he remained identified with the character Dylan.

Hicks-Maitland characterized Dylan as a mature yet developing 17-year-old possessing kindness and sharp wit. At age 24, portraying a younger character provided career longevity. The official website described Dylan as tall, good-looking, socially skilled but somewhat solitary, with a dry sense of humor comparable to Nick Smith.

Dylan arrives in Summer Bay after his mother Angie becomes Deputy Principal. He starts a relationship with Kirsty Sutherland, which Angie opposes; she reveals Rhys Sutherland as Dylan’s father—a claim later disproved by blood tests. Conflicted between embracing his new family and coping with Angie’s deteriorating mental state, Dylan distances himself from her.

Following an accident requiring a blood transfusion that invalidates Rhys’s paternity claim, Dylan tries to mend things with Kirsty but finds it unsatisfying. Recognizing Angie’s instability, he plans to leave town with her for treatment. During a confrontation, Dylan inadvertently causes Angie’s death; he later confesses while Rhys is mistakenly accused. Dylan is arrested, released on bail, moves away with his grandmother Monica Markham, and is ultimately acquitted at trial.

He reconnects with half-sister Tasha Andrews and locates Angie’s lookalike cousin Josie Russell during Tasha’s disappearance. The episode featuring Dylan’s confession received an Australian Writer's Guild Award nomination in 2004.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Context
21 January – 13 March	Pete Sutherland	Christopher Mayer	Rhys Sutherland's brother and Max Sutherland's father. Pete visits his family but escapes due to gambling debts, leaving Max in the care of Rhys and Shelley.
22–24 January	Brian Alcott	Richard Healy	Father of Miles Alcott; attends the coroner’s inquest into Miles’ death. Confronts Alex Poulos and ultimately encourages reconciliation between Alex and Brodie Hanson.
23 January	Mrs. Alcottt	Uncredited	Mother of Miles Alcott, present during the inquest into his death.
5–13 February	Justin Bell	Mitchell Eirth	Troubled teenager with a history of violence; has confrontations with Alf Stewart and Flynn Saunders. His mother Maggie expels him and later attempts to blackmail Flynn without success.
5 February – 1 April	Patricia Morgan	Gennie Nevinson	Head of Reefton Lakes High School; disputes with Summer Bay High over proposed school closures. Submits a plan favoring her institution, which her son Ethan opposes by supporting Summer Bay’s campaign.
6 February – 8 March	Maggie Bell	Helen O'Connor	Mother to Justin and Susie Bell; involved in an unsuccessful blackmail plot against Flynn Saunders.
11 February – 12 April	Grace O'Connor	Mary Docker	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital; cares for Justin Bell and Nick Smith, briefly dates Nathan Roberts before moving away.
18–20 February	Mr Atkins	David Webb	Legal representative for Vinnie Patterson during his fraud trial; defense is unsuccessful.
19 February	Greg West	Dane Carson	Father of Josh West; encourages Josh to attend university and later asks him to run family businesses due to his declining health.
20 February	Governor Williamson	Alistair Duncan	Presides as judge over Vinnie Patterson’s fraud trial, sentencing him to two years imprisonment.
21 February – 8 April	Ethan Morgan	Ben Connolly	Student leader at Reefton Lakes High who organizes opposition against school closures. Arrested during a sit-in protest but released because of a clean record.
25 February	Jenny Latham	Fiona Hepburn	Parole officer aiding Nathan Roberts with finding employment.
26 February–14 August 2012	Julie Cooper	Lisa Hayson-Phillips	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital involved in significant storylines including Flynn Saunders’ death, a wrongful murder accusation, and a nurses’ strike.
27 February – 21 March	Christopher "Kick" Johnson	Jason Clarke	Exchange teacher from Reefton Lakes High whose informal approach clashes with Donald Fisher. Departs following a bus accident affecting his class.
7 March – 6 September	Kelli Edwards	Alyssa-Jane Cook	Local baker supplying the Beachside Diner; ends relationship with Alex Poulos due to interference from ex-husband Jason Edwards.
12 March – 17 April	Jemma MacKinnon	Thea Gumbert	Hairdresser and friend of Kirsty Sutherland; experiences family difficulties and homelessness before returning home.
15 March – 13 September	Marie Peters	Cate Murray	Mother of Julius Peters.
28 March – 26 August	Riley Edwards	Issac Gorman	Son of Kelli Edwards.
	Brayden Edwards	Jamie Broadbent
5–30 April 2003	Jackie Turner	Julieanne Newbould	Journalist and mother to Josh West; assists with coverage of school protests and family issues involving Rhys Sutherland.
17 April	Ray MacKinnon	Christopher Burke	Parent of Gemma MacKinnon; convinced to allow Gemma to return home after family conflict.
	Carmel MacKinnon	Meredith O'Reilly
19 April – 16 July	Aimee Cooper	Rhianna Griffith	Appears at drop-in center and orienteering event; briefly employed at diner. Displays disruptive behavior linked to a troubled background before leaving town.
23 April – 8 May	Ryan Anderson	Damien Fowler	Youth connected with Donald Fisher; experiences bullying incidents.
23 May	Captain Ellis	Christopher Galletti	Captain of the Mirgini cruise ship during Summer Bay’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
27 June–4 May 2004	Caitlin	Bree Beadman	Classmate showing romantic interest in Max Sutherland.
18 July – 5 September	Mav Patterson	Clayton Williams	Cousin of Vinnie Patterson; briefly dates Brodie Hanson before departing for Vietnam following a tragic event.
1–27 August	Jason Edwards	Benj Daddario	Kelli Edwards’ ex-husband whose abusive behavior causes conflicts involving Alex Poulos and Jesse McGregor. Later reported for theft at the drop-in center.
27 August – 6 September	Bernadette	Celia Ireland	Manager of Yabbie Creek RSL club; known for awarding a jackpot prize to Colleen Smart.
17 October–3 July 2003	Mikey Dunn	Trent Atkinson	Autistic student who develops relationships at Summer Bay High, faces challenges including a fire drill incident, and briefly works for Scott Hunter before leaving town.
17 October–3 July 2003	Mrs Dunn	Susan Kennedy	Mikey Dunn’s mother.
17 October	Kelvin Matthews	James Donnellan	Customer at surf club gym who makes unwanted advances toward Hayley Smith, resulting in legal consequences for Jesse McGregor.
17–25 October	Tara	Rebecca Murphy	Former friend of Sally Fletcher; considered as surrogate but departs after facing personal tragedy.
6–12 November	Grigg	Amos Szeps	Ex-cellmate of Jesse McGregor who blackmails Jesse, takes hostages, escapes, and is later found deceased in Donald Fisher’s car.