Freddie Hudson

Martha Stewart
Occupation	Fictional character
Known for	Home and Away

Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart was initially introduced from 25 January to 13 February 1989, portrayed by Alison Mulvaney. Presented as the first wife of Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher) through flashback sequences, the character returned on 27 March 2018 with Belinda Giblin taking over the role; Giblin had previously appeared in the series. Meagher recommended Giblin for this part, describing her as an ideal fit. Martha holds the distinction of having the longest interval between appearances on Home and Away.

Her reintroduction coincided with the show's 30th anniversary, revealing that Martha, once thought to have drowned in 1985, was in fact alive. Alf discloses to their daughter Roo Stewart that Martha vanished due to personal challenges. Upon arriving in Summer Bay, Martha's presence initiates a complicated process of reconciliation with both Alf and Roo. Her narrative arc includes a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD), which sheds light on her previous absence and struggles with anxiety.

Martha was married to Alf Stewart and is the mother of their daughter Ruth "Roo" Stewart. Initially believed dead following a sailing mishap, flashbacks uncover her awareness of family secrets concerning Bobby Simpson's parentage. Years later, Alf reveals she is still alive, prompting her return to Summer Bay.

Following reunions with Roo and Alf, Martha explains that her departure stemmed from BPD and an inability to face her condition. Although reconnecting proves challenging at first, she pursues treatment and gradually restores her relationships. Martha and Alf rekindle their romance, eventually becoming a couple again and remarrying after community tragedies impact their lives.

Owning a home and studio in Merimbula creates friction with Alf, who urges her to sell it; however, Martha considers it a vital refuge for managing her BPD. She also discloses to Roo and Alf that she has a son, Kieran Baldivis, with whom she has a complex past but rebuilds ties after his arrival in Summer Bay.

Martha continues living in Merimbula while regularly visiting Alf, balancing her personal recovery with family responsibilities.

Vicki Baxter

Vicki Baxter, played by Nana Coburn, made her debut on 22 February 1989. Her father, Norman Coburn, also appeared on the show portraying headmaster Donald Fisher. David Brown of TV Week characterized Vicki as "Summer Bay's resident trouble-maker." Coburn initially disliked embodying such an unpopular character but grew to appreciate the role over time. She appeared on a semi-regular basis until filming her final scenes in June 1990, reflecting that the experience provided steady employment and valuable lessons. She particularly enjoyed shooting a fight scene with Dannii Minogue near the end of her stint.

Vicki acted as an antagonist within Steven Matheson's (Adam Willits) class at Summer Bay High. She bullied peers including Viv Newton and frequently clashed with Emma Jackson (Minogue). After new teacher Grant Mitchell (Craig McLachlan) rejected her romantic advances, Vicki falsely accused him of sexual misconduct, resulting in his suspension. Emma compelled Vicki to admit the truth, leading to Grant’s reinstatement. Subsequently, Vicki framed Emma for stealing exam papers, which caused Emma’s expulsion. With assistance from Steven, Paul Jensen, and her cousin Anna, Vicki’s manipulations were uncovered. Faced with evidence against her, Vicki was expelled from school.

Rebecca Fisher

Rebecca Fisher, portrayed by Jane Hall, made her debut on 3 April 1989. Introduced as the daughter of headmaster Donald Fisher (Norman Coburn), she became romantically linked with Steven Matheson (Adam Willits). The producers appreciated the on-screen chemistry between Hall and Willits, which led to occasional returns for Rebecca. In 1994, the role was temporarily recast with Danielle Carter for a seven-week period. Two years later, the character was brought back with Belinda Emmett taking over the part, whose performance earned her nominations for the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent in 1997, as well as the Most Popular Actress nods in 1998 and 1999, along with a nomination for the esteemed Gold Logie.

Marilyn Chambers

Marilyn Chambers, played by Emily Symons, first appeared on 18 May 1989. Symons left the series in 1992 but returned from 1995 until 1999. Although Dannii Minogue initially auditioned for Marilyn, she was cast as Emma Jackson, while Symons secured the role of Marilyn. According to Holy Soap, Marilyn was characterized as a "bubbly" and "dizzy blonde beautician."

Duncan Stewart

Duncan Stewart made his first appearance on 14 June 1989. Brendan McKensy's performance led to a nomination for Best Young Actor at the 1999 Inside Soap Awards.

Adam Cameron

Adam Cameron, portrayed by Mat Stevenson, debuted on 28 June 1989. Stevenson, who had previously played the petty criminal Skinner on rival soap Neighbours, moved from Melbourne to Sydney to take on this role. He departed from the show in 1994. Stevenson described Adam as "a bit of a layabout" who favors relaxation over responsibility, which contrasts with his own more disciplined personality. An Inside Soap columnist referred to Adam as a "one-time joker" and "happy-go-lucky." Stevenson returned for a guest appearance in 1999 and expressed interest in rejoining full-time, noting that little had changed in the series since his departure.

Viv Newton

Viv Newton, played by Mouche Phillips, first appeared on 5 July 1989 and exited on 25 May 1990. Phillips began filming soon after Justine Clarke left the cast. She told Look-in magazine that she enjoyed staying active on set, often making it difficult for crew members to find her.

Emma Jackson

Emma Jackson, portrayed by Dannii Minogue, made her debut on 22 September 1989 and departed on 22 August 1990. Minogue originally auditioned for the role of Marilyn Chambers but was instead cast as Emma. She left after one year to focus on her music career. Although there were rumors about her returning for the show's 20th anniversary in 2008, she ultimately did not appear. Minogue received a nomination for "Most Popular Actress on Australian Television" at the 1989 Logie Awards. Holy Soap listed her among Home and Away's "Sexiest girls ever."

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Circumstances
25 January	Les Palmer	Graham Lancaster	Les, who was engaged to Celia Stewart, appears in flashbacks set in 1970 when Bobby Simpson reads Martha Stewart’s diary. Their engagement is celebrated before Les is later killed in the Vietnam War.
26 January–16 March	Nicholas Walsh	Robert Taylor	Nicholas reveals his engagement to Stacey Macklin and becomes involved in schemes to purchase the caravan park and implicate Roo Stewart. He attacks Stacey but is stopped by Tom Fletcher.
1 February–5 September	Kim Patterson	Jacqui Townsend	Kim, Alison Patterson’s younger sister attending Summer Bay Primary, discovers Morag Bellingham's manuscript and disputes local legends with Sally Fletcher.
13 February–20 March	Richard Bellingham	John Bonney	Richard, Morag Bellingham’s husband for two decades, separates after learning that Bobby Simpson is Morag's daughter. He warns Roo Stewart to keep away from Morag.
20 February–21 November	James Donahue	Richard Morgan	Journalist from The Daily Star investigating Morag’s secret, manipulating locals until Alf Stewart intervenes to warn him off.
22 February–5 April	Leanne Dunn	Kylie Foster	Leanne dates Martin Dibble, learns to read with Matt Wilson’s help, and leaves town with her abusive ex-boyfriend Meat Axe, breaking Martin’s heart.
1 March–12 November	Enid	Jan Oxenbould	Enid, a friend of Celia Stewart, participates in a community meeting about a shark threat near the beach.
8 March	Nola Dibble	Denise Roberts	Nola, Martin Dibble’s mother, meets Leanne Dunn at a family dinner arranged to discourage Leanne’s engagement to Martin.
8 March	Scott Dibble	Uncredited	-	Errol Dibble	Uncredited
	21 March–24 May	Nigel Taggart	Gary Down	Former assistant to Morag Bellingham working at the Blaxland mansion; gently rejects Celia Stewart's romantic advances before resigning to pursue independence.
28 March	Ross Maybury	John Banas	Host of a talk show featuring Donald Fisher and Bobby Simpson discussing Donald's son's novel; reveals Morag as Bobby's mother, upsetting Bobby.
4–5 April	Meat Axe	Joseph Dicker	Leanne Dunn’s ex-boyfriend who fights Martin Dibble over Leanne but leaves with her after she ends her relationship with Martin.
18 April–17 August 1989, 8 September–23 October 1995	Brian "Dodge" Forbes	Kelly Dingwall	Dodge arrives in Summer Bay causing trouble through theft and arson leading to Philip Matheson’s death. Fostered by the Fletchers, he manipulates Steven Matheson into framing Simon Yates for arson, bullies Sally Fletcher, and is arrested for murder. Paroled in 1995, he commits further crimes including murder and framing Steven before disappearing following a cliff confrontation.
20 April–16 May	Simon Yates	Christopher Saunders	Ex-convict working at Bayside diner who dates Roo Stewart despite warnings. Framed for arson by Steven Matheson under Dodge’s influence but leaves town after repaying Alf Stewart.
2–9 May	Andrew Foley Senior	Alan Tobin	Estranged father of Andrew Foley seeking reconciliation before his death; leaves money and apologies for his son.
10 May 1989 – 22 February 1990	Howard West	Richard Rowe	Representative from Childcare Services who places Dodge Forbes with the Fletchers and investigates abuse allegations involving the Newton family; initially revokes Donald Fisher's guardianship of Viv Newton during murder charges but reinstates it after his acquittal.
11 May	Peter Braithwaite	Ron Blanchard	Insurance assessor skeptical of Celia Stewart's claim following a fire at her store.
18–29 May	Kyoko Sakamoto	Yuka Mitani	Interpreter assisting Japanese clients visiting the Macklin family for business purposes.
2–8 June	Peter Bedford	Bevan Wilson	-	2 June	Claire Bedford	Linda Anning	Peter Bedford’s wife attending dinner with the Fletchers.
8 June–18 July	Flynn	Mark McCann	Labourer employed by Macklin Corporation involved in strike negotiations resolved by Roo Stewart; helps rescue Marilyn Chambers during a stunt.
13 June	Jay Everett	Andrew Doyle	Motivational speaker temporarily managing Macklin development office; positively influences Martin Dibble but fails to motivate Roo Stewart amid family challenges.
6 July–13 September	Nina Olivera	Raquel Suarstzman	Friend of Stacey Macklin who forms music group Image with Lance Smart, Martin Dibble, and Marilyn Chambers; later relocates to Los Angeles for promotion work, inviting Stacey to join her.
11 July	Beulah	Robyn Gurney	Homeless woman supporting Viv Newton during her time living on the streets.
19 July	Sgt. Col Baker	Simon Westaway	Police officer questioning Dodge Forbes regarding a stolen car accident; Steven Matheson takes responsibility instead.
21 July–1 August	John Newton	John Gregg	Reverend and father of Viv Newton who abuses his daughters; Viv and Tammy escape to Summer Bay with community assistance; custody battles result in supervision orders and eventual relocation with their mother Angela Newton.
27 July 1989 – 25 May 1990	Tammy Newton	Katy Edwards	Younger sister of Viv Newton affected by custody disputes due to paternal abuse; reunites with mother Angela Newton to start anew in Queensland.
9 August 1989 – 16 April 1990	Rex Wilson	Barry Donnelly	Matt Wilson’s uncle serving on local council; secures Matt a job as beach inspector; closes Andrew Foley's advice centre; resigns following a heart attack.
9 August	Freddie Hudson	Mark Arbib	Student visiting Andrew Foley's Youth advice centre located at Bayside diner.
18–31 August	Ross Keating	James Gleeson	Estranged uncle of Sally Keating seeking custody; invites Sally to live with him and wife Louise but she opts to remain with the Fletchers; couple subsequently leaves Summer Bay.
23–31 August	Louise Keating	Felicity Soper	Wife of Ross Keating unable to conceive due to ovarian cancer surgery; develops bond with niece Sally before Sally chooses to stay with adoptive family.
29 August 1989, 23 March 1990	Len Baxter	Uncredited / Damian Cudmore	Father of Vicki Baxter who reacts strongly when Vicki accuses teacher Grant Mitchell of misconduct; demands teacher’s removal although accusations are later withdrawn.
29 August–10 November	Danny Farnsworth	Justin Connor	Son of Gordon Farnsworth seeking vengeance against Morag Bellingham for his father’s imprisonment and suicide; infiltrates her household under false pretenses; holds Morag hostage during psychotic episode but escapes after intervention by Bobby Simpson and Donald Fisher.
30 August 1989 – 8 July 1996	Chris Hale	John Meillon Jr.	Police constable involved in multiple investigations including arrests and hit-and-run incident causing Shane Parrish's death; struggles with guilt leading to confession and suspension from duty.
11 September	Doctor Ellis	Marilyn Allen	Hospital physician arranging transfer of Tom Fletcher following his heart attack.
11 September	Doctor Williamson	David Whitford	City doctor diagnosing Tom Fletcher with intracerebral hematoma.
18–21 September	Ian McTavish	Noel Trevarthen	Scottish explorer searching for the mythical "Summer Bay Bunyip"; departs after discovering it was a hoax involving Martin Dibble dressed in costume.
20 September	Samantha Walker	Fiona Shannon	Youth worker informing Ailsa Stewart that her niece Emma Jackson wishes to live with her due to family estrangement.
11–12 October	Millicent Staples	Julie Haseler	Wealthy client booking Adam Cameron for a charter cruise; strands him on a remote island by deceiving him about companions’ departure plans.
11 October	Henry Whiting	Patrick Ward	Owner of hot dog stand sold to Celia Stewart following approach by Lance Smart and Martin Dibble.
25 October	Sylvia Wilson	Marie Armstrong	Rex Wilson’s wife appearing during council dispute regarding closure of Matt Wilson's hot dog stand.
26 October–15 November	Rory Heywood	Gregor Jordan	Man seeking out the Fletcher family believing them friends of his father; creates tension before being killed by a shark; storyline noted as favorite by Judy Nunn.
30 October–2 November	Mick	Bruce Samazan	Friend of Andrew Foley staying with him and Stacey Macklin; drug addict who damages Stacey's flat before leaving town.
31 October	Richard Huggett	A pool player hustled by Mick leading to planned revenge matches involving Martin Dibble.|

External links

• Cast and characters on the Official Australian Home and Away site
• Cast and characters on the Official UK Home and Away platform
• Cast and characters on the Internet Movie Database