In January 1988, when Home and Away first started, one of the original residents of Summer Bay was Alf Stewart, a self-made businessman.
Portrayed by Ray Meagher, Alf is the only original character who is still a regular on the soap opera after all these years. Due to his grumpy attitude, colorful expressions, and sayings—and a kind heart—Alf has become an icon worldwide.
“I just get out of bed and go to work and the lines just come out of my mouth, but having said that, it is really lovely people have taken to the character,” Meagher told the Springfield Daily Record.
Who is Ray Meagher?
When we first met Alf, his life was in ruins after the drowning of his first wife. The show began with him selling the caravan park to the new Fletcher family, who planned to foster children.
Over the years, Alf has remarried, flirted, discovered more children and grandchildren, and had many hobbies, mainly his bait shop, boat, and the surf club, while getting involved in everyone’s lives. He has survived earthquakes, mudslides, heart attacks, PTSD, brain tumors, assaults, and many other difficult situations.
How old is Ray Meagher?
In July 2005, the soap celebrated its 4000th episode with a special 60th birthday party for Alf. That would make him 73 years old now. During the party, his grandson Ric (Mark Furze) described him like this: “He loves his beer and his footy and, as we all know, he loves his fishing.
He hates bludgers and whingers and … bludgers. He’s not afraid of hard work and he’s the first person to give you a hand when you need help … He loves his friends and family more than words.”
Who is Alf Stewart’s wife?
Alf’s first wife, Martha, was said to have drowned before the show started. Early in the show’s history, he married Ailsa (Judy Nunn, who later went on to write bestsellers). They had a difficult relationship but eventually made up before Ailsa passed away from a heart attack after moving some boxes.
A few years later, she appeared to Alf in visions, but it turned out the visions were caused by a brain tumor. Since then, Alf has had a few romantic interests, and his first wife, Martha (Belinda Giblin), reappeared this year, but Alf has mostly focused on the relationships of his children, foster children, and everyone else in town rather than his own love life.
Who is Alf Stewart’s daughter?
In addition to being a father figure to many in Summer Bay—especially to Sally Fletcher, played by Kate Ritchie—Alf has two daughters. The official one is Roo, who is the daughter of Alf and his first wife, Martha.
Roo was first played by Justine Clarke as a rebellious teenager, but now the character is portrayed by Georgie Parker. When she was younger, Roo had a daughter named Martha, after her mother, before Roo left for the United States for many years. As Martha grew up, she returned to the Bay, played by Jodi Gordon.
Alf later discovered that he had another daughter, Quinn (played by Danielle Spencer in the 1990s), whom he had after an affair during his time in Vietnam. Quinn’s son, Ryder (Lukas Radovich), now lives with Alf in the Bay.
Alf has two sons as well. His official son is Duncan, played by different actors over the years, who is the child of Alf and his second wife, Ailsa. His other son is Owen, a result of a short affair and the father of Ric, another character on the show.
In addition to his biological children, Alf has also fostered many children and has bickering sisters: Morag (Cornelia Frances), Celia (Fiona Spence), the lesser-known Barbara, and half-sister Colleen.
Has Alf Stewart ever been arrested?
Yes, he has! Alf has always had a short temper, but his run-ins with the law were often due to random situations. In the late 1990s, he was arrested for trying to cover for his foster son, Curtis. A few years later, he was arrested for allegedly stealing money from the surf club after being set up by Josh West.
He was sent to prison for nine months, but his conviction was overturned when it was revealed that the judge was corrupt. Later, Alf was arrested for the murder of Penn, the son of a woman who had been left by Alf.
Penn had overdosed after the breakup and had been stalking Alf, blaming him for his mother’s death. After spending time in jail, Alf was released on bail and then cleared of the crime when Will confessed to killing Penn.
How old is Ray Meagher?
Ray Meagher, the actor who has played Alf for over 30 years since he was 43, was born on July 4, 1944, in Roma, Queensland. He grew up on a sheep and cattle station. His first performance was at the age of 11, where he played the wicked witch in a production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. A passionate sportsman, he even represented Queensland in rugby.
Now 74 years old, his ability to stay in the game might be due to his farming roots and strong work ethic. “I have never had a day off sick in my life.
I have never missed a call time. I have never turned up not knowing my lines,” he told the Queensland Times. “I don’t think that’s saintly; that’s a requirement of doing your job.”
Net Worth of Ray Meagher
Ray Meagher’s estimated net worth is $10 million. His main source of income comes from his acting career. Meagher earns over $2 million each year from his salary or pay-per-film earnings, along with other professional income.
His successful career has given him the opportunity to enjoy a luxurious lifestyle and travel in style. He is one of the wealthiest and most famous performers in Australia.
Is Ray Meagher married?
Yes, Ray married his long-term partner, Gilly, in 2010.
“We got hitched in secret, mainly because no one would really care,” he told the UK Mirror. “We invited the couple who introduced us down for the weekend, but didn’t tell them we were getting married – we just said it was for a dinner and to bring smart-casual gear.
Gilly said, ‘I’ll do flowers and catering,’ and produced a single rose and a cheese platter. What a day!”
Does Ray Meagher have any kids?
Ray doesn’t have any children of his own. “When I was younger as a freelance actor, I wondered whether I’d be able to feed myself let alone anybody else,” Meagher told The Daily Telegraph about why he doesn’t have kids. “It’s a funny old profession, it’s very precarious, it’s a pretty dodgy old profession employment-wise.”
However, he is a stepdad to Gilly’s grown children, including her daughter, Rebecca. “I talk to her at least once a week and see her for brekkie or brunch whenever the Home And Away schedule permits, which is maybe once a fortnight, and I love that.”
Has Ray Meagher been on any other shows or movies?
While Home and Away has been almost a full-time job for Ray since he started on the show’s pilot in January 1998, he had appeared in other Australian classics before that, like Breaker Morant and The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith. He also had guest roles in TV shows like Prisoner and A Country Practice.
He originally thought Home and Away would be a short-term job: “We filmed the pilot in a couple of weeks and then they said they were going to make it a series. I thought ‘that’s good, might be three months’ work,’ ” he told The Daily Telegraph. “That was 30 years ago. And I’m still here.”
During breaks from filming Home and Away, Meagher has done stage work, especially in UK pantomimes, and is currently playing the mechanic in the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
“I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d ever do a big musical like Priscilla,” Meagher told New Idea. “Because singing and dancing are not my forte, but I just love it!”
His first professional role was playing the back end of a horse in a kids’ pantomime in the early 1970s. “I had great aspirations to be the front end the next time around, so I went back for more,” he says.
[Updated: 03/31/2025]
