australian television information archive

Episode 9

March 31, 1986
Written by Chris McCourt
Directed by Kevin Dobson

Bill is rushed to hospital and placed in Intensive Care as Tom and Sarah struggle to come to terms with their new relationship status. Bill gives Stephanie a full explanation of her father's deception and explains how he put Tom up for adoption before he and Rena subsequently adopted him themselves to help ease their guilt.

Jilly enjoys telling Jake about Stephanie and Tom but he's not interested in the gossip and tells her not to leak the story to the press. In exchange, Jilly wants her shares back and Cassie out of Tara's. Jake returns the shares, having got what he needed out of them, but he won't get rid of Cassie.

Stephanie accuses Jilly of helping Jake citing how everything in her life has been going wrong since the day Jilly got out of prison. Jilly denies the allegation and blames Cassie for having gone behind her back to transfer her shares to Jake. Philip returns from Hong Kong and wants to know where Jilly's been while he's been away. She refuses to answer and storms out prompting Philip to call Cassie to arrange a meeting to discuss a note she sent him.

Stephanie confronts Jake in her old office at Harper Mining and vows to have him removed from the board. When she rebuffs his offer to work together, he shifts focus to getting her out of the company all together. Still recovering in hospital, Bill signs over his Harper voting rights to Tom. Cassie presents Philip with the original records of Jilly's stock transfer to Jake.

Stephanie pays a visit to Sheik Ahmal, a long-time friend and business partner, to tell him about her struggle to maintain control of Harper Mining. In light of Cassie's revelation, a drunken Philip demands the truth from Jilly who again storms out. Stephanie vows to be more careful with Jilly but Dan is upset by her unwillingness to simply walk away from the company.

Jake informs Stephanie that he'll be asking for her to be removed from the board of directors and she counters by telling him she intends to asks for a full inquiry from the stock exchange into how he obtained Jilly's shares. At the board meeting, Tom backs Stephanie but Dennis surprisingly votes against his mother, citing Tom as the reason, ousting Stephanie from her own company.

Jake and Jilly celebrate in his office but Philip eavesdrops and overhears Jilly admit to her misdeeds. Philip makess an audio recording for Stephanie warning her about her sister before taking his own life. Stephanie informs Sheik Ahmal that he is Tom's father.

With: Robin Ramsay as Sheik Ahmal, John Lee as Philip Stewart, Rod Anderson as Anton Parker, Wendy Playfair as Rena McMaster, Ann Brisk as Hilary

Episode 10

April 07, 1986
Written by David Phillips
Directed by Arch Nicholson

Jilly returns home and discovers Philip dead inside his fume-filled car in their garage. Stephanie insists her sister stay at Eden where Jilly's first concern is to retrieve the package Philip sent to Stephanie, resorting to a dramatic breakdown to distract Stephanie from her mail. Jake offers Dennis the job of General Manager of Harper Mining.

While Jilly listens to Philip's audio tape warning Stephanie about her, Dan and Stephanie speculate about the reason for Philip's suicide concluding it was because Jilly was having an affair. Stephanie refuses to give up on her family, including Jilly, who buries the audio cassette with her dead husband.

Jilly is shocked to encounter Jessica, Philip's neice, who has a copy of Philip's recording, sent to her by Philip as insurance. Jessica asks Jilly to be "taken under her wing". Stephanie introduces Tom to his father, Sheik Ahmal, but Tom doesn't believe Stephanie is actually his mother when she recalls her child having blue eyes when he was born — his are brown.

Stephanie meets with Jake at Harper Mining where Jake offers her a 50-50 partnership in the company — in exchange for her. Stephanie rejects the offer outright — the last one Jake says he'll make. Stephanie visits Bill in hospital and tells him she is resigned to losing Harper Mining but Bill shows her a way to get it back. Sheik Ahmal refuses to deal with Jake prompting him to call Jilly to get her help to win him over. Stephanie hosts a family dinner where she tries to rally the family.

Sheik Ahmal has dinner with Jilly and he tells her he intends to convince Stephanie to fight for her company. Stephanie tells her family about Bill's scheme to buy back the company but has decided no to go forward with it. Jessica blames Jilly for the disfiguring burns she suffered while Jilly was babysitting her as a child. Tom goes to his hospitalised father for help in finding out the truth about his past.

Sheik Ahmal offers to buy back Harper Mining back for Stephanie. Stephanie's refusal to accept his help results in a passionate plee from Ahmal encouraging her to fight for her company. Stephanie heads straight to Jake to tell him of her intentions to buy back Harper Mining and make it a private company — regardless of the cost.

With: Robin Ramsay as Sheik Ahmal, Saskia Post as Jessica, Rod Anderson as Anton Parker, Wendy Playfair as Rena McMaster, Ann Brisk as Hilary, Barry Davies as Roberts

Episode 11

April 14, 1986
Written by Betty Quin
Directed by Rod Hardy

Dan challenges Stephanie on her efforts to reunite the family, skeptical she's not just doing it to further her efforts to retake Harper Mining. Stephanie informs Dennis and Sarah that she's mortgaged everything and wants to purchase their shares to ensure their financial safety should her takeover plan not work out but Sarah and Dennis both agree to give her their shares. Still in hospital, Bill also turns over his shares and warns Stephanie about Jilly.

Stephanie laughs off the marriage proposal Jake makes prior to a joint television appearance during which she publicly embarasses him by revealing the backstage proposal. Tom tells Sarah he's going to Old Eden to search for information on Stephanie's child and she gives him the name of their old housekeeper. Cassie offers to help Stephanie after seeing her take down Jake on tv. Angelo asks Cassie out on a date.

Stephanie and Dan's latest fight ends with her admitting the importance of Ahmal's advice in deciding to fight for her company. After seeing Stephanie and Ahmal out for dinner together, Jilly correctly assumes they have a past together and rushes to inform Jake that Ahmal is Tom's father but Jake refuses to use the information to his advantage. Jilly then overhears Jake talking with his lawyer about Dennis' investigation into him and realises there may be more to Jake than she thought.

Jilly informs Dan that Ahmal is Tom's father but insists there is nothing more to their relationship now. Tom meets with Katey Basklaine, the Harper's old housekeeper, who puts Tom on to the nuns at the convent he was adopted from. Sarah tries to reassure Jessica about her appearance and refers her to Dan who is sure he can help with her scars.

Dennis meets with his private investigator who presents him with his initial report on Jake. Jilly is through the PI's door immediately afterwards to obtain the information as well — despite Jake's lawyer having payed him to keep quiet. Jilly tasks Olive with finding out the significance of a certain cemetary Jake visits.

Stephanie gains the support of the company's workers and buys back their shares thereby acquiring over 51% of the company. Olive observes Jake at the cemetary visiting his brother's grave. With Stephanie back in control of the company, Ahmal prepares to leave town but first declares his love for Stephanie.

Stephanie marches into Jake's office at Harper Mining wanting it back. He insists he has genuine feelings for her and proposes yet again, and again it falls on deaf ears. Before leaving, Jake drops a bombshell, revealing to Stephanie that he's placed the company in liquidation and transfered all of its assets to Sanders Investments, his own company.

With: Robin Ramsay as Sheik Ahmal, Saskia Post as Jessica, Suzanne Roylance as Olive Down, Rod Anderson as Anton Parker, Graham Rouse as Halliday, Philomena Loneragan as Katey Basklaine, Ann Sanders as the TV Interviewer, Ann Brisk as Hilary, Barry Davies as Roberts, Tony Dickinson as the newsreader

Episode 12

April 21, 1986
Written by Roger Dunn
Directed by Michael Rowland

Having lost Harper Mining once again, Stephanie is forced to sell Eden yet refuses to turn to Ahmal for help. Jilly enjoys her sister's misfortune. Dennis seeks Tom's help to buy back Eden for his mother. Tom offers what money he can but is leaving for Queensland to continue his quest to prove he is not Stephanie's son. After Olive reports to Jilly that Jake is Greg Sanders' brother, Jilly goes on the offensive and blackmails Jake into giving her a seat on the Harper board.

Tom's search takes him to a convent where his inquiries strike home. Sister Bernadette informs her brother, John Ryan, that Tom is closing in on the truth that he is Tom's father but John wants no part in a meeting and leaves town. Sheik Ahmal suggests to Dan and Stephanie that they purchase Eden with his money when it goes up for auction. Dan refuses the offer outright at which point Stephanie informs Ahmal that Dan knows he is Tom's father. However, Dan agrees to help Dennis make an offer on Eden.

The convent sisters confess to Tom that he is not Stephanie Harper's son but he declines to know the identity of his true father (his mother has died). The Eden auction ends prematurely when it is announced a private sale has been organised with the new owner — Jilly. Tom's father, John, begins observing the Harper family. Ahmal declares his love for Stephanie but the pair are spotted mid embrace by Dan who goes to Angelo's bar to drown his sorrows.

Olive and Jilly catch Dennis trying to burn down Eden. Rather than calling the police, Jilly calls Stephanie and confesses everything she has done to ruin her since getting out of prison and blames Stephanie for all of it. Jilly meets up with an intoxicated Dan at the Bistro and takes him back to her place. After tracking Dan to Jilly's place, Stephanie arrives and finds them in bed together, a scene carefully orchestrated by Jilly. Despondent, Stephanie drives off into the night followed by John Ryan. As dawn breaks, John watches as Stephanie stops at a secluded beach, undresses, and walks into the ocean, disappearing into the crashing waves...

With: Robin Ramsay as Sheik Ahmal, Keith Aberdein as Johnno Ryan, Suzanne Roylance as Olive Down, Olga Dickie as Sister Agnes, Maggie Blinco as Sister Bernadette

Episode 13

April 28, 1986
Written by John Alsop
Directed by Kevin Dobson

Dan's search for Stephanie takes him to Eden where Jilly is moving in. It is there that a phone call from the police alerts Dan to Stephanie's reported drowning after her belongings were found on the beach. With her sister dead, Jilly calls an end to her deal with Olive. Jessica blames Jilly for Stephanie's death before Jilly faces the press who question her about the rumours surrounding her adversarial relationship with her sister. Jake arrives hot on the press' heels to confront Jilly for playing a role in Stephanie deciding to take her own life. Jilly's admission to getting Dan into her bed prompts a violent response from Jake but a gun-wielding Olive intervenes.

Stranded and out of communication in the outback after his car breaks down, Tom purchases an old car to continue his trip home. Sarah struggles to understand her mother's decision and finds comfort from Angelo. Jilly informs Dan that Stephanie saw the two of them in bed the night before and died believing the two were having an affair.

Jilly threatens Jake with legal action over his assault and blackmails him into giving her a seat on the company's board of directors. Dan confesses to Sarah his role in driving Stephanie to her death. However, on another beach, Stephanie rouses after her "rescue" which amounted to her pulling her would-be rescuer, John Ryan, out of the ocean. She denies ever intending to kill herself and the pair set off on foot.

Believing Stephanie to be dead, Jilly demands Philip's inciminating audio cassette from Jessica who threatens to take it to the police. Olive makes a fiery threat of her own to obtain the tape. While trekking through the bush, Stephanie tells John about her financial woes and he suggests there could be a benefit to her in staying dead. Driving back to the city, Tom loses control of his car and crashes.

Dan angrily confronts Jake at Harper Mining for his role in Stephanie's suicide but Jake reveals to him how Jilly manipulated him into bed. As two men who both loved Stephanie, they vow vergenace on Jilly but Dennis calms Dan down to keep him from doing anything drastic. Olive presents Jilly with Jessica's audio cassette but Jilly still pushes Olive out of her life, deciding to replace her with a new butler.

After Tom is picked up by an ambulance team, Rena informs Dan of the news that Tom will need emergency surgery and asks Dan to do it. Stephanie and John stumble upon a telephone and John tells to Stephanie to remain "dead". As she makes her call she reflects on recent events and decides to do so... at least for now. Sarah blames Tom's accident on him not being willing to accept the "truth" about Stephanie being her mother. Jilly welcomes her new butler, Michael, and agrees to let Cassie stay on at Eden. Spurned, Olive turns her dark hand to Jilly, slipping a snake into her breakfast tray.

With: Keith Aberdein as Johnno Ryan Saskia Post as Jessica, Suzanne Roylance as Olive Down, Rod Anderson as Anton Parker, Wendy Playfair as Rena McMaster, Ann Brisk as Hilary [uncredited], uncredited as Michael

Episode 14

May 05, 1986
Written by David Phillips
Directed by Rod Hardy

Jilly accuses Jessica of putting the snake in her breakfast then calls the police but fails to convince them someone is trying to kill her. Olive asks the now frightened Jilly for a second chance and receives it. Sarah is at Tom's hospital bedside but before he can regain consciousness and tell her the truth about them not being related, his condition deteriorates and he slips in to a coma.

Stephanie seeks out Dave Welles, the man who found her and nursed her back to health after the crocodile attack. Jilly asks Jake for the job of General Manger of Harper Mining and gets it by blackmailing him using a signed statement by Olive falsely accusing him of being behind Olive's two attempts on Stephanie's life. To combat Jilly, Jake plans to make her fall in love with him. Jilly throws her weight around at work to keep Dennis in line and fires Hilary.

Angelo questions Sarah about her feelings for him given Tom's status and asks her to marry him. Jake invites Jilly out for dinner and turns on the charm before the pair go back to Eden where he ends the evening early. Olive orchestrates another snake attack on Jilly, this time in her bed. Jessica rescues Jilly and captures the snake but when the police arrive, Jessica denies seeing the snake. Jilly throws her out of Eden and she moves in with Dan, Sarah and Dennis.

Jilly crashes Stephanie's memorial service. Jake continues his charm offensive by giving Jilly the deed to Tara's. Dave finds John going through his opals and warns him against trying to take advantage of Stephanie.

As the new owner, Jilly marches into Tara's where Cassie promptly resigns only to be talked into staying by Jilly who needs help running the business. In a fight over Dennis' affections, Jilly sets Cassie against Jessica, getting her to reveal Jessica's scars to Dennis and Sarah during a dress fitting causing Jessica to flee in tears. Sarah reveals to Dan that she is pregnant by Tom who she still believes to be her brother.

With: Bill Kerr as Dave Welles, Keith Aberdein as Johnno Ryan, Saskia Post as Jessica, Suzanne Roylance as Olive Down, Rod Anderson as Anton Parker, Don Chapman as Det. Insp. Morgan, Wendy Playfair as Rena McMaster, Ann Brisk as Hilary

Episode 15

May 05, 1986
Written by Bill Searle
Directed by Arch Nicholson

Stephanie is beginning to settle in with Dave at his camp in the bush. Jessica is in hospital where Dan will operate to fix her scars. In a reflective mood in advance of the procedure, Dan blames himself for helping heal Stephanie which be believes started a chain of events that lead to her death. With Angelo still awaiting an answer to his proposal, Jessica admits to him they can have no future together because she is carrying Tom's child.

John shocks Stephanie by revealing that Tom McMaster is his son and not hers. Jake tells Jilly he won't stay the night with her as long as Olive is around. Olive overhears and cautions Jilly that she still needs protection but Jilly warns her not to tell her what to do, reminding her that she still has the sworn affidavit she signed admitting Jake paid her to try to kill Stephanie. Olive threatens to take her down with her if she is sent back to prison and Jilly reveals she knows it was Olive who was behind the snake attacks.

With Tom not being hers, Stephanie wonders what became of her son. Despite needing to inform her family of the truth, Stephanie decides against to returning to Sydney with John. Sarah accepts Angelo's marriage proposal after he decides he can raise her and Tom's child as his own. After her surgery, Jessica admits to having feelings for Dan. Jilly invites Jessica to move back to Eden but Jessica isn't sympathetic to her loneliness. Jake shares his skepicism about Stephanie's death with Dennis.

Returning from a supply run to town, Dave informs Stephanie about Sarah's pending wedding but she thinks she is marrying Tom after having learned they aren't brother and sister. Commiserating over the influence Jack and Jilly are having over their lives, Dennis suggests to Cassie they work together to bring them down. Sarah confronts Dennis about leaking news of her engagement to the press prompting Dennis to reveal he did it in hopes of luring their mother out of hiding. Jilly offers Eden as a venue for Sarah's wedding but Sarah won't commit.

Dave and Stephanie are in a boating accident and are thrown overboard. Dave is injured forcing Stephanie to swim through croc-infested waters to retrieve the boat. Only after getting back to his camp does he reveals there were no crocs in the river but she overcame her fears. Dave demands to be taken to hospital so Stephanie will have no reason to stay. Sarah is surprised to learn Jilly has already sent out invitations for her wedding at Eden but refuses to make an issue of it. Jake startles Jilly with a marriage proposal of his own.

Dave gives Stephanie a parting gift of a pouch of opals, which she promises to treat as a loan, and the leases for his land. Back in Sydney with John, Stephanie wants to go to her daughter's wedding but John warns her it is too risky. Sarah tells a still coma ridden Tom about her wedding but departs as he begins to come out of the coma. Awake, Tom tells Bill he learned Sarah is not his sister. Bill confirms the truth with a phone call to the nuns and Tom sends him to stop the wedding.

Stephanie arrives at the wedding disguised as an old woman and looks on from the shadows, surprised to see it is Angelo Sarah is marrying. Bill arrives too late to stop the wedding. Cassie apologises to Jessica for revealing her scars and spirits Dennis away to discuss his plan to bring down Jake. Stephanie leaves a ring for Sarah which she finds. Stephanie departs for Bahrain to take Ahmal up on his offer of help.

With: Bill Kerr as Dave Welles, Keith Aberdein as Johnno Ryan, Saskia Post as Jessica, Suzanne Roylance as Olive Down, Phillip Ross as The Flying Doctor

Episode 16

May 12, 1886
Written by Betty Quin
Directed by Kevin Dobson

Stephanie is hiding out with Ahmal in Bahrain but despite his attempts to talk her into staying and building a life with him, she knows she has to return home. Jilly nearly catches Jake in bed with his new receptionist, Gayle. At dinner, Jake reveals to Jilly he was wrong to have pursued Stephanie romantically and only did so due to her position at Harper Mining. Stephanie convinces Ahmal to let his sister, Princess Talitha, accompany them on their return to Australia.

Dennis intends to take Jake through the courts to get his mother's company back and needs Cassie's help to embezzle the funds. To shore up Sanders Investments' finances, Jake's lawyer suggests he seek out BIll McMaster who may be open to a job offer after his son's accident. While enjoying their honeymoon, Angelo and Sarah speculate about finding her mother's ring and Sarah wonders if, like Dennis believes, Stephanie could still be alive. John disguises himself as an orderly to see Tom in hospital.

Jake offers Bill McMaster a job at Sanders Investments as a business consultant to help keep the company afloat. Dennis and Cassie make a late-night visit to Sanders Investments where they begin pulling money out of the company. Bill talks to Dan about Jake's job offer and decides to accept so he can find proof that Jake took over the company illegally. Dan is not ready to open his heart to Jessica.

Stephanie returns to Australia disguised as Princess Talitha (and she as her travelling companion). John is on hand to meet her at the airport and she reveals her disguise. The group take over a floor of the same hotel where Jake is staying. To protect Stephanie's ruse, John asks Ahmal not to let her know that Tom is in hospital and that Sarah doesn't yet know the truth about her and Tom.

Stephanie (as Talitha) and Ahmla meet with Jake, Jilly and Bill for dinner. Ahmal has a new lucrative business deal for Sanders Investments while Stephanie is shocked to learn that Jake and Jilly are engaged. Olive is irked at being turfed out of Eden so Tilitha can move in. Stephanie is upset to see Dan kiss Jessica and is comforted by Ahmal.

Jake tasks Jilly with finding out from Talitha why Ahmla wants to purchase a large tract of land. Jake catches Olive trying to put a snake in Jilly's shower. He throws Olive in the shower with the snake but ignores her pleas for help, not believing her that the snake is poisonous. Jake yells after Jilly to show her Olive's crime but when he opens the shower door, Olive is dead.

With: Robin Ramsay as Sheik Ahmal, Suzanne Roylance as Olive Down, Keith Aberdein as Johnno Ryan, Saskia Post as Jessica Stewart, Rod Anderson as Anton Parker, Tamasin Ramsay as Princess Talitha, Terry Markwell as Gayle