List of Neighbours characters (2016)

Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera. It was first broadcast on 18 March 1985 and currently airs on digital channel Eleven. The following is a list of characters that appeared or will appear in the soap in 2016, by order of first appearance. All characters are introduced by the show's executive producer Jason Herbison. The 32nd season of Neighbours began airing from 4 January 2016. Julie Quill and Xanthe Canning were introduced during the same month. March saw the first appearance of Jacka Hills. John Doe, Ned Willis and Madison Robinson arrived in April, while Angus Beaumont-Hannay and Mandy Franze made their debuts in May.

Julie Quill

Julie Quill
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Gail Easdale
First appearance	12 January 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Classification	Current; recurring
Profile
Occupation	Businesswoman
Family Sons Archie Quill Stepsons Tom Quill Stepdaughters Shay Daeng

Julie Quill, played by Gail Easdale, made her first screen appearance on 12 January 2016. The character and Easdale's casting was announced on 4 January. The actress revealed that she had previously auditioned for another role on the show in 2015, but was unsuccessful. She was then asked to play Julie and she accepted. The role marks Easdale's return to acting after a break to raise her children. She is also the real-life wife of Stefan Dennis, who portrays Paul Robinson.

Julie will be introduced as the new owner of Lassiter's Hotel and Paul's enemy. Easdale described Julie as being "a hard nut, but she also has a softer side because she has worked hard and she appreciates others that put in the effort." Easdale said Julie was forced to make an impact in a male dominated environment, which she admired. She added that Paul was "a great character to play against", which made her guest stint more interesting as Dennis is different at home.

Julie comes to Erinsborough to inspect Lassiter's hotel, the Quill Group's newest acquisition. Julie holds a grudge against the hotel's previous owner Paul Robinson, following a failed romance between them. When she learns Paul's nephew Daniel (Tim Phillipps) has applied for a job at the hotel, she turns him down after an interview. Julie discusses her struggles as a woman in the hotel industry with Terese Willis (Rebekah Elmaloglou), and she decides to hire Daniel after realising that he and Paul have fallen out. She tells Terese that if there are problems, she will be held responsible. Julie returns a few weeks later for a meeting with Terese, and she clashes with Paul again. She later reveals to Terese her plans for a second hotel tower to be built on existing businesses within the Lassiter's complex. Julie becomes determined to ruin Paul's bid to host the Erinsborough Citizen of the Year event. She manages to persuade the council to hold the launch party at The Waterhole, but Paul arranges a job offer for the Lassiter's chef, causing him to quit before the launch. Harold's Store does the catering and leaves Julie, the guests and Mayor Sonya Rebecchi (Eve Morey) with food poisoning. Robinson's Motel is awarded the ceremony.

Julie meets with her stepson Tom Quill (Kane Felsinger) to discuss the progress of the second tower. Tom informs Julie that he has persuaded those opposed to the development to withdraw their objections. When Robinson's loses its liquor license, Lassiter's regains the Citizen of the Year event and Julie gloats to Paul. She also puts pressure on Tom to sort the environmental report for the tower by replacing any negative report with a more positive version. When Tom's deception is later exposed, Julie disowns him. Shortly after, the boiler room at Lassiter's explodes, destroying the hotel. Julie moves in with Terese, who is grieving for her son Josh Willis (Harley Bonner), and learns that Tom is missing and possibly buried under the hotel rubble. She hires Sarah Beaumont (Nicola Charles) to take over Lassiter's during Terese's grief. Julie attacks Paul as he is accused of causing the explosion, and when he tries to comfort her she accuses him of assault. Tom turns up alive, and Julie is angry with Aaron Brennan (Matt Wilson) for lying to her as he attacked Tom just before the explosion.

Xanthe Canning

Xanthe Canning
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Lilly Van der Meer
First appearance	22 January 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Spin-off appearances	Xanthe ♥ Ben (2016)
Classification	Current; regular
Profile
Occupation	Student Waitress
Home	26 Ramsay Street
Family Father Gary Canning Mother Brooke Half brothers Kyle Canning Grandmothers Sheila Canning

Xanthe Canning, played by Lilly Van der Meer, made her first screen appearance on 22 January 2016. The character and casting was announced on 30 November 2015. Colette Mann, who plays Sheila Canning, previously teased a new member of the Canning family in an interview with Daniel Kilkelly of Digital Spy in October. She commented that the new arrival would start "a big new storyline." Of Van der Meer's casting, Mann said "Lilly's world has certainly been opened up since joining the show and we're loving having her here. She was already a Canning after just a couple of weeks, we had converted her." Xanthe is Sheila's granddaughter and the half-sister of Kyle Canning (Chris Milligan). Their father Gary (Damien Richardson) also made a return to be with the family.

After arriving in Erinsborough, Xanthe makes her way to Number 26 Ramsay Street. When no one answers the door, she heads towards the garden, but Daniel Robinson (Tim Phillipps) advises her to come back later instead, as there has been a number of burglaries in the area. Xanthe goes to The Waterhole and tries to get her meal for free by claiming there is a hair in her food. Sheila Canning thinks Xanthe planted the hair and she tries to run out the door, but is stopped by Kyle Canning. Constable Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) gives Xanthe a warning. Sheila and Kyle later spot Xanthe in their garden and she tells them that she is looking for Gary Canning, as he is her father. Sheila tells Xanthe that Gary is her son and he is in prison. Sheila also learns Xanthe's mother Brooke has run off. Xanthe clashes with Kyle and she later leaves. She ends up staying in a show home. Xanthe befriends Piper Willis (Mavournee Hazel), who suggests throwing a party and charging an entry fee as a way to make money. After being caught by Brennan, he tells Xanthe that she can either stay with Sheila or be taken to a foster home. Sheila enrols Xanthe at Erinsborough High and she initially refuses to go, until Kyle talks with her. On her first day, Xanthe struggles with a reading exercise and is taunted by Alison Gore (Madeleine Andreopoulos).

Xanthe takes Brad Willis's (Kip Gamblin) iPad and makes copies of an exam, which she sells to other students, including Piper. She is caught and suspended for a week. Xanthe organises a party at Robinson's Motel for Ainsley Gilzan (Emma Lucy Haughey) when she and her friends are also suspended for cheating. Sheila breaks the party up and is reprimanding Xanthe when she collapses with chest pains due to a panic attack. Xanthe takes care of Sheila after she is discharged, but soon realises that she has been making out her condition is worse than it is and they argue again. Sheila collapses with a heart attack, but Xanthe believes she is faking it and leaves her alone. Kyle later calls the DHS about the incident and as Sheila cannot take care of her, Xanthe is taken to a group home. After a meeting with her DHS caseworker, Kyle apologises to Xanthe and she agrees to stay. Xanthe and Piper compete for a job at Harold's. Lauren Turner (Kate Kendall) gives the job to Xanthe, despite her poor performance. When everyone falls ill at a council event, Lauren realises Xanthe is responsible for the food poisoning and is tempted to fire her. But Sheila convinces her not to and Xanthe learns Sheila bribed Lauren into giving her the job in the first place. Xanthe sneaks off from her school to meet one of her idols, actress Katherine Kelly Lang, but she is caught by Sheila. When Ben Kirk (Felix Mallard) returns, Xanthe is instantly attracted to him. She hangs out with Ben for the day and she gets drunk, resulting in her being sick on Susan Kennedy (Jackie Woodburne). Ben is banned from seeing Xanthe. However, Xanthe invites Ben to sneak out with her by arranging a meet-and-greet with his favourite guitarist Angus Young at Lassiter's Hotel. Xanthe and Ben find a large amount of money in Tom Quill's room and argue about whether to keep it. Xanthe dresses stylishly for a photoshoot on Instagram. Xanthe is the victim of cyber-bullying. Sheila slaps Alison Gore, the girl responsible, whereupon Alison's mother reports Sheila to the police for assault, and she's later fined. Angus Beaumont-Hannay (Jai Waetford) arrives and takes an interest in Xanthe, initially to wind up Ben. He pulls a fire alarm to get Xanthe out of an exam, and then buys her concert tickets for her favourite band. After, Angus and Xanthe share a kiss. Xanthe's sixteenth birthday is spoilt when few attend her party because Alison Gore is having one on the same day. Xanthe decides to have sex with Angus and Amy finds a condom in Xanthe's handbag. Sheila finds out and interrupts Xanthe and Angus in Angus's bedroom, before they'd had sex. Xanthe suggests that they have sex in a motel room but Angus refuses saying they should be just friends. Xanthe decides to have breast enlargement surgery but Ben and Piper try to talk her out of it, and she decides not to at the last minute.

Jacka Hills

Jacka Hills
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Brad McMurray
First appearance	7 March 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Classification	Current; recurring

Jacka Hills, played by Brad McMurray, made his first screen appearance on 7 March 2016. Jacka is an old friend of Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner). He was billed as the show's "newest villain" and a writer for the official website said with "trouble brewing", Jacka would be in the middle of it. McMurray enjoyed playing the role, saying "It's a great show to be apart of and I'm quite adept at playing the bad guy so this is really a lot of fun. I love causing trouble and there are definitely a few surprises in store where Jacka is concerned."

Steph Scully recognises her old friend Jacka, after he pulls his bike up alongside her and Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor). Steph suggests they round up their old friends for a beer and a talk. When Jacka mentions that they have been kicked out of their usual place, Steph invites them to Robinsons Motel. Paul Robinson (Stefan Dennis) voices his displeasure at having a gang of bikers at the motel and asks them to leave. Unhappy at the way Paul spoke to Steph, Jacka and the group return to trash the room and steal Paul's prosthetic leg. A few weeks later, Jacka leaves some boxes of alcohol at Robinsons for Steph. Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) recognises that they are stolen. Steph confronts Jacka and he warns her not to tell the police about his connection to the alcohol. However, Mark has already called it in. In retaliation, Jacka sprays graffiti over the motel's entrance. He is later seen leaving the scene of the explosion at Lassiter's Hotel with a cash box. Steph approaches Jacka to do some investigating into the explosion for her and Paul. Jacka refuses, as he is convinced Steph is trying to set him up. Jacka calls someone to let them know that no one knows he placed the hotel's blue prints in Paul's briefcase. Due to their gang connections, Jacka is revealed to be old friends with Ned Willis (Ben Hall). Jacka goes to Robinson's Motel where he wipes Paul's list of suspects from the whiteboard.

John Doe

John Doe
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Andrew James Morley
First appearance	4 April 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Classification	Current; regular
Profile
Occupation	Handyman
Home	26 Ramsay Street

John Doe, played by Andrew James Morley, made his first screen appearance on 4 April 2016. The character and Morley's casting was announced on 30 January 2016. Morley was surprised to receive a call from his manager asking him to record an audition tape, as he was in Cambodia helping to raise money for charity. Upon his return to Melbourne, Morley was offered a regular role with Neighbours. He began filming in December 2015.

John was initially billed as having "a mysterious past" and no family connection to Erinsborough. Morley commented that it was "an interesting start" for his character. He continued, "I'm sure the audience will have lots of questions like, 'Who is this guy? What's he doing here?' He's not related to anyone so why is he in the situation that he is the first time we see him?" The actor thought John would be likeable, but would cause some controversy. John will befriend Paige Smith (Olympia Valance), who tries to help him. Morley told Holly Byrnes of The Daily Telegraph, "Paige helps him to discover who he is...working out why he's there and what's his story. It's been fun piecing together the puzzle."

Shortly after arriving at the Lassiter's Complex, John Doe bumps into Paige Smith. They run into each other again outside the hotel, just as the boiler room explodes. John throws himself on top of Paige to protect her. He is taken to the hospital, where he remains in a coma. One of the nurses tells Paige that they do not know who he is, as he had no identification on him. Paige stays by his bedside and is present when he wakes up. John suffers from amnesia and cannot remember his own name. Paige gets him a job with Amy Williams's (Zoe Cramond) handywoman business. Amy also offers him a place to live. John meets with a hotel employee, who spoke to him on the day of the explosion, but she cannot help him find out who he is. Paige puts up flyers, asking if anyone can identify John. A hotel guest named Steven Aniston (Garikai Jani) recalls John saying he has links with Geelong. John and Paige travel to the city and stay in a local hostel. Just as Paige and John are about to kiss, Paige spots a photograph of John with another man, who they later learn is Dustin Oliver (Kevin Clayette). They arrange to meet Dustin in Erinsborough. He greets John as "Jay", before he runs away when he spots Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) in his police uniform. John decides to leave town, but Paige persuades him to stay. John has two hypnosis sessions with Karl, who later refers him to a psychiatrist. A woman named Mandy turns up claiming to be John's girlfriend, but they soon find out she is lying.

Ned Willis

Ned Willis
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Ben Hall
First appearance	6 April 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Classification	Current; recurring
Profile
Occupation	Tattoo artist
Home	32 Ramsay Street
Family Family Willis Father Brad Willis Mother Beth Brennan Half brothers Josh Willis Half sisters Paige Smith Imogen Willis Piper Willis Grandfathers Doug Willis Grandmothers Pam Willis

Ned Willis, played by Ben Hall, made his first screen appearance on 6 April 2016. Hall's casting was announced on 11 March 2016, while the character has been referred to for several years following his off-screen birth.

Ned is the son of Brad Willis (Kip Gamblin) and Beth Brennan (Natalie Imbruglia). His introduction united all of Brad's children on-screen for the first time. Hall explained that Ned has been living with his grandparents in Darwin. He also said there would be tension between Ned and Brad, explaining "having missed out on a childhood with his immediate family he will now have a different learning experience. Learning how to be a brother and a son, all those things. He gets it right sometimes and he gets it wrong sometimes too." Ned is a tattoo artist and Hall commented that it would lead to some "mischief". He also described Ned as being "very complex" and "quite manipulative", adding "he has had a bit to deal with and it's really interesting how his story line pans out."

Ned is invited to Erinsborough by his grandfather Doug (Terence Donovan) and half-brother Josh Willis (Harley Bonner), who hope to reunite him with his father Brad (Kip Gamblin). Ned is staying at Lassiter's Hotel when the boiler explodes. He overhears Karl Kennedy (Alan Fletcher) telling Hilary Robinson (Anne Scott-Pendlebury) that Josh is dead. He locates Doug in his room and asks Mark Brennan (Scott McGregor) to get Doug to safety as he does not want to risk running into his father. Ned and Brad later reunite outside the hotel, shortly before Doug collapses and dies. Ned is then reunited with his half-sisters Imogen (Ariel Kaplan) and Piper (Mavournee Hazel). He agrees to stay in town for the funerals. Brad's girlfriend Lauren Turner (Kate Kendall) notices a gang tattoo on Ned's chest, but he tells her he was not part of the gang. Ned becomes worried about Piper when she takes her anger out on Stephanie Scully (Carla Bonner) and shows her a video Doug made to help her with her grief. It also emerges Ned knows Jacka Hills (Brad McMurray). Lauren mentions to Ned that his story about the day of the explosion has inconsistencies, explaining that Piper found Josh's phone with a message from Doug asking about Ned's whereabouts on it. Ned tells Lauren that he got to the hotel early and went for a walk. He came across set up for the Citizen of the Year and learned that Brad had won. Angry, he wrecked the photo of his father, injuring his hand in the process. He then had it treated, before returning to his room. Lauren encourages Ned to tell Brad, but before he can, the police arrive to question him. After Ned is found to have an alibi, he tells Brad he does not need him and decides to leave for Sydney. Terese tells Ned about Beth keeping him from Brad and he is persuaded to stay. Ned is sexually attracted to Lauren despite the age difference, and he kisses her.

Madison Robinson

Madison Robinson
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Sarah Ellen
First appearance	22 April 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Classification	Current; recurring
Profile
Occupation	Journalism student
Home	Brisbane
Family Family Robinson/Ramsay Father Scott Robinson Mother Charlene Robinson Brothers Daniel Robinson Uncles Paul Robinson First cousins Amy Williams

Madison Robinson, played by Sarah Ellen, made her first screen appearance on 22 April 2016. Ellen's casting was announced on 20 February, while Madison has previously been mentioned by other characters following her off-screen birth in 1995. Ellen filmed her guest appearance in the same month, but producers have said that she could return on a more permanent basis in the future. Of the casting, series producer Jason Herbison said "we always knew the character of Madison would appear in the Neighbours universe at some point and I'm thrilled to have cast Sarah in the role."

Madison is the younger child of iconic Neighbours couple Scott (Jason Donovan) and Charlene Robinson (Kylie Minogue). She comes to Erinsborough to check up on her brother Daniel (Tim Phillipps), on behalf of their parents. To help her prepare for the role, Ellen watched footage of her on-screen parents. She commented, "I watched a lot of episodes with Charlene and she was a very feisty and adventurous character and I think Madison has definitely inherited a few of those characteristics." Madison is "a budding journalist". Holly Byrnes from the Herald Sun described her as a "stylish teen".

When no one answers the door of Number 24, Madison attempts to enter through an open window. When she is pulled down by her brother Daniel, she punches him. They get reacquainted with each other and Madison reveals that she has come down from Brisbane on behalf of their parents, following Daniel's announcement that he is getting married to Imogen Willis (Ariel Kaplan). Daniel tells Madison that he and Imogen are getting married so they can go to the United States. Madison lends some of her clothes to Daniel's neighbour Xanthe Canning (Lily Van der Meer). When she later enquires about Xanthe's photo shoot, Xanthe is disheartened by the pictures, but Madison tells her not to be. Daniel and Imogen's marriage license comes through and Daniel tells Madison that they are getting married in secret the following day. After Madison tells Toadie of the plan, the registry wedding is interrupted and a lavish wedding at the couple's home is held instead. After meeting her Uncle Paul, Madison returns to Brisbane.

Angus Beaumont-Hannay

Angus Beaumont-Hannay
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Jai Waetford
First appearance	2 May 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Classification	Current; recurring
Profile
Occupation	Student
Home	28 Ramsay Street
Family Father Peter Hannay Mother Sarah Beaumont Sisters Antigone

Angus Beaumont-Hannay, played by Jai Waetford, made his first screen appearance on 2 May 2016. Waetford's casting was announced on 10 February, but his character's identity was initially kept secret. He later revealed to Angus O'Loughlin of the Hit 30 radio show that his character was called Angus. Of his casting, Waetford said "I am super excited to be joining the Neighbours team. It's my first TV role and I am looking forward to spending time on set, learning new things and meeting new people." Waetford had a guest contract with the show. Waetford's character was initially billed as the "rebellious" son of "a controversial Erinsborough character." It was later revealed that Angus is Sarah Beaumont's (Nicola Charles) son. The show's series producer Jason Herbison commented that Waetford would have fun with his character, who pushes boundaries.

Angus finds a large amount of money, taken from Tom Quill's hotel room, in Ben's guitar case. Angus starts at the High School. Ben demands that Angus return the money. Susan sees them fighting and Angus tells Susan that they were fighting over Xanthe's affection. To impress Xanthe, he sets off the school fire alarm, and later gets her tickets to her favourite band's concert. After, Angus and Xanthe kiss.

Mandy Franze

Mandy Franze
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Kristy Best
First appearance	26 May 2016
Last appearance	27 May 2016
Introduced by	Jason Herbison
Classification	Former; guest

Mandy Franze, played by Kristy Best, made her first screen appearance on 26 May 2016. The character and Best's casting was announced on 1 May. Of her guest appearance, Best said "Shooting Neighbours was really great, especially because the crew and cast are so friendly. I enjoyed acting opposite Andrew Morley and being directed by the multi-talented Scott Major." The actress revealed Mandy is the ex-girlfriend of Morley's character John Doe. When she finds him, she "strives to get him back" and to repair their relationship, but Paige Smith (Olympia Valance) stands in her way. Alicia Vrajlal of the Daily Mail Australia branded Mandy "mysterious".

Mandy claims to be John Doe's girlfriend. She tells him that his real name is Jason Jones and that they live together. She had just got back from a trip when she learned where he was and what had happened to him. John questions Mandy about his life with her and she explains that they met in Geelong and that he is a handyman. Paige Smith is suspicious of Mandy, but John continues to get to know her and they kiss. Before John and Mandy leave town, Paige brings over a Hawaiian pizza for them. Mandy claims that it is John's favourite, as he loves pineapple, making him realise that she is lying about their relationship, as he is allergic to pineapple. Before she goes, Mandy reveals that she met John on the day of the Lassiter's explosion, but he did not tell her his name or many details about himself.

Others

Date(s)	Character	Actor	Circumstances
4 January	Dr Lee	Marty Rhone	Dr Lee performs spinal surgery on Toadfish Rebecchi. The operation is interrupted by Toadie's wife Sonya, causing complications.
5–15 January	Warren Stacks	Michael Shanahan	Warren holds Paige Smith hostage and calls her Michelle to make her think he was actually after Michelle Kim. Paige manages to free herself and hits Warren, before making her escape. He then accidentally strikes her with his car. Warren later meets up with Michelle and Dennis Dimato to explain why he took his mask off in front of Paige and then ran her over. Dimato is not satisfied with Warren's answers and tells Michelle he will deal with him.
7 January	Rochelle Neve	Carmen Warrington	Rochelle is Stanley Neve's wife, who had an affair with Lou Carpenter. She comes to Erinsborough to see Lou, believing that they will continue their relationship. However, Lou tries to trick her into thinking he is dating Sheila Canning, as he does not want a long-term relationship with Rochelle. She sees through his ruse and leaves.
15 January	Carla Watson	Gemma Bird Matheson	After the council receive a report about Bossy biting a child, Carla comes to interview Kyle and Sheila Canning. She issues them a fine for Bossy being unleashed in a public area and then impounds her, despite Kyle's protests that she is ill.
21 January–	Philippa Hoyland	Wendy Bos	Philippa is Max Hoyland's third wife. During a video call, she tells Max's ex-wife Stephanie Scully that she wants to adopt Steph's son Charlie. An upset Steph asks Toadfish Rebecchi to talk to Philippa. A few weeks later, while Philippa is in Sydney on business, she notices Charlie is in Erinsborough. Philippa finds Charlie visiting Steph, and soon learns that it is not the first time. Lyn Scully explains that she previously brought Charlie down, without realising that it would be breaking the parenting order, while this time Charlie caught a train to see Steph again. Philippa accepts the explanations, but when she learns that Steph is going into business with Paul Robinson, the man who tried to drive her out of Erinsborough by messing with her medication, Philippa feels Steph's judgement cannot be trusted. She asks Steph to give her permission to adopt Charlie by signing away her parenting rights, but Steph rips up the letter. Philippa returns for a mediation meeting, but Steph's strange behaviour convinces Philippa that Charlie would be better off with her and Max.
27 January	Amanda Tucker	Jennifer Rose	Amanda is a Lassiter's beautician, who gives Karl Kennedy a manicure during his stay at the hotel.
2 February	Nigel Deme	Adam Dunning	Nigel is sent by the council to cut off the love locks on the bridge over Lassiter's lake. Sonya Rebecchi and Karl Kennedy protest the removal of the locks and Nigel leaves. He later returns to close the bridge for being unsafe.
10 February	Lina Vella	Antonia Vekic	Lina is Tim Collins's mayoral campaign manager. She approaches Sonya Mitchell, Tim's rival, and asks her what will happen when the parents of her daughter find out she abandoned her son and suffered with addiction issues. Sonya cuts the conversation short and tells Lina not to come near her or family again.
15 February	Amanda Fowke	Hannah Cliff	Amanda conducts some survey work on behalf of the Quill Group and asks Imogen Willis if she can have access to the Rebecchi Law offices. After some boxes are delivered to the hotel, Amanda tells Daniel Robinson that the contents are valuable and that Julie Quill wants access to the store room prohibited.
	Delivery Guy	Russell Leonard	The Delivery Guy brings some boxes to Lassiter's Hotel.
17 February	Trevor Lucas	David Rock	Trevor is an health inspector, who comes to assess the Erins Burrow motel. The co-owner Paul Robinson shows him into one of the rooms and explains that the other rooms are being fumigated. Trevor asks if the bedbugs have been dealt with and Doug Willis invites him to sit on the bed with him. Trevor declines and moves on.
18 February	Richard Pentecost	Akira Bradley	Richard is a journalist, who attends a public Q&A session between mayoral candidates Sonya Rebecchi and Tim Collins.
19 February–	Noel Creighton	Kristian Beddow	Noel is a gender studies lecturer at Eden Hills University. His student Imogen Willis introduces Noel to Paige Smith, who sits in on their class. She initially struggles with the subject of intersectionality of gender, politics and the media, but Noel compliments her when she makes a good argument. Courtney Grixti later organises for Paige and Noel to go on a date.
22 February–	Ainsley Gilzan	Emma Lucy Haughey	Ainsley buys a copy of a health class exam paper from Xanthe Canning. Ainsley is suspended for cheating on the exam and she tells Xanthe to make it right, as her friends, who were also suspended, blame her. Xanthe organises a party at Robinsons Motel for Ainsley, which is later broken up by Sheila Canning.
25 February–	Aurora Green	Chloe Ng	Aurora joins in Paige Smith's protest against the removal of some trees to make way for a drainage project. When Sonya Rebecchi tells the protesters that she cannot stop the removal of the trees, Aurora tells Sonya to fix the problem or she will regret it. While planting shrubs with Paige, Aurora overhears Imogen Willis talking about relationships and tells her she might be polyamorous. Aurora later flirts with Daniel Robinson.
26 February–	Cameron McPhee	Alexander Adams	Mark Brennan catches Cameron cutting flowers from the bushes outside Lassiter's Hotel, and soon realises that Cameron is also responsible for damaging several plants at Sonya's Nursery. Cameron admits that he did it for Paul Robinson, who wanted fresh flowers for his motel. Paul collects Cameron from the police station and when Cameron asks if he is going to fired, Paul tells him that he is a valued member of the team, but that he just needs to be more discreet if he is going to steal flowers from Lassiter's. Cameron later joins Brad Willis's outreach program.
1 March	Michael Arnold	Des Fleming	Michael is a mediator for a meeting between Stephanie Scully and Philippa Hoyland, who wants to adopt Steph's son. Michael and Philippa discuss a mutual associate and a law firm they worked for before the session begins.
	Nursery Staff	Melissa Hill	Paul Robinson asks the garden nursery staff member to contact him if his grandson Jimmy Williams turns up.
3 March	Bernice Ashton	Rain Fuller	After Kyle Canning contacts the DHS about his sister Xanthe, Bernice comes to the hospital and determines that Xanthe needs to go into interim care while her grandmother is unable to look after her.
4 March	Juliet Worth	Lana Schwarcz	Juliet is Xanthe Canning's DHS caseworker. She meets with Kyle Canning and Amy Williams to discuss Xanthe's living arrangements while her grandmother, Sheila, is in hospital. Juliet asks Kyle why he called the DHS and he admits that he thought Xanthe caused Sheila's heart attack. Sheila arrives and tells Juliet that she is well enough to look after Xanthe, but Juliet replies that it is down to Xanthe to choose if she wants to stay.
9 March–	Tom Quill	Kane Felsinger	Tom is Quill's development manager. He buys a bottle of champagne for Mayor Sonya Rebecchi, but she declines it, so her executive assistant Aaron Brennan shares it with Tom, who tries to get him to talk about Sonya's feelings towards the new Lassiter's tower. Tom buys Aaron some shoes, but Aaron gives them back, along with a bottle of champagne, saying he does not accept bribes. Tom explains that he bought the shoes as an excuse to ask him out, but Aaron says he has a boyfriend. When Tyler Brennan accidentally flashes the patrons of The Waterhole, Tom asks Terese Willis to bar him. Tom and Aaron spend more time together and Tom takes advantage of the relationship by asking Aaron to send him the list of objectors to the second tower at Lassiter's. Tom talks them all into withdrawing their objections. Tom's step-mother Julie Quill puts pressure on him to make sure the environmental report is positive towards the tower. Tom gets Aaron to tell him who carried out the report, before uploading a doctored copy to his laptop. The council approve the tower, leading Aaron to realise Tom has used him. He records a confession from Tom, who is questioned by the police and disowned by Julie. Tom asks Paul Robinson to join him in destroying Lassiter's, but Paul refuses. Following the explosion at Lassiter's, Tom's ID badge is found in the wreckage. He is assumed to be dead, but he sends anonomous texts to Aaron blackmailing him. Aaron and Nate Kinski later find Tom at the complex and they report him to the police. He is interviewed over the explosion, but he has an alibi and is bailed. Tom believes Aaron has taken his money and demands it back.
11 March–25 May	Brodie Chaswick	Matt Testro	Brodie is Brad Willis's former swimming student. He comes to Erinsborough to apologise to Josh Willis for accusing him of using steroids and hurting his family. He then asks Brad if he will coach him again. Brodie also talks with Piper Willis and it emerges that they dated during their time in Canada. Terese Willis allows Brodie to stay at her house and he and Piper reunite in secret, until Josh catches them kissing. Terese and Brad also find out, but allow Brodie to stay with some conditions. Brodie under performs during training and Brad realises that he will not be good enough for trials. Brodie decides to leave Erinsborough, but Piper talks him out of it and they stay at Robinson's Motel. Brodie tries to turn Piper against her family and friends. He uses her phone to delete and send text messages to her family. Brodie convinces Piper to come to Perth with him. On their way out of town, Piper finds her phone in Brodie's hoodie top and confronts him. He locks her in the car and tries to convince he has done it for her own good. Piper manages to text Tyler Brennan, who comes to pick her up. Brodie asks Terese for a job at Lassiter's, but she refuses and tells him to stay away from Piper and her family. Tyler also tells him to leave. However, Brodie later follows Tyler into the hotel's boiler room, shortly before an explosion destroys the hotel. Piper later texts Brodie, asking to see him. After being questioned by Piper, Brodie presents airline documents that provide him with an alibi.
24 March–	Archie Quill	Harrison Mark	Archie accompanies his mother, Julie Quill, to The Waterhole. He overhears his half-brother Tom talking to an environmental planner and realises he has bought him off. Tom asks Archie what he wants for his silence. Archie later tells Julie that Tom has a plan when she voices her concerns about the upcoming environmental report on the second Lassiter's tower. Archie meets and plays with Charlie Hoyland, but they later get into a fight.
14 April	Alex Jones	Jana Wilkes	Alex comes to Erinsborough Hospital to tell Paige Smith that she is the real Alex Jones, not the John Doe in a coma. Alex explains that he carried her camping equipment and she gave him a Fitzgerald Motors card with her phone number on it.
5 May	Jackie Gore	Ana Mitsikas	After her daughter, Alison is slapped by Sheila Canning, Jackie meets with her for a mediation session. However, when Jackie insults Sheila's granddaughter, Xanthe, Sheila refuses to apologise and Jackie tells her they will meet again in court.
6 May	Steven Aniston	Garikai Jani	Steve notices a flyer asking if anyone knows John Doe and he gets in contact with Paige Smith. She and and John Doe meet Steve at the garage, where he says he saw John before the explosion at Lassiter's Hotel. Steve explains that he and John started talking in a bar, but did not exchange names. John was supporting the Geelong Cats in the football match they were watching and he told Steve to check out Cunningham Pier.
11 May	Sharn Hauser	Juliette Salmon	As Sharn is walking past Ben Kirk, she calls him a loser and explains that Jayden Warley has just got off his good behaviour bond thanks to him. Ben tries to explain that Jayden falsified evidence during the school fire investigation, but Sharn insults him again and walks off.
	Dustin Oliver	Kevin Clayette	Dustin meets John Doe and Paige Smith, after they find a picture of him and John together in Geelong. He calls John "Jay" as he greets him. However, before John and Paige can question him, Dustin sees Mark Brennan approaching and he runs off.
13 May–	Walter Mitchell	Greg Stone	Walter comes to Erinsborough to see his niece Sonya. After spending some time in The Waterhole, he turns up at 30 Ramsay Street, where Sonya's husband Toadfish Rebecchi tells Walter that Sonya is away. It emerges that Toadie paid for Walter to go to rehab for his alcoholism, before he allowed him to meet Sonya. Walter tells Toadie that he has stopped drinking, but Toadie does not believe him. Stephanie Scully offers him a room at her motel and Walter asks her to speak to Toadie for him. When Sonya returns earlier than expected Toadie tells Sonya that Walter is a client of his named Mitch. Walter approaches Sonya in the bar, without revealing his true identity, and asks her about voluntary work. Toadie tells Sonya about Walter's true identity. Walter befriends and dates Terese Willis after they meet at an AA meeting. Terese persuades Sonya to reconnect with Walter, and he tells Sonya about her parents, who died in a car accident when she was young.
17 June–	Zoe		Zoe is Sonya Mitchell's half-sister.

External links

• Characters and cast at the Official AU Neighbours website
• Characters and cast at the Internet Movie Database