Lily Smith

Home and Away
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	January 17, 1988; 38 years ago
Headquarters	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. This section outlines the characters introduced in 2001, all under the guidance of executive producer John Holmes. The show's 14th season commenced on 15 January 2001. The first new addition to the cast was Alex Poulos, who appeared in February. On 9 April, Sam Atwell joined as Kane Phillips, soon followed by the arrival of Kane's brother, Scott. June saw the introductions of Seb Miller and Flynn Saunders. In September, Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen took on the role of doctor Charlotte Adams, with Jim Tyler making an appearance later that month. November brought in Daniel Collopy as Josh West, alongside the births of VJ Patterson and Lily Smith.

Alex Poulos

Alexi "Alex" Poulos, played by Danny Raco, made his first appearance on 26 February 2001. He remained on the show until 2004, returning briefly in 2007 for a concluding episode aired on 19 June. Raco joined the series early in 2001 and exited towards the end of 2003 to focus on directing; his final scenes were broadcast in early 2004. His portrayal of Alex earned him a nomination for Most Popular New Male Talent at the 2002 Logie Awards.

Scott Phillips

Scott Phillips was initially portrayed by Nathaniel Dean in 2001 and later by Josh Rosenthal during 2003 and 2005. His first appearance was on 10 April 2001, with his last on 23 February 2005. Scott is depicted as the elder sibling of Kane Phillips (Sam Atwell). His narrative arc involves criminal behavior such as harassment, kidnapping, and robbery, resulting in confrontations with law enforcement and imprisonment. Upon release, Scott returns to Summer Bay in pursuit of stolen money connected to a service station heist involving Kane and hostage Tasha Andrews (Isabel Lucas). His efforts to retrieve the funds escalate into threats and violent acts, including an unsuccessful kidnapping attempt and a tense gunpoint encounter with Flynn Saunders (Joel McIlroy). Scott's storyline concludes with him providing false testimony against Kane during a trial, undermining Kane's defense.

Flynn Saunders

Flynn Saunders, who first appeared on 13 July 2001 and was originally played by Martin Dingle-Wall before being recast with Joel McIlroy, exited the series following his character's death on 13 February 2006. The episode featuring Flynn's demise won writer Sam Miekle the Australian Writers' Guild Award for Best Episode in a Television Serial. Both actors received accolades: Dingle-Wall was nominated for "Most Popular New Male Talent" (2002), while McIlroy earned a nomination for "Most Popular Actor" (2006) at the Logie Awards. Flynn’s death storyline was voted the second most compelling plot in a December 2006 TV Week reader survey. Additionally, McIlroy received three nominations at the 2006 Inside Soap Awards for "Best Actor," "Best Couple," and "Best Storyline" related to this plot.

Charlotte Adams

Charlotte Adams, portrayed by Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen, made her debut on 10 September 2001. Characterized as "attractive, intelligent, generous, and sincere," Charlotte was a medical student aspiring to become a doctor but encountered difficulties completing her degree. The character was written out of the series in 2002.

Jim Tyler

Jim Tyler, portrayed by Shane Porteous, made his debut on 25 September 2001. Porteous, who also contributed as a scriptwriter for Home and Away, was drawn to the role and accepted it after the part remained uncast. He felt at ease on set, thanks to the familiar environment and crew. Jim was depicted as "a wanderer with a shadowy history" who stirred curiosity in Summer Bay.

Jim is initially found sleeping on the beach by Brodie Hanson (Susie Rugg) and Dani Sutherland (Tammin Sursok). After he rescues Brodie from a dog attack, Dani’s father Rhys (Michael Beckley) offers Jim a place to stay in return for doing various odd jobs. When Jim becomes unwell and is hospitalized, principal Donald Fisher (Norman Coburn) recognizes him as a qualified professor and invites him to temporarily take over some classes. However, Jim’s outdated teaching style causes friction with the students, leading to a nervous breakdown and his transfer to a city hospital. It later emerges that Jim accidentally ran over his young son, Dean, fifteen years prior.

Josh West

Josh West, played by Daniel Collopy, appeared from late 2001 until 2003, with a brief return in late 2005. His storyline involved a freeway development project, and he eventually rose to become Summer Bay’s mayor before being unintentionally killed in early 2006.

Collopy landed the role in September 2001 and relocated from Melbourne to Sydney for filming. This marked his first regular television role, which he described as an "excellent opportunity" on Home and Away. Network Seven described Josh as coming from an "upper-class family" and initially having a very relaxed demeanor.

The character was written out through a prominent murder mystery plot designed to capitalize on the popularity of previous storylines that had increased audience ratings. Collopy received a nomination for "Most Popular New Male Talent" at the Logie Awards in 2003 and was also nominated for "Best Bad Boy" at the 2006 Inside Soap Awards. Media outlets referred to Josh as the "new heartthrob" in Summer Bay, with his romantic storylines significantly enhancing Collopy’s public profile.

VJ Patterson

Vincent "VJ" Patterson, Jr., portrayed by Felix Dean, first appeared on 30 November 2001. The character has been portrayed by eleven different child actors over time, including Carlo Teodorowych, Jack Monger, Max Theoharis, and Cooper Scott. Felix Dean took on the role in 2007 and received nominations for Best Young Actor at the 2008 and 2009 Inside Soap Awards. VJ’s unusual name has attracted some criticism, with comparisons made to an "early model Holden".

Lily Smith

Lily Smith (née Nash) made her first appearance on 30 November 2001, originally played by Harriet Tapley and Simone Medici. In 2003, twins Claudia and Olivia Jenkins briefly portrayed Lily, with Charlie Rose MacLennan assuming the role when the character returned in 2010. MacLennan began appearing from 14 October and mentioned feeling starstruck during her initial time on set.

Lily is the daughter of Gypsy Nash and Will Smith. She was born during an emergency roadside delivery when Will assisted her birth en route to Northern Districts Hospital. Will and Gypsy married on the beach before moving to Queensland. Their family grew after they adopted Rachel McGregor.

Lily came back with Will to visit Irene Roberts amid Will’s marital issues caused by infidelity. After an unsuccessful attempt at reconciliation, Will’s destructive behavior frightened Lily. She formed a friendship with VJ Patterson, sharing the same birthday, and together they tried to run away to Africa but were stopped by authorities.

Following Lily’s illness and Will’s arrest for the murder of Penn Graham, she returned to Gypsy’s care. Several months later, Lily and Gypsy visited Irene during her cancer treatment. Gypsy’s boyfriend Mark Gilmour clashed with Lily; Mark suggested boarding school for her, but Gypsy disagreed. After Gypsy’s affair with Liam Murphy ended her relationship with Mark, Irene advised Gypsy to leave Summer Bay, leading her to return to Queensland with Lily.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Context
15 January	Reverend Wardorski	Dean Nottie	Reverend Wardorski officiates the funeral service for Ailsa Stewart (Judy Nunn).
25 January–17 July 2002	Stella Patterson	Tina Bursill	Stella, mother of Vinnie Patterson (Ryan Kwanten), arrives prior to Vinnie's wedding to Leah Poulos (Ada Nicodemou). Initially, she mistakes Leah for a cleaner and clashes with Leah's father, Theo (Silvio Ofria), creating tension that nearly disrupts the ceremony. Stella participates in the wedding, shares a kiss with Alf Stewart (Ray Meagher), and often looks after her grandson VJ.
1–7 February	Desiree Upton	Simone Robertson	Desiree, a TAFE acquaintance of Gypsy Nash (Kimberley Cooper), kisses Gypsy to make a point but confronts her upon realizing she is being used.
1–21 February	Hamish "Woody" Woodford	Chris Foy	After expulsion, Woody enrolls at Summer Bay High. Facing social exclusion, he takes hostages at school with a replica gun, resulting in his arrest.
12–21 February	Ian Woodford	Wayne Pygram	Ian, Woody’s father, denies his son’s mental health issues and reprimands him during the hostage incident. He also orders Shelley Sutherland (Paula Forrest) to leave when she visits his wife Louise.
15–16 February	Morrie Sanders	Peter Brownie	Morrie, uncle to Mitch McColl (Cameron Welsh), informs Mitch about his grandmother’s illness and inheritance in New Zealand; Mitch decides to move there permanently.
26 February–8 March	Holly Loader	Clare Flanaghan	Holly, Jude Lawson’s (Ben Steel) ex-girlfriend, causes strife by accusing Jude's brother Noah of inappropriate advances and disrupts Leah’s wedding reception.
6 March–26 February 2009	Helen Poulos	Peta Toppano, Anna-Maria Monticelli	Helen is the mother of Leah Poulos and her siblings. She arrives with her husband Theo ahead of Leah’s nuptials to Vinnie Patterson.
6–7 March	Christina Poulos	Barbara Gouskos	Christina arrives with her father Con and son Petro for Leah's wedding.
6–7 March	Petro Poulos	Erieta Tseztsimis, Andriano Cassinati
6–8 March	Con Poulos	Nicholas Papademetriou	Con, Theo’s brother and Leah’s uncle, visits for the wedding and engages in disputes with Alex and Theo regarding business affairs.
7 March	Effie	Melina Clark	Effie is Christina Poulos’ sister.
12 March–12 April	Geoff Webb	John Sheerin	Geoff, father of Shelley Sutherland, stays with the family accompanied by his girlfriend Linda. After disagreements concerning his mother Avril and Linda, Geoff departs following a weather-related scare.
12–23 March	Linda	Cathy Campbell	Linda travels with Geoff but leaves due to feeling unwelcome; later ends their relationship over conflicting aspirations.
14 March–3 April	Toni Davidson	Rowan Witt	Toni runs away from home to escape abuse from her father John. Following intervention from family and community members, John is arrested.
14 March–2 April	Leo Davidson	Bill Charlton	Toni’s grandfather who initially confronts locals but later reconciles with Toni; assists in halting John’s abusive behavior.
14 March–10 April	Andrew Moffatt	Anthony Burke	Gypsy Nash’s TAFE instructor who threatens legal action after paternity accusations arise.
29 March–20 April	Melissa Hill	Bianca Sulkowicz	Melissa is a ballet classmate of Jade Sutherland.
29 March	Tonya	Sharni Vinson	Tonya bullies Jade during ballet lessons.
30 March–2 April	John Davidson	Sean Dennehy	Toni Davidson’s abusive father who attempts to regain custody but is ultimately arrested.
11–12 April	Avril Webb	Suzanne Dudley	Mother of Shelley Sutherland; seeks reconciliation with her husband Geoff.
11–27 April	Skye Patterson	Angela Keep	Vinnie Patterson’s cousin who sparks tension by kissing Noah Lawson at a party before departing Summer Bay.
10–24 May	Jill Lawson	Tracy Mann	Mother of Jude and Noah Lawson; returns estranged due to religious fanaticism but eventually accepts psychiatric assistance to repair family relationships.
22 May–1 June	Patrick Curl	Kip Gamblin	TAFE student who dates Gypsy Nash; supports her pregnancy despite complications in her personal life.
22 May–12 June	David Barclay	Jimmy Sergeant	New enrollee at Summer Bay High; experiences bullying related to his father's involvement in a mudslide; later returns to urban schooling.
7–11 June	Richard Barclay	Terence Crawford	Father of David Barclay; manages consequences from local incidents involving his son.
21 June–6 July	Anna Miller	Elizabeth Maywald	Seb Miller’s mother; employed as cleaner at Summer Bay High while fighting terminal cancer; discloses Seb's paternity before passing away.
23 July–16 August	Aidan Bradley	Ben Mortley	Shauna Bradley’s adoptive brother; dates Hayley Smith exhibiting controlling tendencies until publicly exposed and humiliated.
24 July–23 October 2002	Julius Peters	Leslie Brock	Schoolmate involved in events including a bus accident and Rock Eisteddfod auditions; minor romantic interest for Jade Sutherland.
3 August–10 July 2003	Simone Harris	Chelsea Yates	Briefly dates Nick Smith; friendship with Jade Sutherland deteriorates amid romantic conflicts; participates in school events such as Rock Eisteddfod.
13 August–27 September	Matt Lowe	Steve Matthews	Local council inspector who evaluates safety concerns at Sarah McKay Drop-in centre ensuring its continued operation.
30 August–4 September	Robbie Jamieson	Rupert Evans	London hotel concierge interested in Hayley Smith during a visit by Summer Bay residents for Donald Fisher’s book launch; relationship ends due to distance.
31 August-3 September	James Cooper	Rod Hallett	Public Relations agent for UK publisher managing Donald Fisher’s book launch event.
4–5 September	Heidi McIntyre	Aimee Moffatt	Urban music critic who briefly dates Alex Poulos causing friction with his former partner Brodie Hanson.
7 September	Gary	Ian Hodson	Jan Hanson’s former boyfriend who reconciles with her despite objections from daughter Brodie.
12 September–23 November	Miles Alcott	Steven Rooke	Friend of Alex Poulos involved in a fatal car accident after attending the school formal; commemorated with a memorial bench impacting key characters emotionally.
17 September–6 August 2002	Dr. Carlingford	Alan Faulkner	Senior physician overseeing Charlotte Adams at Northern Districts Hospital; conflicts arise over work issues and advises against maternity leave affecting career choices.
25 September–9 May 2003	Gladys Adams	Moya O'Sullivan	Grandmother living with Charlotte Adams; involved in storylines addressing elder abuse revealed through community intervention.
1–17 October	Steve Kent	Don Hany	Charlotte Adams’ boyfriend whose abusive conduct leads to their breakup after failed reconciliation attempts.
9 October–14 February 2006 - Ashley Saunders, portrayed by Zoe Ella, is Flynn Saunders’ younger sister struggling with heroin addiction; storyline includes rehabilitation efforts and participation in community drug-free programs; returns for Flynn’s funeral.
9–25 October - Terry (Keiran Darcy-Smith) acts as Ashley Saunders' drug supplier who threatens Flynn Saunders and injures Sally Fletcher while pursuing Ashley.
17 October–11 March 2003 - Maggie Smart (Elizabeth & Jamie Chambers / Alyssa & Brianna Dwight) is Lance and Debbie Smart’s daughter visiting family amidst parental marital difficulties.
9 November–14 February 2006 - John Saunders (Bill Charlton) is Flynn Saunders’ father who supports Ashley’s recovery and attends significant family events including Flynn’s wedding and funeral.
19–26 November - Inspector Fraser (Angelean Milner) investigates the fatal car accident involving Miles Alcott interviewing parties such as Alex Poulos and Brodie Hanson.
20 November–16 May 2002 - Lara Rogers (Charde Doherty) is a struggling student supported by Sally Fletcher and Flynn Saunders amid challenging home circumstances; briefly dates Seb Miller before ending the relationship.
21–23 November - Billy (Leon Stripp) is Josh West’s friend visiting during Schoolies week activities.
27 November - Kelly Rogers (Bronte Doherty) is Lara Rogers’ younger sister who remains cautious around strangers during family visits from Sally Fletcher and Flynn Saunders.
28 November - Lindy Rogers (Gabrielle Adkins) is mother to Lara and Kelly Rogers managing familial challenges alongside community support initiatives.

External links

Cast and characters on the Official AU Home and Away site
Cast and characters on the Official UK Home and Away platform
Cast and characters at the Internet Movie Database