Jackie Turner (Home and Away)

Home and Away

Company type	Television series
Industry	Television soap opera
Founded	January 17, 1988 (1988-01-17)
Headquarters	Australia
Area served	Australia

Home and Away is an Australian television soap opera that premiered on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. The characters introduced in 2002, all overseen by Series Producer Julie McGuaran, are detailed below. The show’s fifteenth season began airing on 14 January 2002. The first new character was Max Sutherland, played by Sebastian Elmaloglou. In April, Rhett Giles joined the cast as Paris Burnett. Later in the year, Laurie Foell appeared as Deputy Principal Angie Russell in September, followed by her son Dylan Russell (portrayed by Brett Hicks-Maitland) who arrived in October.

Max Sutherland

Max Sutherland, brought to life by Sebastian Elmaloglou, made his first appearance on 21 January 2002 and remained until 1 September 2004. Prior to this role, Elmaloglou had several guest appearances in series such as GP, with Max marking his first regular character. He described Max as "very cheeky," which he noted was quite different from his own personality. Around the time of his debut, Elmaloglou revisited earlier episodes of Home and Away featuring his sister, Rebekah Elmaloglou, who portrayed Sophie Simpson.

Max arrives in Summer Bay accompanied by his father, Pete (Christopher Mayer), to live 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 permanent. He finds it challenging to settle in but soon forms a friendship with caravan resident Colleen Smart (Lyn Collingwood). Frequently getting into trouble at school alongside his cousin Kirsty (Christie Hayes), Max assists Colleen in authoring a book under the pseudonym "Maxine Peterson." He also becomes entangled in a minor romantic triangle involving Tamara Simpson (Sophie Luck) and Caitlin (Bree Beadman), both of whom eventually vanish.

Max develops a bond with the confused Tasha Andrews (Isabel Lucas) and is drawn to newcomer Eloise Lennox (Suzanne McEachern), who confides that she is suffering from leukaemia. Max stands by her side until her passing following a date, after which he creates a memorial for her inside an abandoned mineshaft. This mineshaft later collapses, trapping Max along with Rhys, Kirsty, and Jade (Kate Garven). All are subsequently rescued.

After Rhys divorces Shelley and marries Beth Hunter (Clarissa House), Max must navigate relationships with Beth’s younger children, twins Henry (Tobi Atkins) and Matilda (Indiana Evans), who initially clash with the Sutherlands. Following a school boxing match between Max and Henry, the two eventually form a friendship. Max briefly develops feelings for Matilda but is turned down. As family tensions escalate and Rhys reconciles with Shelley, Max feels increasingly out of place and declines an invitation to move with them to the city, opting instead for boarding school.

Elmaloglou received a nomination for "Best Young Actor" at the 2004 Inside Soap Awards for his portrayal of Max. Channel 5 recognized the 2003 season finale featuring the mineshaft collapse as one of its standout episodes. In 2017, Digital Spy commended Max’s storylines for their complexity relative to typical child roles in soap operas. Conversely, Inside Soap criticized the storyline involving terminal illness for reusing a previously explored plot.

Paris Burnett

Paris Burnett, played by Rhett Giles, made his debut on 29 April 2002 and exited the series on 10 September 2003. Prior to joining Home and Away, Giles had appeared on All Saints, which was produced at a nearby studio, to which he returned after his stint on the show.

Paris assumes the role of principal at Summer Bay High, succeeding Donald Fisher, who is suspended amid a departmental scheme aimed at shutting down the school. He quickly establishes a rapport with Irene Roberts, although both initially resist acknowledging their mutual attraction. At a flat-painting gathering hosted by Noah Lawson and Hayley Smith, Paris and Irene bond over shared past experiences, including losses in previous relationships.

Leveraging information from Brett Egan regarding the department’s mismanagement, Paris plays a key role in preventing the school's closure. His relationship with Irene deepens, yet he remains hesitant to fully commit. After Donald's reinstatement, Irene opts not to pursue a relationship with Paris, who plans to leave. However, during the Summer Bay 150th anniversary dinner, the two become stranded together, share a kiss, and embark on a romantic relationship. Irene’s foster son Nick disapproves, believing Paris is too young for her. Later, Paris receives a job offer in Orange but agrees to return for a farewell meeting with Irene.

Several months later, Paris comes back to replace Donald following his retirement, which causes tension with Angie Russell, who had anticipated receiving the promotion. Despite Irene’s initial reservations, Paris convinces her to reconcile, and they move into the Beach House together. Nick’s challenging behavior prompts Paris to temporarily move out. They reconcile after Irene is diagnosed with depression; however, Paris must soon depart upon learning of the fatal car accident involving his brother and sister-in-law, leaving him responsible for his niece and nephew. He invites Irene to join him in this new chapter, but she declines. They part ways with a final kiss as Paris leaves Summer Bay.

Angie Russell

Angela "Angie" Russell, portrayed by Laurie Foell, first appeared on 26 September 2002 and left on 21 March 2003, later returning as a ghost in 2004. The revelation of Angie’s murderer attracted an audience of 1.5 million viewers in Australia, surpassing the ratings of Nine Network’s Big Brother Australia 2003. A writer from What’s on TV ranked Angie among "The 50 most evil soap villains of all time," highlighting Foell’s compelling performance. The Sunday Mercury described Angie as a "crackpot" and commended the show for resolving her storyline promptly.

Dylan Russell

Dylan Russell, enacted by Adelaide native Brett Hicks-Maitland, first appeared on 8 October 2002 and departed in 2003, with a brief return in 2004. A graduate of NIDA, Hicks-Maitland moved to Sydney for this role; producers extended his contract due to his strong portrayal. Years later, he remained closely associated with the character Dylan.

On the official series website, Hicks-Maitland characterized Dylan as a mature yet developing 17-year-old possessing kindness and humor. At age 24 playing a teenage role provided him with career longevity. The show depicted Dylan as socially skilled with an enigmatic quality, comparing his wit to that of Nick Smith.

Dylan arrives in Summer Bay following his mother Angie’s appointment as Deputy Principal. He begins dating Kirsty Sutherland; however, Angie disapproves upon revealing that Kirsty’s father Rhys is also Dylan’s biological father. This revelation ends their relationship. As Angie’s unstable behavior intensifies, Dylan distances himself and grows closer to his newfound family.

A boating accident necessitating a blood transfusion reveals Dylan is not biologically related to the Sutherlands; he feels betrayed but is nevertheless accepted by them. Attempts to rekindle his romance with Kirsty are unsuccessful.

When Angie’s mental health declines further, Dylan plans to leave town with her for treatment but unintentionally causes her death during an altercation. Initially one of several suspects, Dylan confesses after Rhys is charged. He is arrested, released on bail, acquitted at trial, and moves to the city with his grandmother Monica Markham. Later storylines see him reconnecting with half-sister Tasha Andrews and locating Angie’s lookalike cousin Josie Russell.

The episode featuring Dylan’s confession was nominated for an Australian Writer’s Guild Award in 2004.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Circumstances
21 January – 13 March	Pete Sutherland	Christopher Mayer	Rhys Sutherland's brother and Max'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	Miles Alcott's father; attends the coroner’s inquest into his son's death. After Alex Poulos is acquitted, Brian urges reconciliation between Alex and Brodie Hanson, Miles' girlfriend.
23 January	Mrs. Alcottt	Uncredited	Mother of Miles Alcott; present at the inquest.
5–13 February	Justin Bell	Mitchell Eirth	Troubled teenager with a history of violence; stays at a drop-in centre arranged by Flynn Saunders. Faces legal troubles and family disputes; accuses Flynn of assault while his mother Maggie tries to blackmail Flynn.
5 February – 1 April	Patricia Morgan	Gennie Nevinson	Principal of Reefton Lakes High School; in conflict with Summer Bay High’s principal over proposed school closures. Submits a plan supporting her school’s interests; her son Ethan assists Summer Bay’s campaign efforts.
6 February – 8 March	Maggie Bell	Helen O'Connor	Justin Bell’s mother; expels him due to violent behavior. Attempts to blackmail Flynn Saunders but is thwarted by Noah Lawson and law enforcement.
11 February – 12 April	Grace O'Connor	Mary Docker	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital; provides care for Justin Bell and Nick Smith. Briefly dates Nathan Roberts before relocating.
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 his son to attend university and later asks Josh to oversee his business affairs due to illness.
20 February	Governor Williamson	Alistair Duncan	Presiding judge over Vinnie Patterson’s fraud case; sentences him to two years in prison.
21 February – 8 April	Ethan Morgan	Ben Connolly	Leader of the Students Committee at Reefton Lakes High; spearheads opposition to school closures. Arrested during a sit-in protest but released because of a clean record. Develops unreturned romantic interest in Brodie Hanson.
25 February	Jenny Latham	Fiona Hepburn	Parole officer assisting Nathan Roberts with job placement.
26 February–14 August 2012	Julie Cooper	Lisa Hayson-Phillips	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital involved in major storylines including a nurses’ strike and being wrongfully accused of murder, later exonerated.
27 February – 21 March	Christopher "Kick" Johnson	Jason Clarke	Exchange teacher from Reefton Lakes High known for informal teaching style; leaves after managing aftermath of a bus crash.
7 March – 6 September	Kelli Edwards	Alyssa-Jane Cook	Local baker supplying the Beachside Diner; purchases Alex Poulos’ van. Relationship strained by harassment from ex-husband Jason Edwards; eventually departs town.
12 March – 17 April	Jemma MacKinnon	Thea Gumbert	Hairdresser and friend of Kirsty Sutherland; involved in an underage nightclub incident. Faces family challenges but returns home following intervention.
15 March – 13 September	Marie Peters	Cate Murray	Mother of Julius Peters.
28 March – 26 August	Riley Edwards	Issac Gorman	Sons of Kelli Edwards.
	Brayden Edwards	Jamie Broadbent
5–30 April 2003	Jackie Turner	Julieanne Newbould	Journalist and mother of Josh West; supports coverage of school protests and aids family reunions before leaving with Josh.
17 April	Ray MacKinnon	Christopher Burke	Parents of Gemma MacKinnon; persuaded to allow their daughter’s return home following family disputes.
	Carmel MacKinnon	Meredith O'Reilly
19 April – 16 July	Aimee Cooper	Rhianna Griffith	Appears at drop-in centre and competes in orienteering event. Works at the diner, organizes a successful fundraiser, but leaves town after personal issues surface.
23 April – 8 May	Ryan Anderson	Damien Fowler	School student who experiences bullying; receives support from Donald Fisher.
23 May	Captain Ellis	Christopher Galletti	Captain of the Mirgini ship during Summer Bay’s 150th anniversary cruise celebrations.
27 June–4 May 2004	Caitlin	Bree Beadman	Classmate showing romantic interest in Max Sutherland.
18 July – 5 September	Mav Patterson	Clayton Williams	Vinnie Patterson’s cousin; involved in family matters and briefly dates Brodie Hanson before leaving town.
1–27 August	Jason Edwards	Benj Daddario	Kelli Edwards’ ex-husband; exhibits abusive behavior causing conflicts with Alex Poulos and Jesse McGregor. Reported for theft at the drop-in centre.
27 August – 6 September	Bernadette	Celia Ireland	Manager of Yabbie Creek RSL club; awards jackpot win to Colleen Smart on a video poker machine.
17 October–3 July 2003	Mikey Dunn	Trent Atkinson	Autistic student at Summer Bay High who befriends Seb Miller and teacher Sally Fletcher. Leaves after year-end dance but returns for Sally's wedding and briefly works for Scott Hunter before departing again.
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, leading to assault charges against Jesse McGregor.
17–25 October	Tara	Rebecca Murphy	Longtime friend of Sally Fletcher asked to serve as surrogate mother. Leaves town after reconnecting with estranged family following revelations about her past trauma.
6–12 November	Grigg	Amos Szeps	Former inmate who shared a cell with Jesse McGregor; blackmails Jesse and takes several hostages. Escapes confrontation but is later discovered deceased in Donald Fisher’s car.