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Tom first appeared in the pilot episode after breaking the news to wife Pippa, that he had lost his job and rather than risk losing their five foster children, Frank, Carly, Steven, Lynn and Sally, they decided to move to Summer Bay.
Buying the caravan Park from Alf Stewart, Tom instantly made an enemy of local headmaster Donald Fisher by offering a home to troubled tearaway Bobby Simpson and when Tom seemed unable to get a job, it became pretty clear that Fisher was the one responsible. Tom's job woes continued as he took work where he could get it, one of the jobs he took was working as a road cleaner but he was devastated to realise that Carly was ashamed of him.
Tom was an idealist and a dreamer. He was a gentle man with a creative mind. When he was a kid, he had come from a broken home: when he was born, his father left. Instead of taking care of him, his mother fostered him out when he was two years old. He has not seen her since.
Tom and Pippa have been married for ten years when they came to the Bay. They wanted to have kids. Unfortunately, due to Pippa's problem, they could not have their own children. Tom suggested that they foster kids. She was aware of his background as a foster kid and realised that he wanted to provide for kids other people would not touch and agreed to foster kids. The applied for a first kid and Tom has not regretted it ever since.
Tom has lost his job and so they decided to leave the city for the Bay. They bought a caravan park originally owned by Alf Stewart.
Tom had a variety of odd jobs. He worked on the road, which had made Carly ashamed of him. After Barlow was sacked, he became the boss.
He died of a stroke while driving a car with Steven and Bobby as passengers.
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