Josh Webb (Home and Away)

Josh Webb
Occupation	Fictional character
Years active	1991–1992
Known for	Character in Home and Away

Josh Webb

Josh Webb, brought to life by Erik Mitsak, made his first appearance on 7 February 1991 as the notorious "troublemaker" of Home and Away. Recently released on bail, this former convict attempts to turn his life around but finds it difficult due to his history of theft and deceit. Characterized by his quick speech and street-smart nature, Josh frequently manages to evade legal consequences. He maintains a manipulative dynamic with his mother, Gerry (Julie Godfrey), exploiting her trust for his own benefit.

As the elder sibling of Rachel Webb (Beth Champion), Josh forms a connection with her boyfriend, Blake Dean (Les Hill), and organizes a party that ultimately results in a drug-related police raid. Upon discovering Blake and Rachel's relationship, Josh reacts violently by assaulting Blake and falsely accusing Adam Cameron (Mat Stevenson) of theft, before his deception is uncovered and he is incarcerated.

Following his release, Josh feigns reform and invites Blake and Adam on a camping trip, secretly planning to murder them. His scheme is thwarted, leading to his subsequent re-arrest. Mitsak departed from the series in early 1992 with the character's exit occurring off-screen.

Cynthia Ross

Cynthia Ross, portrayed by Belinda Giblin, was introduced on 11 February 1991. Her casting and character details were publicized in the 29 December 1990 edition of TV Week. Cynthia appears as the mother of Haydn Ross (Andrew Hill) and the former spouse of Michael Ross (Dennis Coard). She arrives in Summer Bay with the intention of disrupting Michael’s relationship with Pippa Fletcher (Debra Lawrence). After Haydn unsuccessfully tries to reconcile his parents and subsequently runs away, Cynthia takes him back to the city for several weeks. Her final appearance aired on 6 March 1991.

Nick Parrish

Nick Parrish, enacted by Bruce Roberts, made his debut on 4 March 1991. Roberts secured the role just one day after completing drama school training. He exited the show in 1994 to relocate to the United Kingdom with his partner, Suzanne Dando. Notably, Roberts received an unusual fan letter from the UK that simply read: "Dear Nick, We will be married next week, Kate."

Sam Marshall

Sam Marshall, played by Ryan Clark, first appeared on 3 April 1991. Clark was seven years old when cast and balanced filming three days weekly alongside schooling, supported by an on-set tutor. He left the series in 2000 to explore other career paths but returned briefly in 2005 to celebrate the show’s 4000th episode milestone. Glenn Wheeler from The Morning Show recognized Sam as part of one of Australian television’s "most cherished families." The character gained significant popularity among teenage female audiences, with MSN identifying Clark as one of Australia's prominent teen idols during the ’90s.

Julie Gibson

Julie Gibson, portrayed by Naomi Watts, first appeared on 23 April 1991. Her casting was featured in TV Week on 16 March 1991, highlighting her role as a paraplegic character. Watts prepared for the part by spending several weeks confined to a wheelchair prior to filming.

Julie’s storyline revolves around her romantic involvement with Nick Parrish (Bruce Roberts), which faces strong opposition from her protective brother Revhead (Gavin Harrison) due to Nick’s position as a police officer. Despite Revhead’s attempts to break them apart, Julie and Nick amicably end their relationship, acknowledging they are better suited as friends. After their father Alec Gibson’s death and Nick’s breakup, Julie departs Summer Bay to attend university, asserting her independence despite her brother’s reservations. Watts later described her experience in the role as "six miserable weeks."

Lucinda Croft

Lucinda "Lou" Croft, brought to life by Dee Smart, made her debut on 13 June 1991 and exited the series in 1992. Smart, who completed three years of drama training in Sydney, landed her initial acting role through this character and originally committed to a two-year contract. Nevertheless, she left after just eight months. Mary Fletcher from Inside Soap praised Smart for transforming Lucinda into one of Home and Away's most beloved figures.

David Croft

David Croft, portrayed by Guy Pearce, first appeared on 19 July 1991. Filming commenced in May 1991, introducing David as Donald Fisher’s nephew and Lucinda Croft’s brother. Pearce’s stint lasted six weeks, concluding on 21 August 1991.

David arrives in Summer Bay aiming to mend his fractured relationship with his sister Lucinda following a prior family conflict related to a failed investment. He soon embarks on a contentious romance with Sophie Simpson, which draws criticism from Sophie's foster parents due to their age gap. After a brief separation, David plans a journey but tragically dies instantly in a head-on car accident.

Sophie later finds out she is expecting David’s child, Tamara, and relocates to Perth to be closer to David’s mother, Mary. She also names another child born in 2003 in David’s honor.

Although Pearce’s career was ascending, some commentators regarded David’s storyline as lacking engagement. Nonetheless, Channel 5 later singled out the episode featuring David's fatal crash as one of their top Home and Away moments.

Ryan Lee

Ryan Lee, enacted by Alistair MacDougall, made his first appearance on 22 August 1991 and departed on 27 November 1992. Following his exit, MacDougall revealed to Josephine Monroe from Inside Soap that he would be open to returning if Ryan was portrayed as an antagonist, adding "I would have stayed longer before if the scripts had been good enough." An Inside Soap contributor labeled Ryan as a "wealthy troublemaker".

Finlay Roberts

Finlay Roberts, characterized by Tina Thomsen, debuted on 18 September 1991 and continued until 1994, with guest appearances in 1996 and 1997. Thomsen relocated from Brisbane to Sydney after being cast for the role. In an interview with Jenna Price of the Sydney Morning Herald, Thomsen mentioned that her parents encouraged rather than pressured her career goals.

Greg Marshall

Greg Marshall, played by Ross Newton, first arrived on screen on 20 September 1991. Newton exited the show in 1993 but made a brief comeback in 2000. He described his involvement with Home and Away as an important step during its period of growing popularity. Glenn Wheeler from The Morning Show observed that Greg was part of one of Australian television's "most cherished families".

Simon Fitzgerald

Simon Fitzgerald, brought to life by Richard Norton, made his first appearance on 25 September 1991 and departed on 24 July 1992. Norton transitioned to Home and Away following a year-long stint on the competing soap Neighbours. Brendon Williams from the Daily Mirror praised Norton as being "a major success" in the role of Simon.

Irene Roberts

Irene Roberts was introduced on 29 October, initially portrayed by Jacqui Phillips before Lynne McGranger assumed the role. McGranger received a nomination for "Funniest Performance" at the 2007 Inside Soap Awards. The Sydney Morning Herald identifies Irene as one of the show's enduring "legacy characters," alongside Alf and Colleen. According to Holy Soap, her most unforgettable moment was when she was assaulted by the former wife of her ex-partner Ken.

Damian Roberts

Damian Roberts, played by Matt Doran, first appeared on 6 November 1991. Doran became a series regular from 1992 until 1995, with occasional guest spots in 1996. The younger version of Damian was portrayed by Ben Hamilton in flashbacks during 1997. Upon returning, Damian sported dreadlocks, representing a departure from his previously neat appearance. Doran’s performance earned him a devoted fan following and recognition as a popular soap actor. Critics remarked on Damian’s consistent misfortune and noted the character’s absence of major romantic plots.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Role Summary
15–16 January	Jack Cody	Colin Taylor	Interested in purchasing the Beach House but withdrew after uncovering fraud and maintenance concerns.
15–16 January	Helen Cody	Jan Adele	Accompanied Jack during property evaluations.
16 January	Peter	Scott Kelly	Friend of Pippa Fletcher; refuses to buy an old caravan intended for children’s accommodation.
21 January	Jake Wood	Frankie Davidson	Neighbor keen on acquiring a caravan; ultimately trades it for a goat.
22 January	Postmaster Bagley	Ron Gaist	Responsible for delivering HSC results to local students.
30 January–7 April 1993	Louise Scott	Elaine Hudson	Member of the foster care department assisting with cases including Sam Nicholls and Tracey Turner.
4 February–28 March	Tony Clark	Rob Hunter	Real estate agent handling the sale of the Stewart store.
6 February–17 April	Rachel Webb	Beth Champion	Dates Blake Dean before leaving Summer Bay due to family difficulties.
8–27 February	Roy Jackson	Fredric Abbott	Farmer leasing land to Ben and Carly Lucini.
8–14 February	Betty Jackson	Marie Armstrong	Motivates Carly Lucini to take charge of farm operations.
8 March–8 April	Gerry Webb	Julie Godfrey	Mother of Rachel and Josh Webb; departs town following Josh’s arrest.
19 March–3 May	Mark Smith	Greg Hatton	Member of swim team; briefly involved romantically with Karen Dean.
27 March–13 May	Rodney White	Lester Morris	School principal and adversary to Donald Fisher; participates in school activities and social competitions.
27 March	Val White	May Howlett	Rodney’s spouse; experiences frustration during social gatherings due to her husband’s preoccupations.
11 April–18 July	Jackie Nicholls	Erica Williams	Sam Nicholls’ mother; struggles with custody issues leading to foster care placement by Bobby Simpson.
18 April	Vet	Michael Beckley	Diagnoses illnesses affecting livestock on Ben and Carly's farm.
22 April	Smart Alec no.1	Adam Garcia	Swim team member who mocks others about their diving ability.
30 April	Celebrant	Carmel Mullin	Conducts the wedding ceremony for Michael Ross and Pippa Fletcher.
30 April–1 May	Military Police	Leo Taylor Timothy Sullivan	Arrest Ben Lucini for AWOL during wedding reception; charges are later dismissed.
8–21 May	Alec Gibson	David Baldwyn	Father of Revhead and Julie Gibson; passes away following a heart attack.
10–24 May	Jean Chambers	Maggie Kirkpatrick	Aunt to Marilyn Chambers; influences fostering arrangements and reveals biological parentage details.
22 May–21 June	Kenny Gibbs	David Field	Janitor who sells an old car to Blake Dean.
20 June–3 July	Max Riley	Bruce Venables	Considered one of Marilyn Chambers’ possible biological parents; leaves after real parents arrive.
20 June–3 July	Heather Riley	Lynne Porteous	Partner of Max Riley, involved in Marilyn’s storyline arc.
5 June–11 July	Margaret Lynch	Gennie Nevinson	Year 11 personal development teacher with a troubled history; exits after becoming obsessed with student Sophie Simpson.
5 June	Mrs Clifton	Marianne Krogdahl	Mistakenly identified as Marilyn Chambers’ mother during her search for biological parents.
5 June	Stanley Clifton	Brett Caroll	Son of Mrs Clifton; also misidentified by Marilyn Chambers as her parent.
7 June–10 July	Tracey Turner	Tania Martin	Foster child causing tension at Pippa Ross's home; eventually relocated after conflicts with Sophie Simpson.
2–3 July	George Davidson	Doug Scroope	Marilyn Chambers’ biological father; traveling performer who places her into care.
2–3 July	Heather Davidson	Lynne Rainbow	Marilyn’s biological mother; part of traveling performer duo exploiting Marilyn.
23 July–14 August	Diane Robertson	Hanna McLeod	Competes with Sally Fletcher for Peter Mansell’s attention; participates in local youth programs.
23 July–16 August	Peter Mansell	Troy O'Hearn	Schoolboy courted by both Sally Fletcher and Diane Robertson; attends social events alongside them.
30 July–21 August	Constable Rogers	Dominic Purcell	Police officer assisting Nick Parrish with investigations, including a fatal car accident scene.
2 August–2 October	Martin Bradley	John Bonney	Head of education department overseeing staffing changes and disciplinary matters at Summer Bay High.
9 August–2 October	Lois Crawford	Tina Bursill	Appointed Head Teacher at Summer Bay High; faces opposition leading to resignation amid controversy over student discipline allegations.
11–12 September	Isabelle Britton	Collette Roberts	Police officer who briefly dates Nick Parrish in an attempt to provoke jealousy but does not pursue a relationship further.
3–9 October	Sharyn McKinley	Liza Witt	Year 11 student involved in an unsuccessful seduction attempt by Blake Dean and Simon Fitzgerald alongside Annette Hodges.
3–9 October	Annette Hodges	Kylle Hogart

{- |6–28 November |Bill Fitzgerald |Terry Bader |Father of Simon Fitzgerald; engages in business dealings with Alf and Ailsa Stewart; leaves town after being exposed and is later imprisoned for fraud. |}

{- |14 November |Ian Gardiner |Andrew S. Gilbert |Husband involved in domestic abuse storyline concerning wife Elaine and daughter Susie, with police intervention by Nick Parrish. |}

{- |14 November |Elaine Gardiner |Lisabeth Kennely | }

{- |14 November |Susie Gardiner |Lauren Snell | }

{- |19 November – 19 June 1992 |Ruth Winston |Anna Phillips |Local physician attending Sophie Simpson; discovers her pregnancy and supports her through childbirth. |} References Kercher, John. The Official Home and Away Annual. Grandreams Ltd, 1993. ISBN 0-86227-954-2 External links Cast and characters on the official Australian Home and Away site Cast and characters on the official UK Home and Away site Cast and characters at the Internet Movie Database