Max Sutherland (Home and Away)

Home and Away

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

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

Max Sutherland

Max Sutherland, portrayed by Sebastian Elmaloglou, made his first appearance on 21 January 2002 and remained until 1 September 2004. Prior to this, Elmaloglou had guest roles on various series including GP, making Max his first regular role. He remarked that Max’s mischievous personality was quite different from his own. Around the time of his debut, Elmaloglou watched earlier episodes of Home and Away featuring his sister, Rebekah Elmaloglou, who played Sophie Simpson, noting that viewers often confused the two siblings.

Max arrives in Summer Bay accompanied by his father, Pete (Christopher Mayer), to live with his uncle Rhys (Michael Beckley) and aunt Shelley (Paula Forrest). When Pete escapes to Hong Kong due to gambling debts, Max stays permanently with the Sutherlands. Though he faces challenges adapting to his new environment, he forms a friendship with caravan resident Colleen Smart (Lyn Collingwood) and frequently experiences conflicts at school alongside his cousin Kirsty (Christie Hayes). Max helps Colleen co-author a book under the pseudonym "Maxine Peterson" and becomes entangled in a minor romantic triangle involving Tamara Simpson (Sophie Luck) and Caitlin (Bree Beadman), both characters who eventually depart from the storyline.

Max develops a bond with the troubled beachcomber Tasha Andrews (Isabel Lucas) and becomes romantically interested in a new student, Eloise Lennox (Suzanne McEachern), who is battling leukemia. Max provides support during Eloise’s final days; she passes away in his arms following a date. He honors her memory by creating a tribute in an abandoned mineshaft, which later collapses while Rhys, Kirsty, and Jade (Kate Garven) attempt to rescue him.

After Rhys divorces Shelley and marries Beth Hunter (Clarissa House), Max faces challenges interacting with Beth’s younger children, twins Henry (Tobi Atkins) and Matilda (Indiana Evans), who initially have a rocky relationship with the Sutherlands. A school boxing match organized by Principal Barry Hyde (Ivar Kants) results in Henry defeating Max, but this event leads to a friendship between them. Max briefly expresses interest in Matilda but is turned down. As family tensions increase and Rhys reconciles with Shelley, Max feels isolated and chooses boarding school over joining them when they move to the city.

Elmaloglou received a nomination for "Best Young Actor" at the 2004 Inside Soap Awards. Channel 5 recognized the 2003 season finale featuring the mineshaft incident as one of its standout episodes. In 2017, Digital Spy commended Max’s storylines for their complexity, highlighting elements such as love triangles, boxing matches, and the poignant illness narrative. Conversely, Inside Soap critiqued the terminal illness plot as a reiteration of earlier storylines involving Blake Dean and Meg Bowman.

Paris Burnett

Paris Burnett, portrayed by Rhett Giles, made his debut on 29 April 2002 and exited the series on 10 September 2003. Prior to joining, Giles had appeared on All Saints, filmed at the nearby Seven Network studios, to which he returned following his stint on Home and Away.

Paris assumes the role of principal at Summer Bay High after Donald Fisher is suspended amid a departmental scheme aimed at shutting down the school. He quickly develops an unspoken mutual attraction with Irene Roberts. At a flat-painting gathering hosted by Noah Lawson and Hayley Smith, Paris and Irene bond over shared experiences, including losses in their past relationships.

When Donald obtains damaging evidence about the department’s failings from Brett Egan, Paris plays a key role in preventing the school's closure. He grows closer to Irene but initially hesitates to take their relationship further. After Donald is reinstated, Irene opts not to pursue a romance with Paris as he prepares to leave. During the Summer Bay 150th anniversary celebration aboard the Mirgini, they become shipwrecked and share a kiss. Following their rescue, they begin dating despite disapproval from Irene’s foster son Nick Smith, who objects due to Paris’s age. Paris later receives a job offer in Orange but returns briefly to say goodbye to Irene.

Several months later, Paris returns to replace Donald after his retirement, sparking conflict with Angie Russell, who had anticipated securing the position herself. Although Irene is initially reluctant to reconcile, Paris persuades her and moves into the Beach House. Nick’s challenging behavior prompts Paris to temporarily move out. They reconcile after Irene is diagnosed with depression. Their relationship ends when Paris must leave to care for his orphaned niece and nephew following his brother’s death. He invites Irene to join him, but she declines; they share a final kiss before his departure.

Angie Russell

Angela "Angie" Russell, played by Laurie Foell, first appeared on 26 September 2002 and departed on 21 March 2003, returning posthumously as a ghost in 2004. The storyline unveiling Angie’s murderer attracted Australian audiences of up to 1.5 million viewers, surpassing the Nine Network’s Big Brother Australia 2003. Foell’s portrayal earned Angie recognition among "The 50 most evil soap villains of all time" by What's on TV. Although the Sunday Mercury critiqued the series for slow pacing, it praised how swiftly Angie's murder mystery was resolved.

Dylan Russell

Dylan Russell, portrayed by Brett Hicks-Maitland, made his first appearance on 8 October 2002 and left in 2003, with a brief return in 2004. Hicks-Maitland, originally from Adelaide and a graduate of NIDA, relocated to Sydney for this role and was subsequently offered an extended contract due to his strong performance. Even years after departing the show, he remained closely associated with the character.

Describing Dylan as a mature yet developing 17-year-old imbued with empathy and humor, Hicks-Maitland noted that playing a younger character at age 24 helped extend his acting career. The official series website depicted Dylan as "tall and lean," socially skilled but somewhat self-absorbed, with a comedic style reminiscent 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 once it is revealed that Kirsty’s father Rhys is also Dylan’s biological father—a discovery that ends their relationship. Dylan grows closer to the Sutherland family but distances himself as Angie becomes increasingly unstable.

After sustaining injuries in a boating accident requiring a blood transfusion, tests reveal Dylan is not Rhys’s son. Feeling betrayed by Angie’s deception, Dylan still finds acceptance within the Sutherland family. Attempts to rekindle his romance with Kirsty prove unsuccessful.

As Angie’s mental health worsens, Dylan plans to seek help for her but unintentionally causes her death during an altercation. Initially suspected of murder alongside Rhys—who nearly faces charges—Dylan ultimately confesses. He is arrested and released on bail before moving to the city with his grandmother Monica Markham. At trial, he is acquitted.

Later storylines see Dylan meeting his half-sister Tasha Andrews and discovering Josie Russell—Angie’s lookalike cousin—working at a city brothel after Tasha goes missing.

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	Sibling of Rhys Sutherland and father to Max. Pete comes to the Bay to visit relatives but escapes with Max due to gambling-related debts. They later return, but when debt collectors pursue him, Pete entrusts Max to Rhys and Shelley.
22–24 January	Brian Alcott	Richard Healy	Father of Miles Alcott who attends the coroner’s inquest for his son’s demise. He reconciles with Alex Poulos after Alex is acquitted and encourages Brodie Hanson to move forward.
23 January	Mrs. Alcottt	Uncredited	Mother of Miles Alcott, present at his inquest.
5–13 February	Justin Bell	Mitchell Eirth	A troubled teenager exhibiting violent tendencies; expelled from home by mother Maggie. Flynn Saunders assists him in finding refuge, but Justin’s disputes lead to accusations against Flynn. Maggie attempts blackmail but is stopped by Noah Lawson.
5 February – 1 April	Patricia Morgan	Gennie Nevinson	Head of Reefton Lakes High; conflicts with Summer Bay High’s principal over proposed school closures. She submits a plan favoring her institution, creating friction until her son Ethan supports Summer Bay’s cause.
6 February – 8 March	Maggie Bell	Helen O'Connor	Mother of Justin Bell; expels him due to his violent behavior. Attempts to blackmail Flynn Saunders following Justin's claims but is prevented by police intervention.
11 February – 12 April	Grace O'Connor	Mary Docker	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital; provides care for Justin Bell and Nick Smith after incidents. Briefly dates Nathan Roberts before departing the area.
18–20 February	Mr Atkins	David Webb	Legal counsel representing Vinnie Patterson during fraud proceedings; ultimately unsuccessful in defense.
19 February	Greg West	Dane Carson	Josh West’s father; encourages university attendance and later requests Josh manage his business interests due to illness.
20 February	Governor Williamson	Alistair Duncan	Judge presiding over Vinnie Patterson’s fraud case; imposes a two-year prison sentence.
21 February – 8 April	Ethan Morgan	Ben Connolly	Leader of the Student Committee at Reefton Lakes High; spearheads efforts against school closures and organizes live protest coverage. Expresses romantic interest in Brodie Hanson but is declined. Detained during a police raid but released owing to a clean record.
25 February	Jenny Latham	Fiona Hepburn	Parole officer aiding Nathan Roberts in securing employment.
26 February–14 August 2012	Julie Cooper	Lisa Hayson-Phillips	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital; befriends Flynn Saunders and briefly dates Tony Holden. Falsely accused of murder but exonerated; participates in a nurses’ strike before withdrawing support.
27 February – 21 March	Christopher "Kick" Johnson	Jason Clarke	Visiting teacher from Reefton Lakes High; informal methods clash with Donald Fisher's approach. Departs following a bus crash involving his students.
7 March – 6 September	Kelli Edwards	Alyssa-Jane Cook	Local baker supplying Beachside Diner; purchases Alex Poulos’ van and enters a relationship that ends due to harassment from ex-husband Jason Edwards, prompting her exit.
12 March – 17 April	Jemma MacKinnon	Thea Gumbert	Hairdresser and friend of Kirsty Sutherland; provides fake identification leading to hospitalization incident. After being expelled, returns home following parental intervention.
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 of Josh West; covers school events, facilitates family reunions, and supports Josh during his father’s illness.
17 April	Ray MacKinnon	Christopher Burke	Parent of Gemma MacKinnon, persuaded by Shelley Sutherland to allow his daughter to return home after being expelled.
	Carmel MacKinnon	Meredith O'Reilly
19 April – 16 July	Aimee Cooper	Rhianna Griffith	Appears at drop-in centre and orienteering event; befriends local youths but displays disruptive conduct leading to her departure. Background includes loss of parents.
23 April – 8 May	Ryan Anderson	Damien Fowler	Student linked with Donald Fisher; experiences bullying episodes.
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 and admirer of Max Sutherland.
18 July – 5 September	Mav Patterson	Clayton Williams	Cousin of Vinnie Patterson; briefly involved with Brodie Hanson before leaving following tragedy involving Charlotte Adams.
1–27 August	Jason Edwards	Benj Daddario	Ex-husband of Kelli Edwards; harasses her and assaults Alex Poulos. Hospitalized after Jesse McGregor intervenes. Later reported for theft at drop-in centre.
27 August – 6 September	Bernadette	Celia Ireland	Manager of Yabbie Creek RSL club; awards Colleen Smart a jackpot prize.
17 October–3 July 2003	Mikey Dunn	Trent Atkinson	Autistic student at Summer Bay High who forms friendships with peers and staff. Encounters challenges including a fire drill incident, later works briefly for Scott Hunter before relocating for new employment arranged by his mother.
17 October–3 July 2003	Mrs Dunn	Susan Kennedy	Mikey Dunn’s mother.
17 October	Kelvin Matthews	James Donnellan	Gym patron at surf club who makes unwanted advances on Hayley Smith, resulting in assault charges after Jesse McGregor intervenes.
17–25 October	Tara	Rebecca Murphy	Old friend of Sally Fletcher asked to be a surrogate mother. Leaves town after reconnecting with estranged family following personal loss.
6–12 November	Grigg	Amos Szeps	Former cellmate of Jesse McGregor who blackmails Jesse and holds several residents hostage before fleeing; later found deceased in Donald Fisher’s car.