Celia Stewart
Encyclopedia
Celia Stewart is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera
Home and Away
. She was played by Fiona Spence
. The character was a regular on the show from 1988 to 1990. In 1989, two other actresses played the part in flashback sequences: Gilda Ferguson played Celia as a young woman and Tatham Lennox played her as an eight-year-old.
stalwart Alf Stewart
and was first seen talking to him about his relationship with Ailsa Hogan
. Celia was judgemental and something of a gossip but ultimately well-meaning. She was the only resident to support former Brother-in-law Donald Fisher's
attempts to have mentally disabled resident Nico Pappas sectioned but even then she changed her mind quickly once Tom Fletcher
spoke to her.
Celia was later responsible for spreading the news that Carly Morris
had been raped after her foster sister Lyn Davenport let it slip. Seeing the hurt she had caused, she tried to apologise to Carly and Tom but neither was in a particularly forgiving mood. Ailsa gave her a packet of chewing gum and advised her to use it whenever she felt like gossiping.
Celia had been engaged to a man named Les but he had been killed in Vietnam
and she had never married. Alf and Ailsa tried to set her up by inviting her and local police sergeant Bob Barnett to dinner. Celia spent the night getting drunk and Barnett had to escort her home. She invited him to watch her play tennis but assured him she only wanted to be friends with him. A bemused Barnett told her that was all he'd ever seen her as.
Celia was one of the first to learn that her niece Roo
was pregnant and, believing Frank Morgan was the father, tried to arrange for the pair to get married. When her sister Morag Bellingham
persuaded Roo to admit Frank wasn't the father, Celia stopped Roo from leaving town with Morag.
When Ailsa, who was now married to Alf, decided to sell the village store, Celia bought it off her. Her first act was to try and evict Frank and his friend Narelle Smart from the flat above the store. Local doctor Philip Matheson, who had befriended the youngsters, persuaded her to give them a few months to move out. Some months later, after Narelle was nice to her when her great-niece Martha
was kidnapped, she changed her mind. She was shocked by the news that Frank's new wife Bobby was Morag's daughter and thus her niece but when a reporter started asking questions she accidentally told him everything. She was slightly distressed when Morag then moved in with her in their parents' old house and relieved when she moved out to the mansion.
Celia made arrangements with former school counsellor Andrew Foley to set up a counselling centre in the back room of the Diner but was disgusted when she learned Andrew was an alcoholic and he had to leave town. She persuaded Ailsa to let her try running it on her own but Carly, who had once had a drink problem, turned up pretending to be drunk to show Celia she wouldn't know how to deal with someone with a genuine problem. Nevertheless, when Andrew returned sobered up, he asked Celia to help by counselling Marilyn Chambers but she panicked when Marilyn took some sleeping tablets and thought she'd attempted suicide. She further managed to upset everyone when her nephew Duncan
suffered an allergic reaction to a christening gown she provided.
When some pills that had gone missing from Philip's bag turned up in the store, Celia suspected someone had stolen and hidden them. She worked with Barnett to catch the culprit, Brian "Dodge" Forbes, by hiding a mouse trap where the pills had been. In revenge, Dodge burnt down the store, inadvertently killing Philip who had been asleep in the flat above. Celia bounced back by selling groceries in Alf's bait shop and they made plans to open a new store together although Celia nearly ended up in trouble when she accidentally put in too high an insurance claim. Local businesswoman Stacey Macklin stepped in to help her sort out the policy.
Celia befriended Nigel Jarrat, Morag's assistance, and he became her dance partner. She began to develop feelings for them but he didn't reciprocate;however, in order to let her down gently, he told her he was going to reunite with his fiancé. A spiteful Morag told her the truth and Nigel sent her a letter of apology.
Celia again found herself the target of romantic interest in the form of Ian McTavish, a Scottish explorer searching for the legendary Summer Bay bunyip
. Celia wasn't entirely enamoured with him and was somewhat relieved when the stories turned out to be a hoax and he left town. She bought up Lance Smart
and Martin Dibble
's hot dog business and employed them to work for her.
Whilst showing potential buyers around Morag's house, Celia became convinced the place was haunted. Alf's niece Emma Jackson and her friends decided to have some fun with the idea, convincing the local priest that Celia had a drink problem when she asked him to perform an exorcism, and she ended up doing the job herself with some holy water and two bemused potential buyers as her assistants. Andrew exposed the teens' prank and he and Celia got their own back by convincing them the house really was haunted.
Celia's judgemental streak came out when she was the only person to believe that teacher Grant Mitchell had had an affair with his student Vicky Baxter. Soon after, she became involved in organising African Awareness Week in the bay, persuading Alf, Ailsa and Don to assist. Her attempts weren't entirely successful: She was embarrassed when some cut outs of Africa women she'd ordered turned out to be topless, covering them with strategically placed towels, and when she ordered some videos about Africa she was accidentally sent porn videos, which she proceeded to rent out to everyone. But after making the acquaintance of Reverend Hope, she decided to leave the bay and joined him in Africa as a missionary.
She wasn't seen again until 2000 when she was taken hostage in Africa by rebels. Alf went over there in person to negotiate their release before taking her back to the Bay. She quickly discovered Duncan and his new friend Nick Smith
getting into trouble and took them to task. This resulted in someone (later revealed as Nick's mother Eve, who had recently been released from a mental institute) throwing stones at her but she was pleased when Duncan stuck up for her. Soon after, she went back to Africa.
Celia returned to the Bay briefly in 2002 for the town's 150th anniversary celebration and even more briefly in 2005 for Alf's 60th birthday.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the Australian soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
. She was played by Fiona Spence
Fiona Spence
Fiona Spence is a British-born stage and television actress. One of the most recognisable Australian television stars during the early 1980s, she is best known for her roles in the Australian television series Prisoner and Home and Away...
. The character was a regular on the show from 1988 to 1990. In 1989, two other actresses played the part in flashback sequences: Gilda Ferguson played Celia as a young woman and Tatham Lennox played her as an eight-year-old.
Character history
Celia was the younger sister of Summer BaySummer Bay
Summer Bay is the fictional town featured in the Australian soap opera, Home and Away. Palm Beach, north of Sydney, is used for the show's exterior scenes in order to depict the Bay. Lane Cove River Tourist Park at Macquarie Park is the current location for filming of scenes involving the Summer...
stalwart Alf Stewart
Alf Stewart
Alfred Douglas "Alf" Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Ray Meagher. The character debuted on-screen during the serial's pilot episode on 17 January 1988...
and was first seen talking to him about his relationship with Ailsa Hogan
Ailsa Stewart
Ailsa Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. She was married to Alf Stewart and had a son Duncan. She was played by actress Judy Nunn for 13 and a half years...
. Celia was judgemental and something of a gossip but ultimately well-meaning. She was the only resident to support former Brother-in-law Donald Fisher's
Donald Fisher (Home and Away)
Donald Fisher is a fictional character in the Australian television soap opera Home and Away played by actor Norman Coburn as a regular character, from the soap's inception in 1988 to 2003. Coburn has since returned for brief appearances in 2004, 2005 and 2007...
attempts to have mentally disabled resident Nico Pappas sectioned but even then she changed her mind quickly once Tom Fletcher
Tom Fletcher (Home and Away)
Thomas Edward "Tom" Fletcher is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by actor Roger Oakley from 1988 to 1990 and in 2008, when Tom returned as a ghost in Sally Fletcher's near-death experience following her second stabbing.-Storylines:Tom originally lived in...
spoke to her.
Celia was later responsible for spreading the news that Carly Morris
Carly Lucini
Carly Lucini is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. The character was played by actress Sharyn Hodgson appearing in its pilot episode in 1988...
had been raped after her foster sister Lyn Davenport let it slip. Seeing the hurt she had caused, she tried to apologise to Carly and Tom but neither was in a particularly forgiving mood. Ailsa gave her a packet of chewing gum and advised her to use it whenever she felt like gossiping.
Celia had been engaged to a man named Les but he had been killed in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
and she had never married. Alf and Ailsa tried to set her up by inviting her and local police sergeant Bob Barnett to dinner. Celia spent the night getting drunk and Barnett had to escort her home. She invited him to watch her play tennis but assured him she only wanted to be friends with him. A bemused Barnett told her that was all he'd ever seen her as.
Celia was one of the first to learn that her niece Roo
Roo Stewart
Ruth Martha "Roo" Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian Seven Network soap opera Home and Away, played by Justine Clarke from 1988 to 1989. The character made her first on-screen appearance on 20 January 1988. Clarke quit the role in 1989 and the character was written out...
was pregnant and, believing Frank Morgan was the father, tried to arrange for the pair to get married. When her sister Morag Bellingham
Morag Bellingham
Morag Bellingham is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Cornelia Frances. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 17 June 1988. She appeared until 1989 and briefly appeared in 1993. She returned yearly from 2001 until 2009 and...
persuaded Roo to admit Frank wasn't the father, Celia stopped Roo from leaving town with Morag.
When Ailsa, who was now married to Alf, decided to sell the village store, Celia bought it off her. Her first act was to try and evict Frank and his friend Narelle Smart from the flat above the store. Local doctor Philip Matheson, who had befriended the youngsters, persuaded her to give them a few months to move out. Some months later, after Narelle was nice to her when her great-niece Martha
Martha MacKenzie
Martha Jane MacKenzie is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Jodi Gordon. Martha made her first on-screen appearance on 8 September 1988. She was originally played by Burcin Kapkin until her departure in 1989...
was kidnapped, she changed her mind. She was shocked by the news that Frank's new wife Bobby was Morag's daughter and thus her niece but when a reporter started asking questions she accidentally told him everything. She was slightly distressed when Morag then moved in with her in their parents' old house and relieved when she moved out to the mansion.
Celia made arrangements with former school counsellor Andrew Foley to set up a counselling centre in the back room of the Diner but was disgusted when she learned Andrew was an alcoholic and he had to leave town. She persuaded Ailsa to let her try running it on her own but Carly, who had once had a drink problem, turned up pretending to be drunk to show Celia she wouldn't know how to deal with someone with a genuine problem. Nevertheless, when Andrew returned sobered up, he asked Celia to help by counselling Marilyn Chambers but she panicked when Marilyn took some sleeping tablets and thought she'd attempted suicide. She further managed to upset everyone when her nephew Duncan
Duncan Stewart (Home and Away)
Duncan Stewart is a fictional character on the Australian soap opera Home and Away, the son of Alf and Ailsa. The character was portrayed by first by actress Allana Ellis in 1989 and was born in the episode airing on 9 June 1989. Actor Lewis Devaney portrayed Duncan from 1990 to 1998. Brendan...
suffered an allergic reaction to a christening gown she provided.
When some pills that had gone missing from Philip's bag turned up in the store, Celia suspected someone had stolen and hidden them. She worked with Barnett to catch the culprit, Brian "Dodge" Forbes, by hiding a mouse trap where the pills had been. In revenge, Dodge burnt down the store, inadvertently killing Philip who had been asleep in the flat above. Celia bounced back by selling groceries in Alf's bait shop and they made plans to open a new store together although Celia nearly ended up in trouble when she accidentally put in too high an insurance claim. Local businesswoman Stacey Macklin stepped in to help her sort out the policy.
Celia befriended Nigel Jarrat, Morag's assistance, and he became her dance partner. She began to develop feelings for them but he didn't reciprocate;however, in order to let her down gently, he told her he was going to reunite with his fiancé. A spiteful Morag told her the truth and Nigel sent her a letter of apology.
Celia again found herself the target of romantic interest in the form of Ian McTavish, a Scottish explorer searching for the legendary Summer Bay bunyip
Bunyip
The bunyip, or kianpraty, is a large mythical creature from Aboriginal mythology, said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes....
. Celia wasn't entirely enamoured with him and was somewhat relieved when the stories turned out to be a hoax and he left town. She bought up Lance Smart
Lance Smart
Lance Smart is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. The character, played by actor Peter Vroom from 1988 to 1990, returned to the show at least once every year since from 2000 until 2006....
and Martin Dibble
Martin Dibble
Martin Dibble is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by Craig Thompson. He made his first on-screen appearance on 17 January 1988, the show's pilot episode...
's hot dog business and employed them to work for her.
Whilst showing potential buyers around Morag's house, Celia became convinced the place was haunted. Alf's niece Emma Jackson and her friends decided to have some fun with the idea, convincing the local priest that Celia had a drink problem when she asked him to perform an exorcism, and she ended up doing the job herself with some holy water and two bemused potential buyers as her assistants. Andrew exposed the teens' prank and he and Celia got their own back by convincing them the house really was haunted.
Celia's judgemental streak came out when she was the only person to believe that teacher Grant Mitchell had had an affair with his student Vicky Baxter. Soon after, she became involved in organising African Awareness Week in the bay, persuading Alf, Ailsa and Don to assist. Her attempts weren't entirely successful: She was embarrassed when some cut outs of Africa women she'd ordered turned out to be topless, covering them with strategically placed towels, and when she ordered some videos about Africa she was accidentally sent porn videos, which she proceeded to rent out to everyone. But after making the acquaintance of Reverend Hope, she decided to leave the bay and joined him in Africa as a missionary.
She wasn't seen again until 2000 when she was taken hostage in Africa by rebels. Alf went over there in person to negotiate their release before taking her back to the Bay. She quickly discovered Duncan and his new friend Nick Smith
Nick Smith (Home and Away)
Nicholas "Nick" Smith is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He had a short guest stint on the show in 1999, played by Matt Guarez, and was then brought back as a regular in 2000 played by actor Chris Egan, staying with the show until 2003.- Background :Nick was the...
getting into trouble and took them to task. This resulted in someone (later revealed as Nick's mother Eve, who had recently been released from a mental institute) throwing stones at her but she was pleased when Duncan stuck up for her. Soon after, she went back to Africa.
Celia returned to the Bay briefly in 2002 for the town's 150th anniversary celebration and even more briefly in 2005 for Alf's 60th birthday.