20 Memorable Departures

Everyone leaves at some point, unless your name if Alf Stewart. Here we look back at some of the more memorable departures of some of our favourite members of the Summer Bay community.

We hope to be able to provide you with more videos of these events in due course.

Angie

Angie Russell was a home and away legend, one who will never be forgotten. Devious and manipulative throughout her whole time in the Bay. She had lied that her son Dylan was Rhys Sutherland's son, concequently splitting up his marriage and angering his three daughters Dani, Kirsty and Jade. She had attempted to seduce Nick Smith before accusing him of rape causing him, his best friend Seb and foster mother Irene to hate her. She burnt down Scott Hunter's business, used Jesse McGregor, hid Sally's OCD medication and blackmailed Josh West. It was unsurprising then that when she was found lifeless on the ground there was no shortage of suspects. Angie's death led to a massive murder investigation and the culprit was eventually revealed to be her son Dylan who pushed her causing her to bash her head on the coffee table. Angie is one of the most memorbale characters in Home and Away history, so her exit had to be good...and it certainly was.

Angie's was excellent. A great send off for Laurie the first time.

Fisher

Fisher was one of the three remaining original characters so his decision to move to the Whitsundays was always going to mean a tear jerker of a send off. Many will remember his departure episode as being emotional. Don had been having troubles at Summer Bay high for a while and with many of the students getting up to say a few words, it was obvious that his exit episode would get a bit teary. Accompanied by sad music, Fisher revisted all of his favourite haunts and then read a poem to his final class. What followed was a montage of his best bits, his chilren Bobby, Alan and Rebecca, the children he fostered Angel and Shane, the pupils and teachers he touched from Selina and Steven to Gypsy and his grandson Sam. Next up saw Fisher give a speech at his leaving assembly in front of his students and his friends from the Bay before handing the responsibility of the school head to his replacement Sally who arrived late bearing a bunch of flowers. With June at his side Don bid everyone farewell and hugged all his old friends to a standing ovation before finally receiving a hug and a bunch of flowers from a crying Sally. A clip of the moment they met was shown before fisher departed the school for good with his friends and students still clapping as he left.  It was an episode that was beautifully underscored and well acted all round.

Not necessarily dramatic as such, but I also really liked Fishers sendoff it was memorable, and brought the show round a circle.

Download a video of Fisher's departure here.

Chloe

Chloe Richards was a long time fan favourite of the show who returned in the run up to episode 4000 on the run from an abusive boyfriend and with daughter Olivia in tow. She qwuickly struck up an easy relationship with one time love Jesse and he was her knight in shining armour when her ex returned to town. At Alf's birthday party her ex was unceremoniously thrown out and she rejected an advance from Jesse before offering to drive the birthday boy and some of his family home. Amongst those to jump in the fateful car along with Chloe and Alf were Ric, Martha and Kim. The pomos billed that someone would die and someone may never walk again and as Chloe's car was run  off the road it certainly seemed like Martha would be the one to die and Kim the one whose legs were trapped. Chloe escaped wsith a broken arm but seemingly unhurt and I for one never thought she would be the person to die. It was a shock then at the hospital to have her death, the result of an aneurism, to be revealed in a series of flashbacks. Her death also had further i mplications whenthe person who rasn her off the road was revealed to be Jesse and her daughter Olivia became subject of a tug of love before eventually being taken in by Chloe's ex husband James.

I wouldn't say it was dramatic, but the best departure would be Chloe, and following from that Jesse. it was the first time in a while that someone we know properly died a main character has left in a very bad situation and it was a great arc.

Flynn

When Flynn was revealed to have cancer I never for one moment believed that the storyline would culminate in his death. There had been no roumers of Joel McIlroy wanting to leave and Sally and Flynn were a rock solid couple. Even when the cancer was diagnosed as terminal I still couldn't believe it. Watching his health decline was extremly moving. From Sally's reaction to the news that he didn't have long to live, to Ric and Cassie having to contemplate the future without the man they had grown to love as their dad, it was a heartbreaking storyline. For anyone who has lost someone close to them due to cancer, it was a storyline which had alot of personal meaning. Many viewers could relate to the storyline, and his final episode has to go down in Home and Away history as being one of the best written departure episodes ever, one of the few ever to be shown without credits. He passed over responsibility for his wife and kids to Alf, told Cassie and Ric he loved them and had a final dance with Sally to their wedding song before passing away in her arms. His funeral was a typically sad affair ith his father and sister returning and the whole Bay turning out with candles at the scattering of his ashes to honour him.

Flynn's death was very dramatic, the way it lingered on...and the best thing about it was how sad it was and how even today Flynn is still not forgotten.

Meg

Most long term viewers of home and away would point to Meg Bowman's death as one of the most memorable moments in home and away history. Meg arrived in town with her mother, one time love of Alf, Julia and she quickly established herself as popular with the locals. One person who was instintively drawn to her was Blake Dean and it became inevitable that they would end up together. It soon became clear though that Meg was hiding a secret, eventually revealed to be terminal luekemia. With hr mother struggling to come to terms with it, Meg was the one who stayed strong and her relationship with Blake went from strength to strength. He attempted to fulfill her three dying wishes but it became clear that she didn't have the strength to fulfill number three, to lose her virginity so she settled for watching the sun rise. In Blake's arms she watched the sun come up, commenting how warm and beautiful it was before seemingly falling asleep and passing away in his arms. Realising she was gone Blake merely sat there holding her as sad music played.

Meg's death has been referred to as the original tearjerker. Though only in the bay a short time, her lasting imprint was a memorable one.

Noah

When it comes to the shock factor, Noah's departure definately rates high. Sarah Lewis was a deranged psycopath who refused to believe she was responsible for killing her boyfriend Felix. On the run from the mental hospital she made her way to the Bay and in a tense episode, managed to trap Dani and Scott and with a gun at his head, persuade Scott to lead her to Leah's house where the residents of the Bay were hiding. Lots of things made this episode memorable, the music, the rain and the emotion of those involved, not to mention the use of the clock ticking and Sarah's continued saying of 'tick tock'. With Peter unconcious and nobody seemingly available to save them, Scott and a number of Summer Bay couples hugged each other and pleaded with Sarah for their lives. Sally and Flynn, Leah and Jesse, Kirsty and Kane, Noah and Hayley all muttered goodbyes and several women had to talk their men out of putting themselves forward to save everyone else. As the clock ticked down Dani and father Rhys raced to the scene and The Olympic cliffhanger episode ended with Dani screaming after hearing a gunshot. The viewers then had an agonizing wait to find out who the victim was. In an episode which really drew out the big reveal we saw all the cast gathered at the cliffs, seemingly at a funeral. Everyone appeared to be present and it wasn't until flashbacks that it turned out that Sarah had shot Noah Lawson, before turning the gun on herself. His funeral and Hayley's reaction to his death was gripping and well written.

Probably one of the best departures, certainly in recent years.

Bobby

Bobby was an original character and a firm fan favourite from the very beginning. She had had several key storylines, the biggest being the revealation that her parents were Morag Bellingham and Donald Fisher. With such a strong fan base and some big storylines in her past it was clear that her character would need a very big exit. Bobby's death was unexpected, a random day out on a boat saw driver Adam Cameron lose concentration and hit a log with him Bobby and third passenger * being thrown into the water. The next episode opened witrh Bobby on a life support machine and some sad scenes as husband Greg, son Sam and father Donald, plus her foster family all clung to the hope that she'd pull through. When it was revealed that she was braindead, the decision was made to turn off her life support machine and her friends and family said their emotional goodbyes.

Bobby's death has been described as justice for an amazing character and little Sam's reaction was a real tearjerker.

Kelly Watson

On paper Kely's departure didn't exactly have the makings of a memorable exit. Career minded Doctor leaves free spirited boyfriend to seek career move in the city but in reality it was a very emotional exit. The fact was that Travis and Kelly were very much in love but it had become clear over the preceeding weeks that they were moving in very different directions. Kelly was determined to further her career and to do that needed to move to The city. She wanted Travis to go with her but he couldn't bring himself to leave The Bay and the life he loved. The end result meant the breakdown of their relationship and Kelly leaving on her own.

Her leaving was emotional - and fans genuinely felt for Travis as he was torn by his decision.

Vinnie

Something about Ralph Patterson seemed to good to be true when he returned to son Vinnie's life. Newly married and with a baby on the way the popular 'V-man' was in the midst of money troubles and genuinely wanted to support wife Leah and be the husband that her stereotypical Greek family demanded him to be. Going into business with his father maybe wasn't his best move but most people sympasthised with his reasons. It was hardly surprising though when ralph shot through with all Vinnie's money and leaving vinnie to carry the can for a fraud investigation. Vinnie was arrested moments after Leah gave birth and fought for his freedom but was convicted in his father's absence. Vinnie was seenonce more in prison as Leah and Alf went to visit him only for Vinnie to insist that Leah never visit him again and say an emotional goodbye.

I was not privvy to spoilers then and didn't know Ryan was leaving! I thought Vinnie would be cleared!

Kim

The Kim/ Kit/ Rachel saga dragged on for months before it was finally bought to a conclusion. On one hand Kim had Kit, his ex girlfriend and mother of his child who was still in love with him and threatening to take his son away to the city. On the other hand he had his older wife rachel who was desperate to have children even though Kim couldn't father them. Add to the mix Rachel's best friend being in love with her and you had one complicated triangle. a lot of people felt Kim acted quite hypocritically by kissing Kit and then berating Rachel for sleeping with Hugh. Her infidelity proved to be the last straw and despite her choosing her marriage over Hugh, Kim chose Kit over Rachel and returned from the city to collect his thngs. What mad his leaving episode more emotional was Rachel's belief that he had come back to her only to see Kit and Archie in the front seat of his car. They shared a goodbaye hug and Kim left for his new life in the City, leaving rachel to pick up the pieces.

Kirsty and Kane

Contraversial from the outset, Kirsty and Kane were the Jack/Martha of their time. Their fans were passionate and their haters equally as vocal. Whether or not you liked Kirsty and Kane, most people seemed to agree that their departure suited them. Kane was the typical bad boy who was made good by falling for a woman he was forbidden from. Their romance survived many hurdles, the last of which being his trial for a robbery that his estranged father set him up for. With Kirsty pregnant the couple discussed the fact that they could not be apart and so using Kirsty's identical twin as an alibi they made their escape on the morning of his trial. Leaving a note for Irene they drove out of town as a guilty verdit was given in his absence at his trial.

Whether you liked them or not, their ending really rounded off their story.

Beth

Beth Hunter had been an underused character for sometime when she decided to take a trip around the world in order to live a little. She was due home on the day her daughter Kit went into labour. As Kit was rushed to hospital, boyfriend Tony waited for her. Kit and Kim were forced off the road due to a crash and Baby archie was delivered by Kim in The Bush. Kit very nearly died giving birth but was rushed to hospital and recovered. Leaving Irene to wait for Beth, Tony made his way to the hospital only to be stopped by the same road crash that had held up Kit and Kim. As Tony got out to ask son Jack what had gone on he spotted a very familiar arm and watch hanging down from a trolley, covered by a sheet. Jack held Tony as he broke down and he later went to the hospital to break the news to Beth's devastated children.

A lot of people have said that Beth's departure was memorable for the wrong reasons in that it was a disappointing waste of a character with true potential.

Robbie and Tasha

Robbie and Tasha were two geeks who in each other found what they had always been looking for. Their relationship was innocent, a real case of first love and their fans will point to the genuine aspect of their relationship, as two people who grew up together. Their relationship was really threatened when innocent Tasha was brainwashed by The Believers cult but Robbie never gave up on her and Tasha eventually realised where her heart really lay. Preganant as a result of being drug raped, Robbie stood by her and even attempted to take the rap for Josh's murder after Tasha confessed to it. The real culprit for that was found but it was another whodunnit that was to cause them to leave the Bay. Amanda Vale had seduced Robbie's elderly grandfather and despite him being brain dead in a coma, was keeping him alive in order to inherit his fortune. Somebody, later revealed to be robbie, switched off his life support machine and after months of being forgotten about, Robbie was arrested and trialled for his grandfathers murder. Despite being found guilty the Judge agreed with Morag that there was jus cause and Robbie was released and decided immediatly to start a new life with Tasha in Boston.

Tom

Was the first major character to die on home and away and actually the first character to ever be controversally written out. What I remember most about his death was that it was sudden and unexpected. He was driving along in a car with Stephen beside him and Bobby in the back seat when he suddenly clutched his chest and despite Stephen's attempts at steering the car veered off the road and down an embankment. Dead as a result of his heart attack rather than the crash, the following episodes wwre emotional as his family came to terms with his loss. In what was to be a president, Pippa refused to acknowledge her grief before eventually breaking down, something she repeated later after Michael's death.

Sudden, unexpected and almost unheard of for a major character to be axed.

Josh

Anotherv classic wodunnit. Like Angie before him, Josh West had given everybody in town cause to hate him in the run up to his death. He framed Alf Stewart and had him sent to prison angering his grandchildren Martha and Ric, he used Amanda Vale, helped the Believers split up Robbie and Tasha, helped Amanda steal from Graham Walters eventually causing his death and stole Morag's confidential files. When he was shot dead nearly everybody in town was a suspect and several were arrested with Tasha and Robbie both even owning up to the shooting. It was revealed that despite shooting at him, Tasha's bullet had not been fatal. The real culprit was unexpected because he had not seemed to have motive but it was revealed by Morag that Josh had been blackmailing Barry Hyde over the murder of his firs wife, something he gfound in Morag's casefiles. Morag turned him over to the police and Barry was arrested.

Such a shock that it was Barry - a great whodunnit.

Barry Hyde

Having been arrested for the murder of Josh West and the accidental murder of his wife Kerry, Barry was granted bail but the small minded residents of Summer Bay quickly made it known that they didn't want a murderer living amongst them. They graffittid the flat where he was staying, trashed his car and even attacked his son Kim. Barry decided he could not live with having caused so much pain so left the Bay to await his trial in The City. He left a letter for irene, pouring out his heart to her and convincing her to visit him and say an emotional goodbye.

Angel

Angel was the golden girl of her era and was put through the mill by the writers. Her character had a secret son who she found only to nearly lose him to luekemia, married golden boy of the time Shane Parrish, only to lose him following a bike crash. She lost two homes, one to n earthquake, the other to a fire, she was stalked, she was nearly killed in a plane crash, had Shannon attempt to steal shane from her. She was paralysed in an accident only to walk down the aisle and gave birth to her daughter in the middle of a ferocious storm. So what sort of an exit do you give to a character who has had everything thrown at her? In Angel's case the answer was a hpy one. She found love with English millionaire Simon Broardhurst and after an emotional farewell left the Bay in episode 2000 waving goodbye to the beach along with son Dylan.

Watch Angel's final scenes here

Pippa

Pippa had not long been awarded an Order of Australia for her role as a foster carer when she met Ian Routledge, a widower who was new to town. They hit it off instantly and despite initial reservations Pippa eventually agreeed to go travelling with him and then settle in his home in The Carrington Ranges. Her farewell was at the Caravan Park as her family and friends said goodbye and a huge chapter in summer Bay history closed as she left the Bay. The Caravan Park was taken over by The Nashes who also took on Pippa's foster children, except Tiegan who not long after, left to join Pippa. she still returns regulary to see original foster daughter Sally, now installed in the Caravan Park house.

The end of an era

Jesse

Jesse was the criminal reformed in Summer Bay, somebody who had made amends for his crimes and rebuilt his life. He really fell for Josie Russell in a huge way and her betrayal revealed on their wedding day, devastated him and tipped him off the wagon. Drinking heavily he began a spiral out of control. The return of ex love Chloe Richards seemed to give his life a new purpose as he defended her from her abusive boyfriend but when she too rejected him at Alf's birthday party he swiped a bottle of wine and took off. He was devastated to find out that Chloe was dead and angrily went seeking the person responsible. He was heartbroken to realise that the guilty party was himself and as the town came to realise he was the culprit, it seemed that he had taken off only for Peter to announce that he had handed himself in. Jesse was arrested and imprisoned while he awaited his trial, leaving the Bay as he had entered it, the town outcast.

Memorable but for all the wrong reasons, such a good character deserved a happy ending.