List of McLeod's Daughters characters

This is a list of characters from the Australian drama series McLeod's Daughters.

Main characters

Character	Actor	Occupation	Duration	Episodes
Claire Louise McLeod	Lisa Chappell	Drover's Run Owner	August 2001 -> October 2003	001 -> 073
Claire is the oldest child of John 'Jack' McLeod. She was born on Drover's Run, in 1973, to Jack and his first wife, Prudence 'Prue' McLeod. Prue died while giving birth to a stillborn son, Adam John McLeod,in 1975. Jack would later marry Ruth Silverman, who gave birth to Tess Silverman McLeod. When their marriage ended, Ruth took Tess to live in Melbourne, leaving Jack to raise Claire alone. Claire and Tess would not see each other again until after their father died, almost twenty years later. Claire spent her whole life on Drover's Run; she dropped out of school at age 15 to help her dad run the farm. She attempts to start a horse breeding program on Drover's with Peter Johnson, the local representative of Australian Bloodlines. They begin a romantic relationship while working together, which ends when Claire finds out that Peter is married and has a family in Queensland. They reunite briefly, which results in Claire getting pregnant. She gives birth to a daughter, Charlotte Prudence McLeod, in a shed on Drover's Run. Before Claire decides on a name, the baby is affectionately called 'BOM', for Baby of McLeod. Not long after the baby was born, Claire and Alex Ryan begin a relationship, with Alex planning to propose to her during a party. Claire, Tess, and baby Charlotte are returning from town with party supplies when their Ute hit a pothole and Claire loses control of the vehicle, and coming to a stop with its front wheels dangling off the edge of a cliff. Tess is able to get out and get Charlotte to safety, but cannot get Claire's door open before the Ute starts to slide. It goes over the cliff and into a canyon, killing Claire.
Teresa "Tess" Charlotte Silverman McLeod-Ryan	Bridie Carter	Drover's Run Owner	August 2001 -> March 2006	001 -> 123, 135 - 146
Tess is the third child and second-oldest daughter of Jack McLeod. She was born on Drover's Run in 1976 to Jack and his second wife, Ruth Silverman. Tess left Drover's for Melbourne with her mother when she was five years old, after her parents marriage ended. Tess never saw her father again, and only returns to Drover's after his death nearly twenty years later. Tess and Claire initially clash over the future of Drover's Run. Tess considers selling her share and remaining in the city, but later decides to stay on and help run the farm. In season one, Tess has a brief romantic relationship with Alex Ryan, which ends amicably. She later discovers she has feelings for Alex's younger brother, Nick, though their initial attempts at a relationship fail due to Tess's fear of commitment. After that she becomes involved with local veterinarian Dave Brewer, leading to an engagement. They call off the engagement when Dave realizes he has not fully mourned the loss of his last wife. After Claire dies, Tess becomes the sole owner of Drover's Run; she hires Stevie Hall as overseer to help her manage the property. When Peter Johnson files for custody of Charlotte, his daughter with Claire, Tess initially fights it but ultimately relents and lets Peter and his wife have full custody. Peter allows Charlotte to visit her aunt at Drover's often. Tess and Nick eventually rekindle their relationship and get married. Not long after, Nick takes a job on a farm in Argentina, and they leave Drover's. Tess returns after a year, announcing that she's pregnant. While expecting Nick to follow her home shortly, Tess learns that his plane has gone missing and he is assumed dead. Tess begins to mourn him, but Nick is found alive and returns to Drover's. They decide to return to Argentina for another three years, and Tess is not seen on the show again, though she and Nick are referenced by other characters periodically. Tess gives birth to a daughter named Claire.
Jodi Margaret Fountain McLeod-Bosnich	Rachael Carpani	Drover's Run Owner	August 2001 -> April 2007, January 2009	001 -> 178, 224
Jodi is the youngest child of Jack McLeod. She was born on Drover's Run in 1982 to Jack and Meg Fountain. Jack and Meg were not married; their relationship and Jodi's paternity were kept secret for many years. It was assumed that Meg's first husband Kevin Fountain, was Jodi's father. After Meg and her husband separated, Meg became the housekeeper at Drover's and Jodi went to boarding school. After completing her finals, Jodi moves back to Drover's to await the results of her exams. Upon her weak test results she begins working alongside the other women on the farm. Two years after returning to Drover's, Jodi marries Alberto Borelli, but decides immediately after the wedding that she is too young for marriage and children. Alberto returns to Italy and Jodi resumes her work on Drover's. When Meg is offered a job in Melbourne, Jodi initially decides to go with her, but changes her mind at the last minute and decides to stay on the farm. She begins a relationship with mechanic Luke Morgan, which ends when Luke is sent to jail. She later has a relationship with Rob Shelton, the overseer of Killarney. It was during this time that she discovered her true parentage, which led to friction with Meg. Rob then reveals to Jodi that he is in the Witness Protection Program and living under an alias; a hitman soon finds him and he is forced to leave the area. He later returns as Matt Bosnich, and they rekindle their relationship. Another hitman finds him, and it appears that Jodi and Matt die in an explosion. Meg later tells a few select people that they faked their deaths so that Matt could be free of his pursuers, and after saying goodbye to her friends and family on Drover's, Jodi leaves with him. She is not seen again until the series finale with news that they are married and that Jodi is pregnant. They explain that the criminals who had been after them are in jail, and can safely return to Drover's to raise their baby.
Rebecca "Becky" Howard	Jessica Napier	Drover's lead station hand	August 2001 -> October 2003	001 -> 70
Becky is a young local who starts out working for the Gungellan Pub & Hotel. After her boss, Brian, rapes her, Claire offers to put her up on Drover's and give her work. Becky is soon promoted to Lead Station Hand and begins a relationship with Brett 'Brick' Buchanon, a station hand at Killarney. Brett eventually leaves to help his ailing uncle in Queensland, and Becky doesn't see or hear from him after that. After searching for him for months, a dream leads her to a bridge where she finds his body. Becky mourns Brick's death while growing closer to Jake, another Killarney station hand. They break up and Jake leaves, but he later returns for a young farmer's competition and attempts to win her back. Becky decides to leave with Jake to live with him on his new property and to take advantage of a scholarship at an agricultural college. Becky doesn't return to Drover's for the remainder of the show.
Alexander Marion "Alex" Ryan	Aaron Jeffery	Killarney Owner	August 2001 -> 2008	001 -> 208
Alex is the older son of Harry and Liz Ryan, the owners of Killarney, the property adjacent to Drover's Run. He is a childhood friend of Claire McLeod's. Shortly after Tess arrives at Drover's, he begins dating her, but they soon break up and decide to be just friends. After Claire gives birth to Charlotte, she and Alex develop romantic feelings for each other. Alex plans to propose to Claire, but she dies before he gets the chance. In season 3, Alex discovers that Harry Ryan is not his biological father. His mother, Liz, had a brief relationship with Bryce Redstaff that resulted in pregnancy, but she married Harry Ryan and allowed him to believe that the baby was his. Alex's true paternity leads to the breakup of Harry and Liz's marriage, with Liz leaving Killarney. Alex marries Fiona Webb, a city girl from a wealthy family. Their marriage ends badly, with Fiona believing that Alex is in love with Stevie. Though they don't immediately begin a relationship, Alex and Stevie eventually marry. After the wedding and honeymoon, Alex is only seen by videophone from Argentina until the last episode of season 7, when he returns to Killarney to surprise Stevie. Alex dies early in season 8, after being crushed by a large tree branch. Stevie gives birth shortly after, and names the baby Alexander 'Xander' Hall Ryan.
Nicholas Garry "Nick" Ryan	Myles Pollard	Killarney Owner	August 2001 -> March 2006	001 -> 125, 145 - 146
Nick is the younger son of Harry and Liz Ryan. Due to a rodeo accident in his teens that left him with a limp, Nick works mostly on the business operations at Killarney. He and Tess have an on-off relationship throughout their time on the series, eventually culminating in marriage. Nick was declared dead after the plane thought to be carrying him back to Australia crashed in South America, but it was later revealed that he had been mugged before boarding the plane, and had spent months unconscious in a hospital. After returning to Drover's, he and Tess decide to return to Argentina, and like Tess, he is not seen on the series again. Nick has a daughter with Tess, named Claire. He also has a son, Harrison Nicholas Ryan-Clements, with Sally Clements, his former physical therapist.
Margaret "Meg" Rivers Fountain-Dodge	Sonia Todd	Drover's Housekeeper	August 2001 -> April 2007	001 -> 88, 109 - 134, 143 - 149, 177 - 178, 224
Meg is the longtime housekeeper on Drover's Run and the mother of Jodi Fountain-McLeod. Meg acts as a motherfigure to the women of Drover's, though she has occasional clashes with some of employees, notably Becky. Meg had an affair with Jack McLeod many years ago, resulting in her getting pregnant with Jodi. She keeps the affair secret; when Jodi receives a trust fund from Jack, she becomes suspicious and has a paternity test done, revealing that Jack is in fact her biological father. Around this time, Meg has a novel published that is a thinly-veiled account of her and Jodi's life on Drover's. The novel and the revelation of Jodi's true paternity causes a rift between Meg and Jodi. Meg leaves suddenly to promote her book, returning briefly to reconcile with her daughter and to marry Terry Dodge. The newlyweds then set off to explore Australia. She returns for Jodi's funeral and following that is not seen again until the final episode, when she returns to Drover's with a pregnant Jodi.
David "Dave" Enoch Brewer	Brett Tucker	Local Vet	2003 -> 2006	45 -> 170
Dave is a country veterinarian who tends to the animals on Drover's Run and other farms in the area. He is briefly engaged to Tess, though they break off the engagement when Dave realizes that he has not properly mourned his wife. He leaves in an effort to work out his feelings, but when he returns, Tess does not take him back as she and Nick are together. He moves into Wilgul with Alex and becomes a staple part of the social group. He later has a relationship with Tess's cousin, Regan McLeod, which ends when Regan leaves Drover's to take a job. His friendship with Kate then develops into a romance, and the two leave for Africa, where Dave is going to run a vet clinic. Kate later returns to Drover's after Jodi's death, but Dave is not seen on the series again.
Stephanie "Stevie" Jane Hall-Ryan	Simmone Jade Mackinnon	Drover's Run Part Owner	October 2003 -> 2008	71 -> 224
Stevie is an old friend of Claire's, and first appears in the series shortly before Claire's death. Though she initially clashes with Tess, they grow close and Tess asks Stevie to stay on Drover's as overseer and eventual part-owner. She has a daughter, Rose, who lives with Stevie's sister Michelle and believes that Stevie is her aunt. Much of Stevie's arc on the show revolves around her decision to tell Rose the truth about her parentage. She eventually does so, leading to a brief falling-out with her daughter. Rose later forgives Stevie and visits her on Drover's several times. After Tess and Nick leave for Argentina, Stevie becomes the primary person in charge at Drover's until Jodi and the McLeod cousins receive their shares. She goes on to marry Alex Ryan, and discovers, that she is pregnant while Alex is in Argentina working with Nick. Alex returns to Killarney before Stevie is due to give birth; he dies from being crushed by a heavy tree branch. Stevie has the baby boy very shortly after, and after calling him "Wombat" for some time, she names him Alexander "Xander" Hall Ryan. She continues on as part-owner of both Drover's and Killarney, appearing until the series finale.
Kate Maria Due Manfredi	Michala Banas	Drover's Farm Hand	2004 -> 2008	88 -> 170, 179 -> 206
Kate is a former classmate of Jodi's. She first appears in the series when Jodi decides to go to Melbourne with Meg, leaving a job vacancy. Though Jodi changes her mind at the last minute and stays on the farm, Kate keeps her new position. Kate is organized and goal-oriented, often referring to her "5-year plan". Her plans bring a great organization to Drover's but occasionally has the other farmhands rolling their eyes. Kate has relationships with local boy Craig and Dave Brewer's younger brother Patrick, but she maintains her feelings for Dave until they eventually get together. Kate leaves with Dave for Africa, but returns when Jodi is thought to be dead. Devastated by Jodi's death her prodding ultimately causes Meg and the police to reveal that Jodi and Matt have joined witness protection and are using the accident as the perfect cover to hide. She decides to stay at Drover's for a while where she feels useful and good at what she does. Her anxiety about being out of place in Africa causes her to put off returning, but she later goes back to Africa and Dave after some sage advice from Moira. Kate returns to Drover's for Stevie's wedding, having split from Dave and is in the beginning stages of a relationship with Riley when he is killed in a car accident. Though his body is never found, Riley is presumed dead and Kate leaves to run a farm for at-risk youth.
Regan McLeod	Zoe Naylor	Drover's Part Owner	2005–2008	119 -> 123, 149 -> 184, 209 -> 210, 223 ->224
Regan is the second child of Hugh McLeod, Jack McLeod's brother. She arrives at Drover's under suspicious circumstances, later revealing that she has come to conduct tests and surveys to determine if Drover's can be mined for gold. She begins digging, getting into several confrontations with Tess, Stevie, and the other Drover's women. After she is bitten by a venomous snake, Tess helps save her life and Regan decides to abandon her plans to mine Drover's, making peace with her cousin. Regan gets romantically involved with Dave Brewer, but the relationship ends when Regan leaves. She appears again in season six, returning to Drover's looking for Tess, who is in Argentina at the time. She reveals that an accident at a mine she was supervising caused the death of two men. Though not criminally responsible, she feels enormous guilt over the incident. She sticks around Drovers for a while and redeems herself with the girls of Drover’s when she pitches in with the farm work. Shortly after she inherits a share of Drovers through Jodi’s faked death. She helps save Drover’s from a toxic waste dump planned for Drover’s. During this she temporarily resumes an adulterous relationship with a former colleague who is there on behalf of the government to assess Drover’s compatibility for the toxic dump. A pregnancy scare brings about the quick end of the affair and after saving Drover’s from the dump, she moves on. In the last few episodes she comes back to Drover's, to stay on.
Patrick Michael Brewer	Luke Jacobz	Killarney Farm Hand	2005–2008	131, 147 -> 224
Patrick is the younger brother of Dave Brewer. He makes his first appearance in the series by parachuting onto the farm. Patrick is an adventurous world traveler. He has a relationship with Kate early on, but when he stops taking his medication for bipolar disorder, he has a manic episode, which initially frightens Kate off. He leaves Gungellan to stay with his mother and work on getting better at handling his bipolar disorder. He returns to Gungellan and rekindles a relationship with Kate that ends the night of the Young Farmer of the Year Award Ceremony, when he realizes that she and Dave are in love with each other. He works at Killarney as a farm hand and for the truck stop under Moira as a mechanic. Later in the series, he begins a relationship with Tayler Geddes, and they remain a couple until the series finale.
Riley Ward	Dustin Clare	Killarney Farm Hand	2006–2008	155 -> 203
Riley is a farrier and horse gentler who first appears in season 6, when Stevie discovers him squatting on Drover's. After some initial clashes with the people from Drover's and Killarney, Riley and Stevie start a program to capture and train brumbies. Riley also becomes the Overseer of Killarney. Riley vies for Jodi's affections, but she chooses to be with Matt. He then develops feelings for Kate, and they are in the early stages of a relationship when he involved in a car accident in the season 7 finale. His body is never found, but he is presumed dead and does not appear on the series again.
Tayler Jane Geddes	Gillian Alexy	Drover's Farm Hand	2006–2008	170 -> 224
Tayler first appears in season 6, when she comes to Drover's looking to get revenge on Regan. Regan was supervising a mine when an accident killed two men, one of which was Tayler's father. Regan and the other women convince Tayler to stay on at Drover's as a farm hand, and she eventually decides to study to become a veterinarian. Tayler and Patrick start a relationship that lasts until the end of the series.
Marcus Turner	Matt Passmore	Killarney Owner	2007–2008	172 -> 224
Marcus first arrives at Killarney at the beginning of season 7, telling Alex that he works for Bryce Redstaff. His initial role is to go over the books and look for ways to increase profit, recovering Bryce's investment. He later reveals to Alex that he is also Bryce's son and therefore his brother (younger brother). Though he and Alex initially clash, they later grow close. After Alex dies, Marcus decides to stay on as part-owner of Killarney. He begins a relationship with Ingrid Marr, the new country vet. Their relationship ends when Ingrid's estranged husband shows up and begins to harass and threaten her, and she runs away. Marcus then becomes involved with Grace McLeod, but when Ingrid returns, Grace ends their relationship and urges Ingrid and Marcus to rekindle their romance.
Grace Kingston McLeod	Abi Tucker	Drover's Run Owner	2007–2008	179 - 224
Grace is the eldest of Hugh McLeod's daughters, sister to Regan and Jaz, cousin to Jodi, Tess and Claire. She is a Campdrafting champion under the name Grace Kingston (her mother's maiden name) and an old friend of Stevie Hall. She reluctantly joins Drover's after receiving her share in Jodi's will. Grace is a loose cannon and stuffs up a few times in her initial adjustment to being at Drover's. Her relationship with Regan is complicated and they are often at odds. She becomes engaged to neighboring farmer Heath Barrett, but ends the engagement when she finds out Heath is cheating on her. She eventually becomes briefly involved with Marcus Turner, for whom she has long had unrequited feelings. Their relationship ends in the series finale when Ingrid returns to town, and Grace realizes that Marcus is still in love with her.
Jasmine "Jaz" McLeod	Anna Torv & Edwina Ritchard	Drover's Part Owner	2004, 2008	103 -> 104, 210 -> 224
Jaz is the youngest of Hugh McLeod's daughters. She is the first McLeod cousin to appear in the series, showing up near the end of season 4 (played by Anna Torv) for two episodes. She comes to Drover's to spread her father's ashes, and has a brief flirtation with Alex before leaving to restart her career as a show jumper. She appears again in the last season (played by Edwina Ritchard) and appears until the series finale. After an awkward start as a farm hand, she comes to love Drover's and eventually starts a relationship with Ben Hall, Stevie's cousin.
Ben Hall	John Schwartz	Killarney Farm Hand	2008	210 -> 224
Ben is Stevie's cousin, and first appears in season 8, showing up to support Stevie after Alex's death. He finds work at Killarney and becomes involved with Jaz McLeod.
Ingrid Marr	Rachael Coopes	Local Vet	2007–2008	200 - 224
Ingrid is a country veterinarian who first appears at the end of season 7. Ingrid gets along well with the local farmers, but seems to have a mysterious past. She later reveals that she is on the run from her abusive husband, Paul. Ingrid and Marcus fall in love, but when Paul shows up at Drover's and begins stalking and threatening her, she fears for her safety and leaves. She appears again in the series finale, rekindling her romance with Marcus.

Recurring cast

Actor	Role	Status	Episodes
Marshall Napier	Harry J. Ryan / Karl Weatherdon	2001–2006	Episodes 1 - 162
John Jarratt	Terry Dodge	2001–2006	Episodes 1 - 148
Catherine Wilkin	Elizabeth "Liz" M. Ryan	2001–2003, 2004, 2006	Episodes 1 - 53, 100, 154
Fletcher Humphrys	Brett "Brick" Buchanon	2001–2003	Episodes 1 - 47
Ben Mortley	Alberto Borelli	2001–2003	Episodes 19 - 50
Rodger Corser	Peter Johnson	2001–2004	Episodes 15 - 44, 62, 83 - 84
Kathryn Hartman	Sally Clemments	2002–2005	Episodes 43 - 54, 105 - 114, 136
Charlie Clausen	Jake Harrison	2002–2003	35 - 70
Inge Hornstra	Sandra Kinsella-Ryan	2002–2006	Episodes 42, 57 - 100, 110 - 162
Diarmid Heidenrich	Toby Frye	2003	Episodes 63 - 64, 70, 73
Alisha and Sarah Hart and Brooke, Kaitlyn & Tahlia Stacey-Clark	Charlotte McLeod	2003-2008	Episodes 75 - 146, 224
Craig McLachlan	Kane Morgan	2004	Episodes 89 - 96, 105 - 106
Basia A'Hern	Rose Hall-Smith	2004–2008	Episodes 90, 129 - 130, 163 - 166, 185 - 186, 190 - 192, 224
Dean O'Gorman	Luke Morgan	2004–2005	Episodes 93 - 118
Peter Hardy	Phill Rakich	2006–2008	Episodes 143, 157, 159, 163, 166, 169, 180-184, 186-189, 191-199, 202-211, 213-220, 222, 224
Michelle Langstone	Fiona Webb-Ryan	2006	Episodes 139 - 170
Daniel Feuerriegel	Leo Coombes	2006	Episodes 141, 143, 160, 164, 165
Sam Healy	Ashleigh Redstaff	2007	Episodes 186 - 199

Births and pregnancies

• Claire gives birth to a girl named Charlotte Prudence McLeod (nicknamed 'BOM' (= Baby of McLeod)). Peter Johnson is the father, but initially it is claimed that Alex is the father. Later Peter learns the truth through a letter of Claire, as she wants Charlotte to know her real father (and Peter's name on the birth certificate). Alex and Tess are Charlotte's godparents. Charlotte is named after Tess, whose 2nd name is Charlotte, and Claire's mother Prudence.
• Sandra Kinsella-Ryan returns from her honeymoon and announces that she's pregnant, but miscarries soon after.
• Nick's ex-girlfriend Sally returns unexpectedly to Drover's, 8 months pregnant with his child. She soon gives birth to a son named Harrison Nicholas Ryan-Clements.
• Tess gives birth in Argentina to a daughter named Claire Ruth McLeod-Ryan.
• Stevie gives birth to a son named Alexander 'Xander' Hall Ryan soon after Alex dies. A short time before deciding on the name(s) Xander is called 'wombat'.
• Moira finds out she's pregnant with Phil Rakich's son in 2008, but miscarries early into the pregnancy.
• Jodi returns to Drover's Run in the series finale with news that she's pregnant .

Deaths

Actual Deaths

• Brett 'Brick' Buchanon died after falling off of a bridge. He had been missing for some time and was eventually found by Becky.
• Claire McLeod died in a car accident when her Ute went over a cliff. Tess and Charlotte were also in the accident, but managed to escape the vehicle before it crashed.
• Harry Ryan died from a heart attack. It was later revealed that Sandra had tampered with his heart medication.
• Riley Ward was involved in a car accident with Grace, Tayler, and Patrick. Their car was submerged in a river and Riley was presumed dead, though his body was never found.
• Alex Ryan died after a tree branch fell on him

Fake Deaths

• Nick Ryan was thought to have died in a plane crash, but was later discovered alive in Argentina. He had been mugged and severely beaten, and had been unconscious in an Argentine hospital for several weeks.
• Matt Bosnich and Jodi Fountain were thought to have died in a car explosion. The next episode revealed that the car had blown up without them in it, but they were allowing people to think they were dead in order to evade the hitmen after them.

Marriages and engagements

• Claire McLeod and Peter Johnson were engaged, but Claire ended the relationship when she found out Peter was already married and had children.
• After being best mates for about 15 years (and shortly after the birth of Charlotte McLeod) Claire McLeod and Alex Ryan were in a relationship. Claire died the day Alex intended to propose to her, after a previous failed attempt (the ring was lost during the move of Alex to Drovers Run).
• Alex Ryan was going to propose to Claire McLeod the day that Claire had died in the crash; Claire was buried with the engagement ring that Alex had bought her.
• Jodi Fountain and Alberto Borelli had a wedding ceremony, but Jodi called off the marriage before the final paperwork was signed.
• Tess McLeod and Dave Brewer were engaged, but broke up when they realized that Dave was still grieving for his late wife.
• Harry Ryan and Sandra Kinsella were married after Harry divorced his first wife Liz.
• Nick Ryan and Tess McLeod married after several years of an on-off relationship. They remained married through the end of the series.
• Meg Fountain and Terry Dodge were married and set off for a trip around Australia.
• Fiona Webb and Alex Ryan married and quickly divorced.
• Jodi Fountain McLeod (Bosnich) and Meg Fountain (Dodge) return to Drover's Run in the final episode with news that Matt and Jodi are married and expecting a baby.
• Stevie Hall and Alex Ryan were married for a short time before Alex's death.
• Grace McLeod and Heath Barret were engaged, but Grace called it off when she found out Heath was having an affair.