Sally Fletcher
Encyclopedia
Sally Louise Fletcher (née Copeland, previously Keating) is a fictional character
from the Australian soap opera
Home and Away
, played by Kate Ritchie
. She was the longest running original female cast member appearing from the Pilot episode on 17 January 1988 until 3 April 2008.
Kate Ritchie said of her role, "I well and truly know the girl that is Sally Fletcher. If only I had realised earlier she wasn't my enemy, she wasn't the embarrassing little sister always trying to spoil my fun but, in fact, the best friend I ever had....In my Logie acceptance speech last year I said Home and Away had always been my constant and the same goes for Sally. We have spent the past 20 years side by side....Sally is a good person. She is the true meaning of the word good, often a quality that goes unnoticed and is most definitely underrated. Sounds crazy, but it is true."
After twenty years, Ritchie departed Home and Away. Her last episode as Sally was shown on 3 April 2008. As Farah Farouque wrote, "the last episode featuring Sally is a TV moment of note."
and Pippa Fletcher
. In the confusion that was her early childhood, Sally forgot about her brother and father. However she had an imaginary friend named Milko that she had invented to help herself cope with her losses. What nobody at the time knew though was that Milko was in fact the nickname of Sally's twin. Aaron and Miles went to find Sally, but after seeing Sally was better of with the Fletcher family, they left.
, along with Carly Lucini
, Steven Matheson
, Frank Morgan, and Lynn Davenport. She would remain a mainstay in the family as others came and went around her. Of the others, she was closest to Sophie Simpson
, Sam Marshall
, and Shannon Reed
. Her other close childhood friend was Lance Smart
, who lived with his mother in a mobile home
at the caravan park.
Unlike the other children, they adopt Sally. Not long after however Tom died. A year later, Pippa remarried to Michael Ross
. After an uncomfortable start, Sally accepted him but it was not unknown for her to remind him she had been part of the family longer than he had. More tragedy was to follow for the family with the deaths of Sally's adoptive brother Dale, a victim of sudden infant death syndrome
, and her foster sister Bobby Marshall in a boating accident.
Sally's first crush was on Damian Roberts, her foster brother, and she even went as far as to kiss him while he lay sleeping. She seemed more likely to succeed with Joe Lynch, a boy in the year above her. Although he initially seemed interested, when he found out Sally, who was taking maths classes with the year ahead, was a favourite of his mother Teresa, the school's deputy head, he took against her on principle, bullying and humiliating her at every opportunity. It took a long time for Sally to make anyone realise what was going on but finally succeeded when Donald Fisher caught Joe in the act of throwing ink into her locker (Sally eventually forgave Joe, although only after some much deserved payback).
Sally's first boyfriend was Gus Bishop, the younger brother of her teacher Donna, but his wild boy antics, including setting fire to Jack Wilson's
, guitar soon proved too much for her. She later dated Nelson MacFarlane, Irene Roberts'
nephew, but although they seemed happy together he was quick to cut her out when he was badly burned in a fire and had to leave town for treatment. Ironically Sally then started seeing Jack, who was partly to blame for the fire. However, when Sally wanted to let Brendan, a troubled young man who had abandoned his baby, use the caravan that Michael and Pippa had given them for privacy Jack refused. Sally was annoyed by his selfishness and broke up with him.
She encounters Moss, a man staying at the caravan park who believed she was the reincarnation
of his daughter who had died seventeen years earlier, in a car accident when he had been driving. Certain evidence seemed to back up his claim: Sally remembered the song he used to sing her to her, even though she had never heard it before, and said goodbye to him in exactly the same way. When Sally and Shannon went for a drive with Moss, they found themselves reliving the accident, when another car forced them off the road. (The driver was never revealed although there is some speculation, unsupported by on screen evidence, that it was her former foster brother Dodge, who had apparently died the previous year but whose body had never been found.) This time, however, Moss made sure he was the one who died. Sally saw this as him being given a second chance to save her life.
Soon after, Michael drowned while saving Sam's life and Sally (who had once run away from home when Michael and Pippa seemed to be splitting up) lost a 'father' for the fourth time. Sal had always suffered from low self-esteem and began to feel unattractive and unliked with no close friends. Despite campaigning hard for a representative school council, she was passed over by her peers for a place on it. She made a play for Curtis Reed
, who didn't even seem to notice, then let another boy, Charlie, kiss her even though she didn't like him. Finally in an attempt to cheer her up Shannon and Selina took her for a trip on a raft that Liam Tanner and Joey Rainbow had made from polystyrene. It sank and Sally was separated from the others. She was found by Jamie Grace, a backwards man who had been living as a virtual hermit since he was forced out of town for inadvertently causing a boy's death. Sally spent days effectively trapped in the woods, suffering from a fever and unable to convince Jamie of the seriousness of her condition, until she was finally rescued by Steven.
Sally began seeing Tim O'Connor and became closer to him than any other boyfriend previous, losing her virginity to him. However, he was then arrested when it was found he had been helping smuggle in illegal immigrants
(his Vietnamese stepmother's family rather than for profit). Having lost the person she was closest to, Sally self-destructed, hanging out with bad boy Scott Irwin (played by Heath Ledger
), sleeping with him and using Pippa's position as school secretary
to steal exam papers for him. Her already strong sense of guilt was compounded when Tim returned to town, the charges having been dropped. Angry at Sally for getting them caught, Scott stole from Donald Fisher's office and planted the items in Sally's locker to frame her. However, Aaron Welles saw what he was doing and moved them to Scott's locker so he was caught and expelled. When Scott attacked Sally in the surf club for revenge, Tim came to her rescue and the pair were reconciled.
When Pippa decided to leave town to live with her new boyfriend Ian Routledge, Sally assumed she would let her and Tim move into the house. She was angry when instead she asked Travis
and Rebecca Nash
to move in so they could look after the other foster children, seeing it as Pippa putting the needs of those who hadn't been there as long before hers. However, she and Tim weren't to last much longer; he became insanely jealous, quizzing both her and Sam about her past boyfriends. When he saw her hugging Travis, he began spreading stories that Travis liked young girls. It was enough to break up him and Sally and see him run out of town.
With Pippa gone and Sally now at uni and not much younger than Travis and Rebecca, she found herself considered one of the adults of the house. Uncomfortable with the responsibility, she moved in with Vinnie Patterson
and Jesse McGregor
. She then started dating Sean Ellis, a much older man who had a daughter, Daria, who was not much younger than Sally (and dating Sam, her foster brother). Sally managed to win over Daria by sticking up for her when her mother Tanya neglected her but by then she and Sean were virtually over, since he had slept with Tanya during her brief visit. Around the same time, Sally was accidentally shot by a drifter named Murray during an armed robbery
at the Diner but suffered only minor injuries.
Sally and Vinnie were astonished when they found themselves developing feelings for each other and started dating. However, although they softened each other's hard edges a bit, they were ultimately too different and split.
and returns with fiancé, Kieran Fletcher. She moves in with Shauna Bradley (Kylie Watson
) and Leah Poulos
(Ada Nicodemou
). At her wedding Gypsy Nash
(Kimberley Cooper
) announces Kieran has been making advances towards her. Sally blames Gypsy but sees sense. Upset Sally starts suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder
. Kieran's best man, Luke Harvey, arrives to help Sally through her troubles. The pair soon develop feelings for each other and become engaged. Sally abandons her plans to become an archaeologist
and decides to become a teacher. Principal Judith Ackroyd (Anna Hruby
) appoints Sally as Summer Bay High's new history teacher. Sally and Luke become distant due to work. Harry Reynolds
(Justin Melvey
) kisses her and she realises she has to call the wedding off. She starts dating colleague Brett Egan (Emmanuel Marshall), however she reports him for assaulting Noah Lawson
(Beau Brady
) and he leaves her. She and Gypsy become good friends.
Flynn Saunders
(Martin Dingle-Wall
) starts working at the Drop-In Centre, he and Sally start a romance. Sally is angry when she finds out Shauna has tried to seduce Flynn and ends her friendship with her. Whilst being hospital she discovers that she has ovarian cancer and has to have a hysterectomy
. Before the operation she has some of her eggs frozen. Sally realises she cannot have children and thinks Flynn will leave her. Sally, Sophie and Blake Dean become lost in the bush after a boating accident, they are found safe. Sally moves in with Charlotte Adams
, but when she dies, Sally agrees to let Flynn move in. Sally decides she wants to find a surrogate mother old school friend Tara and Angie Russell
(Laurie Foell
) agree to help but they both pull out. Sophie then agrees to do it. At the first ultrasound they find out she is carrying two babies with different parents: one is Sally and Flynn's, the other Blake and Sophie's. Soon after Sophie miscarries Sally's baby.
Sally becomes acting principal and Angie becomes annoyed. She plots to rid of her by triggering her OCD once more. She steps down handing the role to Paris Burnett. Sally proves that Angie tried to seduce student, Nick Smith
. With Angie gone she becomes the new deputy principal. She clashes with Barry Hyde (Ivar Kants
). Sally and Flynn later marry. Leah offers to be a surrogate mother for them. Sally 'turns a blind eye' to the various various problems during Leah's pregnancy, such as Flynn and Leah kissing. When she gives birth she gives her to Sally and they call her Pippa Saunders
. Sally moves back into the house at the caravan park where she had grown up. Sally soon began fostering Ric Dalby (Mark Furze
) and Cassie Turner
(Sharni Vinson
). Sally is pushed from a ladder by the "Summer Bay Stalker" and sufferes a brain haemorrhage. Whilst on a life support machine someone tamperes in an effort to kill her. Upon her release she is abducted by the culprit, Zoe McAllister (Emily Perry
), she ties her up in an abandoned building leaking with gas, Sally manages to escape resulting explosion. Diesel Williams one of Sally's students, claims they are having an affair. Sally is investigated by both the police and the Department of Education. Diesel holds Sally hostage, Flynn saves her and he tells the truth. Flynn is diagnosed with skin cancer
and his condition is too advanced to operate. His health slowly deteriorates and he dies. Alf Stewart moves in with her for support. Sally finds herself attracted to Brad Armstrong, she disappointed to see marrying Emily. However Emily dies from Leukemia
. Emily gave her blessing to the pair to start a relationship before she died.
Sally tries to turn Rocco Cooper
's life around. However, she is unsuccessful and Rocco is drawn back into his brother Johnny's
gangsta world. Rocco has Johnny and his gang arrested, Johnny threatens to kill him if he does not get rid of Sally. Rocco stabs Sally and left her to die, but she survived. Johnny then has Rocco killed anyway. Sally's misery is compounded when Ric is imprisoned for Rocco's murder, although he is soon cleared. The incident brings Sally and Brad closer and he moved in. After being deputy under three principals, Sally finally becomes head again when Brad is forced to step down. Brad proposes to Sally only for her to turn him down. However, when he becomes lost at sea she changes her mind. She then regretted her choice and on their wedding day she jilts him over guilt for Flynn. Brad moves out in anger and Sally is left upset. Pippa is knocked over whilst Alf is driving. Sally cannot forgive Alf and throws him out. She later forgives him. When Sally and Brad share a kiss, Sally hopes they can reconcile and arranges some counselling. She then realises Brad wants something different and she decides to accept they are over.
Sally looks after a homeless man named Miles Copeland (Josh Quong Tart
). He later reveals to her he is her long lost brother. She does not believe him at first, she thought her parents had died when she was three. He explains he is the "Milco" she used to imagine. He helps her relive some old memories and she realises he is telling the truth. They get to know each other and catch up on lost time. Johnny Cooper escapes from prison and stabs Sally, who nearly dies. She has a near death vision of her foster father Tom showed her what life will be like in Summer Bay without her, the effect of living and that of dying. Sally confided in Alf, who had undergone a similar experience. Sally resigned from the school after Martin Bartlett took her job. Sally realises that she no longer has any responsibilities in Summer Bay. She and Cassie make plans to leave the area and go travelling. Ric and Miles organise a leaving concert held at the school. Pippa, Carly and Steven return for her send off. Sally signs the house and caravan park over to Miles. She says goodbye to Alf and Miles and leaves. She leaves to join Cassie and starts a new life in Phuket.
Character (arts)
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...
, played by Kate Ritchie
Kate Ritchie
Katherine "Kate" Ritchie is an Australian actress, best known for her long-running role as Sally Fletcher on the television soap opera Home and Away. She played the character for 20 years from 1988–2008...
. She was the longest running original female cast member appearing from the Pilot episode on 17 January 1988 until 3 April 2008.
Casting
Ritchie auditioned for the role of Sally in front of executive producer John Holmes in 1987. Her audition scene involved strawberry jam and Sally's imaginary friend Milco. Holmes revealed that Ritchie stood out among the other actresses auditioning for the role. He said "Actors always choose themselves for a role and in this case Kate Ritchie shone head and shoulders above all the rest." During flashbacks to the character's childhood, Sally was played by Chloe Shelsher.Kate Ritchie said of her role, "I well and truly know the girl that is Sally Fletcher. If only I had realised earlier she wasn't my enemy, she wasn't the embarrassing little sister always trying to spoil my fun but, in fact, the best friend I ever had....In my Logie acceptance speech last year I said Home and Away had always been my constant and the same goes for Sally. We have spent the past 20 years side by side....Sally is a good person. She is the true meaning of the word good, often a quality that goes unnoticed and is most definitely underrated. Sounds crazy, but it is true."
After twenty years, Ritchie departed Home and Away. Her last episode as Sally was shown on 3 April 2008. As Farah Farouque wrote, "the last episode featuring Sally is a TV moment of note."
Backstory
Twins Sally and Miles lived together with their alcoholic father Aaron Copeland (Timothy Walter) and mother Diana Copeland. Aaron used to beat Diana, so she left him and took Sally with her. Diana and new husband Derek Wilson had been killed in a boating accident. She went to live with her grandmother Mrs Keating, but she developed Alzheimer's Disease and could not look after her. Sally was soon fostered by TomTom 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...
and Pippa Fletcher
Pippa Ross
Phillipa "Pippa" Routledge OAM is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Actress Vanessa Downing originated the role from 1988 to 1990, then Debra Lawrance took over from 1990 to 1998. The character has made guest returns in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and...
. In the confusion that was her early childhood, Sally forgot about her brother and father. However she had an imaginary friend named Milko that she had invented to help herself cope with her losses. What nobody at the time knew though was that Milko was in fact the nickname of Sally's twin. Aaron and Miles went to find Sally, but after seeing Sally was better of with the Fletcher family, they left.
1988-2000
Sally was one of Tom and Pippa's original foster children when they moved to 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...
, along with Carly Lucini
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...
, Steven Matheson
Steven Matheson
Steven "Stevo" Matheson is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Adam Willits. Steven was created by Alan Bateman as one of the serial's original characters and he first appeared in the pilot episode. Willits received the role after being one of...
, Frank Morgan, and Lynn Davenport. She would remain a mainstay in the family as others came and went around her. Of the others, she was closest to Sophie Simpson
Sophie Simpson
Sophie Simpson is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Rebekah Elmaloglou. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 22 January 1990 and appeared as a regular until 1993...
, Sam Marshall
Sam Marshall
Sam Marshall is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by actor Ryan Clark between 1991 and 2000. He returned for short stints in 2001, 2002 and 2005.-Character:...
, and Shannon Reed
Shannon Reed
Shannon Reed is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Isla Fisher. She made her first on screen appearance on 16 September 1994. She departed on 6 August 1997.- Character development :Shannon was bisexual...
. Her other close childhood friend was 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....
, who lived with his mother in a mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
at the caravan park.
Unlike the other children, they adopt Sally. Not long after however Tom died. A year later, Pippa remarried to Michael Ross
Michael Ross (Home and Away)
Michael Ross is a fictional character on the Australian soap opera Home and Away played by actor Dennis Coard and made his first appearance on 22 October 1990.-Storylines:...
. After an uncomfortable start, Sally accepted him but it was not unknown for her to remind him she had been part of the family longer than he had. More tragedy was to follow for the family with the deaths of Sally's adoptive brother Dale, a victim of sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome is marked by the sudden death of an infant that is unexpected by medical history, and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and a detailed death scene investigation. An infant is at the highest risk for SIDS during sleep, which is why it is sometimes...
, and her foster sister Bobby Marshall in a boating accident.
Sally's first crush was on Damian Roberts, her foster brother, and she even went as far as to kiss him while he lay sleeping. She seemed more likely to succeed with Joe Lynch, a boy in the year above her. Although he initially seemed interested, when he found out Sally, who was taking maths classes with the year ahead, was a favourite of his mother Teresa, the school's deputy head, he took against her on principle, bullying and humiliating her at every opportunity. It took a long time for Sally to make anyone realise what was going on but finally succeeded when Donald Fisher caught Joe in the act of throwing ink into her locker (Sally eventually forgave Joe, although only after some much deserved payback).
Sally's first boyfriend was Gus Bishop, the younger brother of her teacher Donna, but his wild boy antics, including setting fire to Jack Wilson's
Jack Wilson (Home and Away)
Jack Wilson is a fictional character portrayed by Daniel Amalm in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He made his first appearence on 4 April 1994 and departed on 8 May 1996...
, guitar soon proved too much for her. She later dated Nelson MacFarlane, Irene Roberts'
Irene Roberts
Irene Roberts is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Lynne McGranger. She was previously played by actress Jacqui Phillips from 1991 until 1992 when McGranger took over the role. Irene was originally a recurring character, in 1993 McGranger...
nephew, but although they seemed happy together he was quick to cut her out when he was badly burned in a fire and had to leave town for treatment. Ironically Sally then started seeing Jack, who was partly to blame for the fire. However, when Sally wanted to let Brendan, a troubled young man who had abandoned his baby, use the caravan that Michael and Pippa had given them for privacy Jack refused. Sally was annoyed by his selfishness and broke up with him.
She encounters Moss, a man staying at the caravan park who believed she was the reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
of his daughter who had died seventeen years earlier, in a car accident when he had been driving. Certain evidence seemed to back up his claim: Sally remembered the song he used to sing her to her, even though she had never heard it before, and said goodbye to him in exactly the same way. When Sally and Shannon went for a drive with Moss, they found themselves reliving the accident, when another car forced them off the road. (The driver was never revealed although there is some speculation, unsupported by on screen evidence, that it was her former foster brother Dodge, who had apparently died the previous year but whose body had never been found.) This time, however, Moss made sure he was the one who died. Sally saw this as him being given a second chance to save her life.
Soon after, Michael drowned while saving Sam's life and Sally (who had once run away from home when Michael and Pippa seemed to be splitting up) lost a 'father' for the fourth time. Sal had always suffered from low self-esteem and began to feel unattractive and unliked with no close friends. Despite campaigning hard for a representative school council, she was passed over by her peers for a place on it. She made a play for Curtis Reed
Curtis Reed (Home and Away)
Curtis Reed is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Shane Ammann. He debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 16 September 1994 and departed on 15 April 1997.-Character development:...
, who didn't even seem to notice, then let another boy, Charlie, kiss her even though she didn't like him. Finally in an attempt to cheer her up Shannon and Selina took her for a trip on a raft that Liam Tanner and Joey Rainbow had made from polystyrene. It sank and Sally was separated from the others. She was found by Jamie Grace, a backwards man who had been living as a virtual hermit since he was forced out of town for inadvertently causing a boy's death. Sally spent days effectively trapped in the woods, suffering from a fever and unable to convince Jamie of the seriousness of her condition, until she was finally rescued by Steven.
Sally began seeing Tim O'Connor and became closer to him than any other boyfriend previous, losing her virginity to him. However, he was then arrested when it was found he had been helping smuggle in illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
(his Vietnamese stepmother's family rather than for profit). Having lost the person she was closest to, Sally self-destructed, hanging out with bad boy Scott Irwin (played by Heath Ledger
Heath Ledger
Heath Andrew Ledger was an Australian television and film actor. After performing roles in Australian television and film during the 1990s, Ledger moved to the United States in 1998 to develop his film career...
), sleeping with him and using Pippa's position as school secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
to steal exam papers for him. Her already strong sense of guilt was compounded when Tim returned to town, the charges having been dropped. Angry at Sally for getting them caught, Scott stole from Donald Fisher's office and planted the items in Sally's locker to frame her. However, Aaron Welles saw what he was doing and moved them to Scott's locker so he was caught and expelled. When Scott attacked Sally in the surf club for revenge, Tim came to her rescue and the pair were reconciled.
When Pippa decided to leave town to live with her new boyfriend Ian Routledge, Sally assumed she would let her and Tim move into the house. She was angry when instead she asked Travis
Travis Nash
Travis Nash is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by actor Nic Testoni. He made his first on screen appearance on 10 April 1995 and departed on 11 August 1999.-Backstory:...
and Rebecca Nash
Rebecca Nash
Rebecca Nash is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. The character was played by actress Jane Hall in 1989, Danielle Carter in 1994, and Belinda Emmett from 1996 to 1999...
to move in so they could look after the other foster children, seeing it as Pippa putting the needs of those who hadn't been there as long before hers. However, she and Tim weren't to last much longer; he became insanely jealous, quizzing both her and Sam about her past boyfriends. When he saw her hugging Travis, he began spreading stories that Travis liked young girls. It was enough to break up him and Sally and see him run out of town.
With Pippa gone and Sally now at uni and not much younger than Travis and Rebecca, she found herself considered one of the adults of the house. Uncomfortable with the responsibility, she moved in with Vinnie Patterson
Vinnie Patterson
Vincent 'Vinnie' Patterson is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He made his first on-screen appearence on 14 July 1997 and departed on 1 March 2002...
and Jesse McGregor
Jesse McGregor
Jesse McGregor is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away. The character was played by actor Ben Unwin between 1996 and 2000 and again between 2002 and 2005.-1996-2000:...
. She then started dating Sean Ellis, a much older man who had a daughter, Daria, who was not much younger than Sally (and dating Sam, her foster brother). Sally managed to win over Daria by sticking up for her when her mother Tanya neglected her but by then she and Sean were virtually over, since he had slept with Tanya during her brief visit. Around the same time, Sally was accidentally shot by a drifter named Murray during an armed robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....
at the Diner but suffered only minor injuries.
Sally and Vinnie were astonished when they found themselves developing feelings for each other and started dating. However, although they softened each other's hard edges a bit, they were ultimately too different and split.
2000-08
Sally goes to IrelandIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and returns with fiancé, Kieran Fletcher. She moves in with Shauna Bradley (Kylie Watson
Kylie Watson
Kylie Watson is an Australian actress, interior designer and model. She is best known for playing lifeguard Shauna Bradley in Australian soap Home and Away between 1999 and 2002. She is now a successful interior designer....
) and Leah Poulos
Leah Patterson-Baker
Leah Helena Adara Patterson-Baker is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Ada Nicodemou. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 22 March 2000...
(Ada Nicodemou
Ada Nicodemou
Ada Nicodemou is a Greek Cypriot-born Australian actress, best known for her role as Leah Patterson-Baker in the soap opera Home and Away.-Early life:Nicodemou was born in Larnaca, Cyprus. She has been an Australian resident since 1987....
). At her wedding Gypsy Nash
Gypsy Nash
Gypsy Smith is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Kimberley Cooper. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 18 February 1998...
(Kimberley Cooper
Kimberley Cooper
Kimberley Cooper, in Sydney New South Wales, is an Australian actress who played Gypsy Smith in Home and Away . Cooper won the Logie Award for Most Popular New Talent on Australian television in 1999 and the Best Aussie Actress for The Inside Soap Awards, UK, 2000...
) announces Kieran has been making advances towards her. Sally blames Gypsy but sees sense. Upset Sally starts suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
. Kieran's best man, Luke Harvey, arrives to help Sally through her troubles. The pair soon develop feelings for each other and become engaged. Sally abandons her plans to become an archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
and decides to become a teacher. Principal Judith Ackroyd (Anna Hruby
Anna Hruby
Anna Hruby is an Australian actress who has appeared in many Australian television series and theatre productions.Hruby first achieved recognition for her role in Prisoner as Paddy Lawson...
) appoints Sally as Summer Bay High's new history teacher. Sally and Luke become distant due to work. Harry Reynolds
Harry Reynolds (Home and Away)
Harry Reynolds is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Justin Melvey. He made his first on-screen appearance on 13 September 1999.-Casting:...
(Justin Melvey
Justin Melvey
Justin Melvey is an Australian actor who has appeared in a number of television series in Australia and the US.Melvey is best known to Australian audiences for his role as Harry Reynolds in the evening soap opera Home and Away from 1999 to 2001...
) kisses her and she realises she has to call the wedding off. She starts dating colleague Brett Egan (Emmanuel Marshall), however she reports him for assaulting Noah Lawson
Noah Lawson
Noah Lawson is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Beau Brady. The character debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 6 September 2000.-Characterization:...
(Beau Brady
Beau Brady
Beau Brady is an Australian actor, best known for his role as Noah Lawson on the drama Home and Away.-Biography:Brady was educated at Oakhill College in Castle Hill, Sydney....
) and he leaves her. She and Gypsy become good friends.
Flynn Saunders
Flynn Saunders
Dr Flynn Saunders is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Joel McIlroy. The character was originally played by Martin Dingle-Wall from 2001 until 2002. He made his first on-screen appearance on 13 July 2001....
(Martin Dingle-Wall
Martin Dingle-Wall
Martin Dingle-Wall is an Australian actor, best known for being the first to play the role of Flynn Saunders on the Australian soap opera Home and Away in 2002...
) starts working at the Drop-In Centre, he and Sally start a romance. Sally is angry when she finds out Shauna has tried to seduce Flynn and ends her friendship with her. Whilst being hospital she discovers that she has ovarian cancer and has to have a hysterectomy
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
. Before the operation she has some of her eggs frozen. Sally realises she cannot have children and thinks Flynn will leave her. Sally, Sophie and Blake Dean become lost in the bush after a boating accident, they are found safe. Sally moves in with Charlotte Adams
Charlotte Adams (Home and Away)
Charlotte Elizabeth Adams is a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by actress Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen. She first appeared during th episode airing on 10 September 2001 and departed following her death on 3 September 2002.-Storylines:Charlotte is first seen as...
, but when she dies, Sally agrees to let Flynn move in. Sally decides she wants to find a surrogate mother old school friend Tara and Angie Russell
Angie Russell
Angela "Angie" Russell was a fictional character on the Australian soap opera Home and Away, portrayed by Laurie Foell from 2002 until the character's death in 2003.Angie subsequently appeared as a ghost in her daughter Tasha's dreams....
(Laurie Foell
Laurie Foell
Laurie Foell is an Australian actress. She is best known for her portrayal of both Angela "Angie" Russell and her cousin Josie, on the successful Australian television soap opera Home and Away. Foell also starred as Dr...
) agree to help but they both pull out. Sophie then agrees to do it. At the first ultrasound they find out she is carrying two babies with different parents: one is Sally and Flynn's, the other Blake and Sophie's. Soon after Sophie miscarries Sally's baby.
Sally becomes acting principal and Angie becomes annoyed. She plots to rid of her by triggering her OCD once more. She steps down handing the role to Paris Burnett. Sally proves that Angie tried to seduce student, 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...
. With Angie gone she becomes the new deputy principal. She clashes with Barry Hyde (Ivar Kants
Ivar Kants
Ivar Kants is an Australian actor who played the role of Ken Garrett in soap opera The Restless Years. Later roles include School Principal Barry Hyde in Home And Away...
). Sally and Flynn later marry. Leah offers to be a surrogate mother for them. Sally 'turns a blind eye' to the various various problems during Leah's pregnancy, such as Flynn and Leah kissing. When she gives birth she gives her to Sally and they call her Pippa Saunders
Pippa Saunders
Philipa Rose "Pippa" Saunders was a fictional character in the show Home and Away. She is named after Sally's adoptive mother, Pippa Ross.After discovering that Sally was suffering from cancer in 2001, it was also discovered that Sally couldn't have children...
. Sally moves back into the house at the caravan park where she had grown up. Sally soon began fostering Ric Dalby (Mark Furze
Mark Furze
Mark Furze is an Australian actor and singer who is best known for his role as Eric "Ric" Dalby on the popular Australian soap opera Home and Away. Mark played the role of Ric from September 2004 to July 2008.-Career:...
) and Cassie Turner
Cassie Turner
Cassandra "Cassie" Turner is a fictional character from the Australian Channel Seven soap opera Home and Away, played by Sharni Vinson. She debuted on-screen during the episode airing on 18 March 2005. Vinson originally auditioned for the role of Martha MacKenzie , but later secured the role of...
(Sharni Vinson
Sharni Vinson
-External links:...
). Sally is pushed from a ladder by the "Summer Bay Stalker" and sufferes a brain haemorrhage. Whilst on a life support machine someone tamperes in an effort to kill her. Upon her release she is abducted by the culprit, Zoe McAllister (Emily Perry
Emily Perry
Emily Perry is an Australian actress.She began her acting career in 1998 as a regular character for two years on the TV series, Breakers. In 2005, she landed a four-month recurring guest role on Home and Away, playing "Zoe McCallister"...
), she ties her up in an abandoned building leaking with gas, Sally manages to escape resulting explosion. Diesel Williams one of Sally's students, claims they are having an affair. Sally is investigated by both the police and the Department of Education. Diesel holds Sally hostage, Flynn saves her and he tells the truth. Flynn is diagnosed with skin cancer
Skin cancer
Skin neoplasms are skin growths with differing causes and varying degrees of malignancy. The three most common malignant skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises...
and his condition is too advanced to operate. His health slowly deteriorates and he dies. Alf Stewart moves in with her for support. Sally finds herself attracted to Brad Armstrong, she disappointed to see marrying Emily. However Emily dies from Leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
. Emily gave her blessing to the pair to start a relationship before she died.
Sally tries to turn Rocco Cooper
Rocco Cooper
Rocco Cooper was a fictional character in the Australian soap opera Home and Away. He was played by Ian Meadows.-Storylines:Rocco caused trouble even before he arrived in the Bay when Deputy Principal Sally Fletcher authorised him to move to Summer Bay High over the head of Principal Brad Armstrong...
's life around. However, she is unsuccessful and Rocco is drawn back into his brother Johnny's
Johnny Cooper (Home and Away)
Johnathan "Johnny" Cooper is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Callan Mulvey. He made his first on-screen appearance on 19 October 2006.-Storylines:...
gangsta world. Rocco has Johnny and his gang arrested, Johnny threatens to kill him if he does not get rid of Sally. Rocco stabs Sally and left her to die, but she survived. Johnny then has Rocco killed anyway. Sally's misery is compounded when Ric is imprisoned for Rocco's murder, although he is soon cleared. The incident brings Sally and Brad closer and he moved in. After being deputy under three principals, Sally finally becomes head again when Brad is forced to step down. Brad proposes to Sally only for her to turn him down. However, when he becomes lost at sea she changes her mind. She then regretted her choice and on their wedding day she jilts him over guilt for Flynn. Brad moves out in anger and Sally is left upset. Pippa is knocked over whilst Alf is driving. Sally cannot forgive Alf and throws him out. She later forgives him. When Sally and Brad share a kiss, Sally hopes they can reconcile and arranges some counselling. She then realises Brad wants something different and she decides to accept they are over.
Sally looks after a homeless man named Miles Copeland (Josh Quong Tart
Josh Quong Tart
Josh Quong Tart is an Australian actor who has performed in several television, commercial and film roles.-Biography:...
). He later reveals to her he is her long lost brother. She does not believe him at first, she thought her parents had died when she was three. He explains he is the "Milco" she used to imagine. He helps her relive some old memories and she realises he is telling the truth. They get to know each other and catch up on lost time. Johnny Cooper escapes from prison and stabs Sally, who nearly dies. She has a near death vision of her foster father Tom showed her what life will be like in Summer Bay without her, the effect of living and that of dying. Sally confided in Alf, who had undergone a similar experience. Sally resigned from the school after Martin Bartlett took her job. Sally realises that she no longer has any responsibilities in Summer Bay. She and Cassie make plans to leave the area and go travelling. Ric and Miles organise a leaving concert held at the school. Pippa, Carly and Steven return for her send off. Sally signs the house and caravan park over to Miles. She says goodbye to Alf and Miles and leaves. She leaves to join Cassie and starts a new life in Phuket.