Bob Brown played by Tony Martin

Episodes 1 - 382

Bob Brown is Westside's trendy vicar. Having spent his childhood practising street crime, at the age of 15 he met his match in Reverend Jimmy McCabe. Jimmy caught Bob trying to steal his car and offered him an ultimatum; either Jimmy would give him in to the police or Bob would stay with Jimmy and help him fix up the car. Bob decided to stay and help Jimmy fix up the car. Pretty soon he was living in the rectory with Jimmy and learning about Christianity. With a lot of hard work Bob eventually earned the respect of the fellow people of E STREET and became a much loved man. His closest friend is Dr. Elly Fielding, he has always supported her through her tough times like her divorce to husband David and they get on well together. Although, secretly Bob's feelings for Elly go a lot deeper than 'just good friends'. When we first see Bob he is having a rough time. Jimmy has cancer and he wants Bob to promise him that his church will be looked after. Bob isn't sure about this, as much as he wants to help Jimmy he's not sure that he can make the commitment to live up to his predecessor. As Bob returns to the church with his answer he finds Jimmy propped up against a pew, he is dead. Bob is truly devastated but vows to carry on Jimmy's good work in E STREET.

Bob's first mission is to help Elly when David files for custody of their daughter Claire. However he is not impressed when Elly asks him to baby-sit Claire while she goes on a date, when Claire and local lawyer Sarah see he's upset they realise that he is in love with Elly and jealous about her date. On the morning of the custody hearing Sarah fails to turn up. When Bob goes to her house to see what is holding her up he finds her dead. Sarah has been raped and murdered. Bob is heartbroken, Sarah was a good friend and towards the end of her life became his confidante. After holding a memorial service for her, Bob decides to take Sarah's advice and tell Elly how he feels about her. His attempts fail as she reveals that she is dating Daniel Windsor, a widower with four children. Bob supports Elly through all the traumas with Daniel and is happy that she has found happiness, but he also misses spending time with her and Claire.

Trouble arises when Daniel's oldest daughter Toni runs away from home and meets fellow runaway Harley. Harley is a nice kid but he's a bit wild and rubs a few people up the wrong way. When he gets on the wrong side of Sgt George Sullivan he is put in the capable hands of Bob. It is Bob's job to try and reshape Harley and teach him the values of life but Harley doesn't care. Bob soon gets to the route of the problem and finds out that adopted Harley is in Westside looking for his parents. Bob agrees to help him fid his parents on the condition that he smartens up his act. Harley agrees and Bob enlists the help of Elly and asks her if she'll look through the hospital files. She has no luck but Martha knows a woman who used to work at the hospital and she recalls Harley's birth. When Martha reveals that Harley's mother is a woman called Annie Glover, Bob is shocked; he used to date a girl by the same name. When he sits down and works it out he realises that he is Harley's father. Before telling Harley he takes him to see Annie, she is disabled. She was hurt in a motorbike accident. Both Bob and Harley are shocked but Annie's mother Edna warns them to stay away. Harley doesn't and when he goes back to see Annie, Edna sets the house on fire. Bob arrives in time to save Harley but Annie and Edna die. Bob is grief stricken and tells Harley that he is his father. Harley is angry at him but Bob insists he never knew Annie was pregnant. Despite their anger for what has happened, Bob and Harley decide to build on their relationship.

Bob's news isn't the only news in Westside - Elly and Daniel get engaged. Bob is gutted especially when he learns the news from Claire, however he gives Elly his congratulations but steers clear of bumping into the happy couple. Harley and Toni continue to see each other and Daniel disapproves which puts Bob in an awkward position, especially when new lawyer Jennifer takes Daniel's side. Bob can't understand why until it is revealed that she and Daniel are having an affair. When Elly finds out she calls their engagement off and the Windsor's - minus Toni who stays with Elly - head for a new life in Switzerland. Bob tries his best to help Elly through the situation but he less successful than David who is trying to win Elly back. Bob seeks advice in his old friend Rev. Jack Waterford. He tells Bob to give something to himself, to take Harley's love and to give someone the 'love not of a reverend, but of a man`. Jack has realised that Bob is in love with Elly and once again Bob decides to tell her. He tries many times but dinner, Claire and David get in the way and Bob decides to wait. Besides there are more important things on his mind when Sonny Bennett is released from prison.

With help from George, Bob was responsible for bad boy Sonny getting sent to jail and Sonny always vowed he would get revenge. Despite appearing to be a changed man, Sonny befriends Harley and George's daughter Alice and after a while he sets them up on a drugs charge. Everyone knows Sonny is responsible but there is no proof and Harley looks set to do time. After a lot of detective work and worry, Bob and George find Sonny's sidekick, a guy called Nick. After a session with Bob, hard guy Nick gives Sonny into the police. Life then settles down for Bob and in the weeks that follow he and Elly get closer. There are many near encounters and a few kisses but they are put down to moments of madness and the fact that they are 'good friends'. Bob does try to tell her he loves her on many occasions but something always gets in the way. As Sonny's trial approaches Bob looks forward to seeing him put behind bars but it doesn't happen. As Sonny is sent down for five years he escapes and this times he's serious about getting revenge. Firstly he shoots and kills local journalist Kim Talbot on the night of her engagement party and then he plans to get Bob. He then plants a bomb in Bob's car and in the time leading up to the explosion almost every resident in E STREET sits in the car and is at risk. But the bomb explodes whilst carrying Abby, Chris and Megan Patchett. They are all killed and Bob realises people will keep dying until he and Sonny settle their score. He decides to go and see Sonny in order to put their grudge to rest. Elly is adamant that she wont let him go and when he wont give in to her she decides to go with him. He tries to talk her out of it but it doesn't work. Worried something may happen to him Bob finally tells Elly that he is in love with her. It's a tense moment as he waits for her response and he is overwhelmed when she says that she thinks she's in love with him too. They kiss and then leave to see Sonny in Elly's car. Bob and Sonny have a long conversation about Sonny's life and what has happened. Sonny says he wont kill anyone else nor will he go to jail. He decides to take his own life and before jumping to his death he tells Bob to 'watch out for surprises'. As Elly and Bob walk back to her car, Elly is shaken by the event and Bob says he'll drive. As they enter the car there is a shot and Elly falls to the floor. The passenger seat has been rigged with a gun and Sonny's final attempt to get Bob has failed.

As Elly is taken to hospital Bob waits by her side for news. She is in a critical condition and the doctors warn him that she may not pull through, if she does she will almost certainly have some form of paralysis. When Bob is not at Elly's bedside he is looking after Claire, with David away she turns to Bob for answers and reassurance. As Bob sits near Elly the monitors sound and she opens her eyes. After the doctors have carried out some tests, Bob takes Elly's hand and again tells her that he loves her, she squeezes his hand - she remembers. Content with her improvement Bob heads home only to be woken by a phone call from the hospital informing him that Elly has had a relapse. When he arrives he finds out that the doctors have had to operate again and he is told that Elly may not wake up from her coma. As Bob grabs Elly's arms and begs her to fight - David arrives. He blames Bob for the whole accident and insists that now he is here he will look after Elly and Claire. Bob is devastated but Martha tells him not to let David walk over him, as Bob returns to the hospital Elly wakes up and says 'Bob'. As each day passes she grows stronger but Bob and David constantly fight over her affections and welfare. When she comes home Bob tells her how he feels about her but this leaves her very confused. As David and Elly grow closer - Bob and Elly grow apart. David uses this to his advantage and they share a kiss. When Claire and Toni tell Harley what has happened he tells Bob, who storms round to Elly full of whisky and knocks David out. Elly is not impressed and she tells Bob to stay away until she decides what she wants. Bob grows increasingly depressed and when he finds out that Elly and David are going on holiday together he decides to leave Westside. Harley is furious with him and tells him that if he wants Elly he should just go and get her. Taking his sons advice for the first time, Bob storms around to Elly's and kisses her. After her initial shock she kisses him back and finally....they are a couple.

David is of course gutted but he tries his hardest to wish them well. Bob and Elly are very much in love and the only thing in their way is the interference from Bob's parishioners who don't approve of the relationship. Bob sees the only solution is for them to get married. So he proposes and Elly accepts! Their engagement may thrill the residents of E STREET but it doesn't hit a note with the bishop who demands the wedding doesn't happen. Headstrong Bob takes matters into his own hands and announces to a stunned Elly that he is leaving the church. She doesn't think he is doing the right thing as she feels he will one day hate her for it, but he goes ahead with it and as he explains to his congregation his reasons for leaving she stands in the aisle and listens as he declares his love for her. Bob finds a new job and something strange under his employers basement. While he is working he hears noises and after exploring he finds his bosses son, Dylan undernourished and heavily neglected. Gus has kept Dylan in the basement for 10 years and Bob takes him under his wing. Dylan's need for attention drives a wedge between Bob and Elly when he wont let her help. Bob keeps Dylan at the rectory until he is taken away by the social workers. For a brief moment Bob apologises to Elly for neglecting her and as she plans their wedding he welcomes back Dylan. Gus finds him and in the struggle that follows Dylan kills Gus with an axe. Scared for Dylan's welfare Bob takes the blame and is put in police custody charged with murder. Elly is shocked, Claire is distraught and Harley films the whole event for his new job as a reporter. Despite her pleas and support Bob ignores Elly and forces her to make a tough decision. He is stunned when she and Claire come to visit him and reveal that they will be leaving Westside to join David in Melbourne. As he says goodbye to Claire, Bob is clearly hurt. Elly tells him that she doesn't think he wants to marry her but if she's wrong she'll stay. He says 'I love you Elly', before kissing her on the cheek and walking back to his cell.

Within time Elly's locum Virginia gets the truth out of Dylan and Bob is released from jail. However his future looks bleak. He has no Elly, no Claire, Dylan is taken into care and as Harley helped incriminate his own father, Bob also has no job. After a lot of soul-searching Bob decides to go back to the church and takes back his robe to start his life again. With everything that has happened Harley gets involved with drugs and Bobs world falls apart when he overdoses. Harley is in a bad way and Bob has to make the heartrending decision to turn off his life support machine. As he does so Harley takes a breath, all is not lost and with money provided by Harley's boss and lover, Sheridan Sturgess, Harley is sent to New York to receive specialist treatment. Bob doesn't have to be alone for too long though as a surprise arrives in the shape of Claire. Elly and David have moved to Bangladesh and left Claire with her grandparents, she doesn't like her new life and runs away to see Rev. Bob. Bob is thrilled to see her back but having to answer Claire's questions about Elly make him realise how much he still loves her. Claire wants to stay with Bob and he is happy to have her but Elly won't allow it. She says she doesn't trust him and is worried that Claire may be pushed aside when his next obsession comes along. Bob is hurt but Virginia comes to the rescue when she agrees to take in Claire.

Bob plods along but he is clearly missing Elly and he has a huge void in his life. As he takes his daily jog he is stopped by an excited Claire who reveals that Elly is coming home - without David. Bob is nervous, he takes Claire to the airport and waits to see how Elly will react to him. When she arrives she is polite but avoids him at her welcome home party. When they do finally talk Bob questions her about David and they have a row. Bob insists that they talk and clear things up. Elly tells him how he broke her heart and she and David are not back together, she also reveals that she has come back to Westside to see if it is really over between them. As weeks progress they put the past behind them and get closer. Things go back to how they used to be and they again decide to get married. Wedding preparations again move slowly but they are stable and appear to be over past traumas. The test comes when David is seriously hurt in a car crash. Elly and Claire depart to see him and Bob is left alone again. During this time Bob gets a blast from the past when his little brother Jack shows up in Westside.

Jack's hard and tough and Bob is virtually at his beck and call. When Elly returns - minus Claire who is staying with David - she and Jack instantly take a dislike to each other which causes tension between Elly and Bob. As Bob again neglects Elly, Martha warns him that he'll lose her if he doesn't go and talk to her. Flowers in hand Bob apologises to Elly but it doesn't work. There is something wrong with her and she won't tell him what. When Elly's temper flares at Toni she jokes that she thinks Elly is pregnant. When Bob confronts her she reveals that the rumour is true. Bob is delighted but Elly is not as she doesn't think she wants to have another child. With an input of jokes from Ernie, Bob gets the idea in his head that the child is David's. When he tells his thoughts to Elly she throws him out. She later confesses that she is so hurt by what he said that she has thought about calling off their relationship. Thankfully she doesn't and they decide to have the baby and support each other.

Things are going well and they even decide to bring the wedding forward, Elly also agrees to make a fresh start with Jack. After the three of them have dinner Bob and Elly see Jack out, as they stand near the road they are shot at by a fast moving car. Elly falls to the ground and is bleeding. When taken to hospital the baby seems fine but as she is about to be discharged she has a miscarriage. Bob is devastated and vows to have nothing more to do with Jack. Elly pushes him away and refuses to talk about what has happened. She eventually gives him an ultimatum and tells him to choose between her and Jack. Bob tells her he can't do that and she says she is sorry but refuses to live her life in fear. So they break up - just like that.

The arrival of David's sister Laura causes trouble, she fancies Bob and Elly gets jealous. But eventually Laura ends up with Jack, and Bob and Elly start seeing each other again. Laura, however is not all she seems and is secretly a hit woman out to kill Jack. With Jack running scared Bob steps into help and gets involved with Jacks mafia friends. On the night where he was going to propose to Elly again, Bob has a car crash. Out to save Jacks life he follows the man who is trying to kill him, however he gets ran off the road and ends up in hospital being treated by a distraught Elly and Martha. As the residents of Westside wait for news, Bob undergoes surgery to save his life. He awakes to an empty room after Elly has been convinced to get some sleep. He dreams about Jimmy and what they spoke about before Jimmy died, he then calls for 'Elly'. Enter Jack. Bob tells Jack that he has to go to the church to make his peace with Jimmy. Unconvinced but crazy, Jack steals a wheelchair and takes Bob to the church. In a moving scene, Jimmy appears at the pulpit and speaks to Bob. Bob says that he is sorry for the mess he has made of his life. Jimmy says he has done fine and that he is proud of him. A pale Bob says he wishes he could do it all again, but Jimmy says he is taking him back with him. As Jimmy holds out his hand Bob slumps to the floor. After hours of searching, Elly arrives in the church. She sees Jack holding Bob in his arms and walks towards him shouting at him about how dangerous it was to take Bob from the hospital. She then freezes, looks at Bob and realises he is dead. The atmosphere in Westside is a sad one as everyone is affected by the Revs death. At his funeral Jack says a few words about his brother before Bob is carried out to the sounds of Jo - Jo singing and the E STREETERS crying. The rectory is later reopened as `The Robert Brown community centre` and then renamed 'Bob's Place' by the street kids he helped. E STREET wasn't the same without the Rev, he was a well loved man who helped everyone. He'll probably always be remembered for his yellow car (the rev mobile), his relationship with Harley and his love for Elly, with whom sadly he never walked down the aisle with. God Bless Ya Rev!!