Ralph Patterson (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 a long-running Australian soap opera that first aired on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. This section lists the characters introduced during 1999, all of whom were added under the guidance of then-executive producer John Holmes. The series’ twelfth season premiered on 11 January 1999. The initial new addition was Nick Smith, portrayed by Matt Juarez, who appeared in March. Following him, Anthony Phelan debuted as Nick’s father, Ken, in April. May saw Aleetza Wood join the cast as Peta Janossi. In July, Cameron Welsh became part of the show playing Mitch McColl. During August, both Bianca Zeboat and lifeguard Shauna Bradley, played by Kylie Watson, were introduced. September brought in science teacher Harry Reynolds, enacted by Justin Melvey. October featured the arrival of Anna Hruby and Stephen James King as acting principal Judith Ackroyd and her son, Edward Dunglass.

Nick Smith

Nick Smith made his debut on 18 March 1999, initially portrayed by Matt Guarez in a guest capacity before becoming a regular character in 2000 with Chris Egan taking over the role. His final appearance was on 9 September 2003. Additionally, Aaron Puckeridge played Nick in flashback scenes during 2003. Chris Egan’s portrayal earned him a nomination for "Best New Male Talent" at the Logie Awards in 2001.

Peta Janossi

Peta Janossi, played by Aleetza Wood, first appeared on 27 May 1999 and exited the series on 14 July 2000. Wood was cast while still attending university. Series Producer Russell Webb selected her for the role due to her youthful and fresh appearance. For her work as Peta, Wood received a nomination for "Most Popular New Female Talent" in 2000.

Mitch McColl

Mitch McColl, portrayed by Cameron Welsh, was introduced on 15 July 1999. Welsh initially auditioned for a guest part before securing this role. In 2000, Welsh took a six-week hiatus after being diagnosed with a herniated disc; during this period, Mitchell McMahon temporarily filled in as Mitch. Welsh resumed the role from 3 April 2000 onward. He later made a cameo appearance for the show’s 4000th episode in 2005, celebrating Alf Stewart's (Ray Meagher) birthday. Subsequently, Welsh transitioned into the position of Home and Away producer, crediting his time acting as Mitch with enhancing his understanding of production processes. He was nominated for "Best New Male Talent" at the Logie Awards in 2000.

James Joyce from The Newcastle Herald praised Mitch’s impactful introduction and highlighted the eagerly anticipated first kiss between Mitch and Hayley, noting viewers’ strong interest in their relationship. A columnist from the Daily Record also listed Mitch’s departure as one of television’s notable moments.

Bianca Zeboat

Bianca Zeboat, brought to life by Lara Cox, first appeared on 11 August 1999. Cox landed this extended guest role shortly after completing work on Heartbreak High, marking an unusual instance of simultaneously featuring in two television series. She described Bianca as manipulative and unpleasant—a stark contrast to her previous character Anita Scheppers. Bianca is both a model and actress striving to secure the lead role in the film adaptation of Alan Fisher’s novel On the Crest of a Wave. Upon arriving in Summer Bay to prepare for filming, she befriends Jesse McGregor (Ben Unwin) to obtain insider information about the production. Jesse develops strong feelings for Bianca, viewing her as both a romantic interest and maternal figure. However, after director Roger Landowne (Tony Bonner) dismisses Bianca from the project, she ends her relationship with Jesse and departs from Summer Bay.

Shauna Bradley

Shauna Bradley, portrayed by Kylie Watson, made her debut on 16 August 1999 and departed in July 2002. Watson secured the role soon after returning to Canberra, despite initial uncertainty about her prospects. As her first professional acting engagement, she enrolled in classes to enhance her craft. Her performance earned her a nomination for Most Popular New Female Talent at the 2000 Logie Awards. Shauna was characterized as "feisty" and "sassy," embodying a "sexy lifesaver" image. Her romantic arcs, particularly with Harry, were marked by significant fluctuations, while her involvement with Gavin was considered precarious. In 2012, Channel 5 featured an episode where Shauna discovers she is adopted in their audience-selected "From Day One" segment.

Harry Reynolds

Harry Reynolds, brought to life by Justin Melvey, first appeared on 13 September 1999 and exited on 26 January 2001. Prior to joining the cast, Melvey had experience in modelling and developed his acting abilities. Upon the availability of the Harry Reynolds role, he auditioned successfully and relocated from Los Angeles to Australia for the part. In 2000, Melvey received the "Most Popular New Male Talent" Logie Award for his portrayal.

Judith Ackroyd

Judith Ackroyd, enacted by Anna Hruby, featured from 21 October 1999 until 21 November 2000. Hruby was previously known for her role in Prisoner Cell Block H. Judith assumed the position of principal at Summer Bay High during Donald Fisher's leave. Initially met with doubt regarding her appointment, she gained respect through assisting Donald with his novel and managing school responsibilities effectively.

Her son, Edward Dunglass, born from an affair with the late Edward Dunglass Sr., arrives carrying the risk of Huntington's disease inheritance. Judith tolerates Edward’s rebellious tendencies and supports his relationship with Peta Janossi despite initial concerns. Following personal loss, Judith grows closer to Donald Fisher but eventually enters into a relationship with Joel Nash.

The relationship between Judith and Joel deteriorates after cohabitation and discussions about having children. After Joel suffers an injury and his wife Natalie returns, he reconciles with Natalie and leaves Summer Bay. Judith then accepts a job offer in Switzerland, advises Donald to resume his principal duties, and appoints Sally Fletcher before departing.

Edward Dunglass

Edward Dunglass, played by Stephen James King, appeared from 28 October 1999 until 14 July 2000. King managed his high school education alongside acting commitments; this was his first television role following theatre experience. He commended the veteran cast for their support and described Edward as often misunderstood due to his goth appearance, which contrasted with typical Summer Bay youth. The character was depicted as an unconventional figure within the local teen community.

Edward’s introduction occurs on the beach where Will Smith mocks his goth style, prompting a sarcastic retort from Edward. After rescuing Duncan Stewart from bullies, he joins local teens for go-kart trials, achieving the fastest lap time. The new school principal, Judith Ackroyd, is revealed to be Edward’s mother.

Donald Fisher recognizes Edward’s surname through university connections to his deceased father, Edward Sr., who passed away from Huntington's disease. Aware of his genetic risk, Edward quickly forms friendships with Peta Janossi and Mitch McColl. He assists Peta in honoring her late grandmother, which leads to suspicions of occult involvement from Colleen Smart.

Edward’s friendship with Duncan causes friction with Alf and Ailsa Stewart, especially after Edward expresses blunt opinions on death related to illness. As Huntington's symptoms emerge—such as spasms and paralysis—Edward engages in risky behaviors that concern those around him. Following a breakup and reconciliation with Peta, they attend self-defense classes due to harassment issues. Their relationship strengthens; they hold a private wedding ceremony and decide to cohabit with Judith’s approval but face opposition from Peta’s foster father, Joel Nash.

Upon reaching adulthood at eighteen, Edward tests positive for Huntington's but initially minimizes its impact until experiencing an emotional crisis. Judith provides him with a video message recorded by Edward Sr. before his death, aiding Edward’s acceptance of his condition. He removes his gothic makeup and requests access to his trust fund to travel abroad with Peta. Judith arranges for them to stay in Rome with her sister. Before departing, Edward exhibits signs of fatigue and irritability but finds reassurance in Peta’s dedication. They leave after an emotional farewell. The following year, Will visits them and confirms that Edward’s condition is deteriorating.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Context
11 January–3 March	Dr. Noble	Mariette Rups-Donnelly	Provides psychiatric care to Gypsy Nash (Kimberley Cooper) following her abduction by David D'Angelo (Toni Poli). Subsequently offers support to Joey Rainbow (Alex O'Han) during his struggle with schizophrenia.
14–25 January	Mr Gilkey	Ben Ager	A driver exhibiting road rage who confronts Ailsa Stewart (Judy Nunn) after a traffic accident, insisting on compensation and causing her distress. Though he apologizes, Ailsa refuses to accept it.
14 January–21 May	Troy	Lucas Sinkovic Luke Jacobz	A fellow Year 12 student and teammate in cricket alongside Tom Nash (Graeme Squires).
18–19 January	Rhonda	Samantha Braniff	Utilized by David D'Angelo (Toni Poli) as bait in a scheme to abduct Joel Nash (David Woodley) by pretending to have a flat tire.
21 January–10 February	Brian Matthews	Scott Swalwell	Companion of Sam Marshall (Ryan Clark) and Hayley Smith (Bec Cartwright). A graffiti artist who tragically dies after falling from a building while tagging.
3–12 February	Geraldine Peterson	Anna Lee	Participant in The Wednesday Club women's group; falsely claims success in charity fundraising, leading Rebecca Nash (Belinda Emmett) to leave the club.
5 February	Mo Matthews	Pat Sands	Father of Brian Matthews; discovers Brian and Sam Marshall tagging a tower.
8–18 February	Kaia Stokes	Blazey Best	Provides support to Joey Rainbow during his schizophrenic episodes until his hallucinations become overwhelming, prompting her departure.
19 February–6 October	Bob Playford	Tony Morgan	Real estate agent employed by Diana Fraser to explore acquiring and developing the caravan park, which faces opposition from residents. Development is halted when locals raise funds to purchase the park themselves.
4–23 March	Brooke Taylor	Bridie Carter	Sister of Mara Taylor; attracted to Travis Nash due to his resemblance to her deceased fiancé. Discloses family secrets before departing.
4–5 March	Mara Taylor	Ann Burbrook	Brooke's sister; reckless boat operator who pursues Joel Nash unaware of his marital status.
10–17 March	Denise Hennessy	Lauren Clair	Former prison cellmate of Kylie Burton using the alias "Maggie Crowley". Visits ex-fiancé Jesse McGregor but escapes upon police suspicion of her fugitive status.
11 March	Eleanor Mace	Deborah Piper	Candidate interviewed for Byron Fisher's nanny position, evaluated by Donald Fisher.
	Patsy Little	Jillian O'Dowd
	Skye	Karren Lewis
16 March–11 May	Ellen Porter	Anne Grigg	Nanny employed for Donald Fisher’s infant son Byron; has a history involving a manslaughter charge but earns trust. Departs after confessing romantic feelings toward Donald.
17–22 March	Jim Woods	Nick Hogan	Local police officer who suspects Denise Hennessy is an escaped prisoner. Also investigates Will Smith's report on his brother Nick's drug-related activities.
19–23 March	Johnno	Josef Ber	Drug dealer exerting pressure on Nick Smith over unpaid debts; assaults Nick but later considers the debt settled.
24 March	Ted Williams	Kim Knuckey	Foster father of Nick Smith; arrives with wife Wendy to retrieve Nick from the beach house.
24 March 1999–26 April 2000	Wendy Williams	Monette Lee Lisa Cameron	Foster mother of Nick Smith; returns him to live with his biological father following behavioral issues.
26 March–20 April	Miranda Porter	Lauren Hewett	Daughter of Ellen Porter; an HIV-positive student concerned about stigma in Summer Bay. Briefly dates Joey Rainbow before leaving town.
29 March–7 April	Claire Andrews	Kate Beahan	Half-sister of Travis and Joel Nash; stays with Travis’ wife Rebecca after eviction, later caught stealing from Travis’ home and leaves town after charges are dropped.
21 April–14 June	Jack	Eamon Davern	Friend of Duncan Stewart; assists in constructing a homemade bomb that injures Alf Stewart.
4–5 May	Organist	Gregg Arthur	Performs at the wedding ceremony of James Fraser and Chloe Richards.
7 May–19 August	Wendy Collins	Jayne Leslie	Spouse of Steve Collins and mother to Ruby. Employs Justine Welles as a childminder. Initially accuses Justine after discovering bruises on Ruby but later admits responsibility, resulting in Justine’s release from prison.
	11 May–19 August	Steve Collins	Don Halbert	Husband of Wendy Collins and father of Ruby. Supports Justine taking blame for Ruby’s injuries but ultimately confesses guilt himself.
	11–19 May	Ruby Collins	Kiara Bleskas Tara McKellar Brittany Jones Sian Tierney	Daughter of Steve and Wendy Collins; dies following a fall while under Justine Welles' care, triggering a murder trial that ends with Justine’s exoneration.
24–25 May	Guy North	Drayton Morley	Supportive friend to Marilyn Fisher during her post-natal depression; discloses past romantic feelings for Marilyn before departing.
3 June 1999, 8 November 2004	Father O'Hearn	Alan Russell	Catholic priest officiating Marilyn Fisher’s confession and conducting Owen Dalby’s funeral service.
7 June–2 July	Hope Benedict	Brooke Harmon	Member of church group involved with Duncan Stewart, who leaves after he makes unwelcome advances.
9–23 June	John Russell	John Moore Marbuck Khan (flashback)	Aboriginal educator at Summer Bay High teaching Indigenous Studies; confronts family separation history and departs town in search of his mother.
16 June–20 July	David Janossi	Philip Edwards	Older sibling to Peta Janossi; illegally lives off deceased grandmother’s pension before leaving town for a city job opportunity.
28 June–9 September	Roger Lansdowne	Tony Bonner	Film producer aiming to secure rights for Alan Fisher's autobiography, manipulating locals including Marilyn Fisher, Donald Fisher’s wife. Characterized as a "sleazy B-grade action movie producer."
28 June	Reverend Lee	Stewart Reade	Officiates Lachlan Fraser’s funeral ceremony.
28 June–19 July	Annie Matthews	Carole Skinner	Homeless woman impersonating Peta Janossi's grandmother; later reunited with estranged daughter Frances Kennedy who convinces her to return home.
12 July–20 August	Angus Halliday	Gabriel Andrews	University peer of Sally Fletcher whose presence incites jealousy in Vinnie Patterson.
19 July	Frances Kennedy	Alice Livingstone	Estranged daughter of Annie Matthews; brought back to Annie by Peta Janossi and Will Smith.
28 July–26 August	Sharon Welles	Shayne Francis	Mother of Justine Welles; former heroin addict who assists journalist Jeff Berger in obtaining Justine's confession leading to wrongful conviction. Later disowned by Justine after release.
28 July–9 August	Leon Watson	David Webb	Attorney representing Justine Welles during the murder trial for Ruby Collins’ death; prepares her for court though she is initially convicted.
30 July–31 August	Jeff Berger	Jonathon Speer	Journalist offering payment to Sharon Welles for Justine Welles' confession regarding Ruby Collins’ death; later offers money directly to Justine, which she refuses.
6–9 August	Kelly McCane	Laurie Foell	Prosecutor in Justine Welles' trial, rigorously cross-examining witnesses including Justine herself.
10–18 August	Gemma	Alyssa McClelland	Cellmate sharing prison time with Justine Welles.
23 August	Mrs. Brown	Jan Merriman	Spouse of local farmer Jack Brown; hosts neighborhood teenagers responding to Jack’s fruit picker advertisement for afternoon tea.
24 August 1999–26 February 2000	Jack Brown	Paul Chubb	Local farmer recruiting teens as fruit pickers; dismisses them for laziness but later reconciles after selling farm due to chemical contamination linked to grandson's death.
31 August–30 September	Anthony Doyle	Kim Knuckey	Dates Irene Roberts but ends relationship following foster son Will Smith's involvement in a car joyride incident.
10–22 September	Jillian Williams	Alexandra Davies	Former roommate stalking Shauna Bradley under the alias "Amber"; frames Adam Cameron resulting in his eviction before being apprehended herself.
14 September	Darryl	Jeremiah Tickell	Shauna Bradley's former boyfriend who vandalizes Adam Cameron's car accusing him of stalking Shauna.
23 September 1999–16 June 2003	Ralph Patterson	Alan Cinis	Father of Vinnie Patterson; con artist who financially supports Vinnie then frames him for fraud before fleeing again, later returns seeking forgiveness but is rejected.
27 September–8 October	Gazza Boyd	Sebastian Huber	Friend of Duncan Stewart who discovers suitcase containing money tied to escaped prisoner David D'Angelo, leading to hostage situation resolved by police intervention.
11–13 October	Lauren Healy	Merridy Eastman	Accomplice in David D'Angelo's kidnapping plot against Duncan Stewart, foiled by Joel Nash and police efforts.
14 October 1999–24 March 2000	Claire Rogers	Talia Marmount Jaime Mears	Student enamored with Harry Reynolds, fabricates an affair causing tension before admitting the truth and briefly dating Sam Marshall, resulting in social conflicts including harassment involving Gypsy Nash and Hayley Smith connected to Claire's father Brian Rogers.
15 October 1999–21 February 2000	Danielle McCarthy	Claire Paradine	Nursing Unit Manager at Northern Districts Hospital who briefly dates James Fraser following his separation from Chloe Richards without further progression.
20 October 1999–5 April 2000	Juliette Bellatti	Nicole Nabout	Nurse at Northern Districts Hospital harboring a crush on James Fraser who anonymously sends him a birthday balloon; they eventually begin dating and leave Summer Bay together.
2 November 1999–31 January 2000	Mick Dwyer	John Brumpton	Former criminal associate pressuring Jesse McGregor into repairing stolen vehicles which leads to crash investigation and Mick’s arrest following intervention by Joel Nash.
3 November 1999–27 March 2000	Rosemary Myers	Anita Bochnik	Summer Bay High student competing unsuccessfully against Gypsy Nash and Will Smith for school captaincy; joins Peta Janossi in protesting Edward Dunglass’ newsletter campaign.
4–9 November	Christian	John Atkinson	Hitman contracted by US scientific research firm targeting Harry Reynolds; takes Shauna Bradley hostage but is subdued and arrested by both victims.
24 November 1999–2 February 2000	Alison	Jenny Apostolou	Harry Reynolds' former fiancée arriving from America during his breakup with Shauna Bradley; departs alone when Harry chooses to stay in Summer Bay rather than return with her to the US.

External links

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