When Home And Away first arrived on Channel Seven in 1988 it followed the Fletcher family who arrived in Summer Bay from the city.
Tom, his wife Pippa and their five foster children, Frank Morgan, Carly Morris, Steven Matheson, Lynn Davenport and Sally Fletcher.
After buying the Caravan Park, they soon made friends with local shopkeepers Alf Stewart and Ailsa, as well a retired carnival workers Neville and Floss McPhee.
The Australian soap is the second longest-running series in Australia, behind Neighbours which began in 1985.
Home And Away is the most awarded program at the Logie Awards, with the soap being inducted into the Logie Hall Of Fame in 2015.
While some of the original characters and their co-stars have remained on the show for decades it catapulted many of the show’s alumni to fame and successful media careers.
As some left to pursue fame in Hollywood, others have turned their back on acting forever. Here, MailOnline takes a look at what everyone is doing now.
Roger played the foster father Tom Fletcher from the soap’s pilot episode in 1988.
He previously told New Idea that one of his fondest memories on the show was spent with the young Kate Ritchie: ‘There was always a fruit bowl brimming with apples and bananas and adorable Katie and I would pass the time pretending the bananas were telephones and have amazing conversations.’
Tom was killed off the series in 1990 after losing control of his car suffering a heart attack at the wheel.
He was revived in 2008 as a ghost, appearing in a scene where foster daughter Sally (Kate Ritchie) experienced a near-death experience.
The New Zealand-born actor has now notched up almost 50 years in showbiz, with his last on-screen appearance being for the show Winners And Losers in 2013.
Vanessa played the kind-hearted foster mother Pippa, who took many children under her wing in her short two-year stint on the show
Vanessa played the kind-hearted foster mother Pippa, who took many children under her wing in her short two-year stint on the show.
When her on-screen husband was killed off, Vanessa left soon after to pursue her love of the theater and a career in law.
She graduated as a solicitor in 2006 and now happily balances a law career with her acting roles.
Pippa has returned to Summer Bay for milestone moments over the years, including in 2002 for Home And Away’s anniversary and foster daughter Sally’s (Kate Ritchie) wedding to Flynn Saunders in 2003.
Her 20-year stint as Home and Away’s Sally Fletcher carried Kate Ritchie from 1988 to 2008, before a brief return after five years in 2013
Her 20-year stint as Home and Away’s Sally Fletcher carried Kate Ritchie from 1988 to 2008, before a brief return after five years in 2013.
Since her iconic role, Kate has gone to appear on Underbelly – which she starred in alongside Dieter – and forge a successful career in radio on Nova 96.9.
She has one daughter, Mae, who she shares with her estranged husband, retired NRL player Stuart Webb.
Last month, the Nova radio star, 46, hinted that her character Sally, could be making a surprise return.
She revealed producers have already been in touch with her multiple times trying to line her up for a return, but teased that she has not closed the door on the soap.
‘[Producers] have stopped calling, but they have told me the door is always open,’ she told the Herald Sun.
‘The idea of being back there and seeing everyone and working with all those actors again is not something I would not want to do, it is just whether it makes sense anymore.’
Kate added that she was unsure whether her character would fit in with the newer residents of Summer Bay or if she would still connect with viewers.
‘All of the new viewers they have, half of them would not know who Sally is. I have my work cut out for me and parenthood and life generally, let alone throwing another job,’ she added.
Alex Papps played Frank Morgan on Home and Away between 1988 and 2002.
The actor went on to appear in Blue Heelers, The Saddle Club and Stingers.
In 2015 he made headlines for his role on the kids show Play School after he made a contraption during an arts and craft session that social media users said looked like a ‘bong’.
The creative project saw him inset a straw into the side of a plastic bottle.
Ray joined the soap as one of the very first characters Alf Stewart in 1988 (Pictured Kate Ritchie as Sally, Piper Morrisey as Pippa and Ray)
Ray joined the soap as one of the very first characters Alf Stewart in 1988.
The actor renewed his contract to star on Home and Away for another five years at the beginning of 2022.
He told the Scottish Sun he was finally persuaded by the producers to sign on to the show for six months – after first refusing their offer of a two-year contract.
‘I didn’t ever really have a target of years or anything like that,’ he said, ‘People often say, why would you stay that long?
‘I think the basic answer is the people. We’ve got a wonderful crew and some of them have nearly been there as long as me.’
In a recent interview, Ray criticised the soap for becoming less wholesome.
He suggested the crime-based storylines that have dominated the story action in Summer Bay for more than a decade have caused the show to stray too far from its 80s roots.
‘There is still a penchant for a River Boy,’ Ray said of the show’s recent cast of ‘bad boys’ in a chat with industry blog TV Tonight.
‘I mean, that was just a great period. But was it Summer Bay? Hmmm…. in my humble opinion, not to that extent.’
Ray’s comment referred to the popular ‘River Boys’ storyline which was launched in 2011.
It featured a trio of tough male characters, played by Lincoln Younes, Steve Peacocke and Dan Ewing, who bring trouble to Summer Bay.
Meagher, who has been playing Alf on the show since its debut in 1988, praised the talent behind the ‘River Boys’ storylines.
But he believes it jarred against the show’s original premise which centered on a family bringing in foster kids to a little coastal village.
Ray said that there was ‘nothing wrong’ with the ‘sex, drugs and rock and roll’ storyline of The River Boys but he adds: ‘Except it came in too big a dose.’
Ray has been an ambassador for the Australian mental health charity Dancing With The Black Dog since 2018, which aims to end the ‘stigma of anxiety and depression.’
