Soap star guests
Actors who guested in The Sullivans and then went on to play a much better known soap role
Christine Amor (Stella Burke) played Godfrey Carson's kind-hearted young wife Felicity in Carson's Law.
Francis Bell was radio-host Billy Brinkley in The Sullivans but will be best remembered for playing cantankerous Max Ramsay in the early years of Neighbours. Francis tragically died in 1994.
Diane Craig was Pamela, the “other woman” in Alice's first marriage, to Michael Watkins. She later went on to replace Penny Cook in the role of Ellie Fielding in E Street.
Myra De Groot was Mrs Jessup's interfering sister Laura Watkins. She starred opposite Vivean Gray again in Neighbours, as Des Clarke's interfering mother, Eileen. Myra sadly died in 1988.
Belinda Giblin broke John Sullivan's heart as nurse Sue Marriott. Almost a decade later she made an impression as Rowena Wallace's replacement in Sons & Daughters, playing the new look “Pat the Rat”, Alison Carr.
Caroline Gillmer was Dutch cafe owner and resistance member Marianne De Jeong, who housed Norm, Tom and Meg when they first arrived in Holland. She went on to play bigger roles in two other Aussie soaps, first as Helen Smart in Prisoner and then Cheryl Stark in Neighbours.
Jacqui Gordon was schoolgirl Marjorie Fulton, who gave Geoff Sullivan his first kiss. A few years later she was Susie Driscoll in Prisoner, whom the Halfway House was named after.
Patsy King had a small role as Jack Fletcher's nagging wife Beryl before going on to be Governor of Wentworth, Erica Davidson in Prisoner.
Debra Lawrence (Prue Waterman) went on to play a girlfriend of John Palmer and Terry Hansen in Sons & Daughters before taking over the role of Pippa Fletcher from Vanessa Downing on Home & Away.
Roger Oakley played Major Barrington in The John Sullivan Story and episodes of The Sullivans before becoming the first patriarch of Home & Away as Tom Fletcher.
Darius Perkins played Marianne's young son, Willi De Jeong. He was later the original Scott Robinson in Neighbours, before the role was taken over by Jason Donovan during the soap's heydey.
Saskia Post played Dutch refugee Juliana Sleven. She later appeared in early episodes of Sons & Daughters as Kerry Mitchell, the mother of Rob's child. This was followed by a role as Jessica Stewart in Return to Eden.
Sean Scully was Sam Kendall, who married Sue Marriott (played by Belinda Giblin). In Sons & Daughters his character, Jim O'Brien, dated Patricia (later played by Belinda Giblin, as Alison Carr) and was engaged to Beryl Palmer before being killed in an explosion.
Did you know?
Fascinating facts about The Sullivans
Vikki Hammond (Maggie) and Noni Hazelhurst (Lil) were the first two actors to be cast in the show, even before any actors had been chosen to play members of the Sullivan family
Terry may not have noticed, but viewers can spot that his wife changed a lot over the years. Initially played by Toni Vernon, she later returned as Genevieve Picot.
Toni Vernon and Megan Williams (Alice) both studied classical ballet with Garth Welch, a former Australian Ballet Company principal dancerToni is the younger sister of Marilyn Vernon, who was in Bellbird and The Box
Despite Norm and Tom fighting in theatres of war around the world, Norman Yemm and Stephen Tandy, who played them, only ever filmed in one overseas location during the show's run. They shot outside scenes in Holland for a 19 week storyline; Australian locations doubled as other countries the pair visited While filming in Holland some locals got upset at seeing Nazi flags on buildings and extras dressed in SS uniforms. In fact, one such extra was attacked by an angry Dutchman
Queenscliff Railway Museum in Victoria became a Dutch railway station in a scene where, to escape detection, Norm dressed as a Nazi and Tom dressed as woman
When Kitty and Robbie's daughter, Gracie, was born in February 1981 Graham Harvey, who played Robbie, had already resigned from the series. Fortunately, six months of scenes were already in the can so Kitty and Robbie were able to play happy families on screen for a short while longer
Megan Williams (Alice) and Susan Hannaford (Kitty) attended the 1980 Logies in dresses that Susan had designed herself
Vera Plevnik starred as John's wife in The John Sullivan Story and then again for a short time in The Sullivans, to tie up the storyline for Andrew McFarlane's last episodes. Set for a successful acting career, Vera tragically died in road accident in 1982
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