Lisa Bennett played by Alyssa-Jane Cook

Episodes 1 - 290

Lisa Bennett endures one of the most tragic lives on E Street but remains completely selfless and loved by everyone around her. When E Street begins we hear of Lisa's sad childhood. Her father died and her brother Sonny ended up in prison after his teenage rebellion got the better of him. Lisa lives with her mum, Margaret and works as a barmaid at Patchetts Pacific - the pub owned by Ernie Patchett. Lisa looks to Ernie as a father figure and she is good friends with his son Chris, whom she went to school with. Lisa doesn't approve of her mothers boyfriend Sam, not just because he has a shady past but because he tried to assault her. Despite Lisa's claims, Margaret doesn't believe her and allows Sam to move into their house. Lisa avoids home and becomes closer to Chris who declares his love for her. Lisa is thrown by Chris` revelation but is also happy, she has genuine feelings for Chris and the pair decide to get married. The wedding preparations are marred by sadness as local lawyer Sarah McKillop is raped and murdered in her home. The police question Sam and although he has an alibi, Lisa also suspects that he may have killed Sarah.

Life is brightened when old friend Wheels returns to E Street. Wheels was a friend of Sonny's and Lisa has had a secret crush on him for years. Chris is slightly jealous, especially when Lisa vows to help Wheels, who is a paraplegic, walk again. On the night of their engagement party Chris gives Lisa a pair of earrings. She loves them and is extremely happy that she has a gift from the guy she loves. When the party is over and they return home Lisa finds that one of the earrings are missing. She heads back to the park where the party was held and while she is there she is brutally attacked. After being left in the park, the next morning Lisa picks herself up and arrives at Wheels` squat. She is muddy, bruised and begs Wheels not to tell anyone where she is. Seeing the state she is in Wheels has to do something and he calls Dr. Elly to come to the squat. When Elly arrives Lisa breaks down and reveals that she has been rapped. She insists she doesn't want Chris or her mother to know and says that she wants to stay in the squat with Wheels where she feels safe. When word eventually gets around, Chris and Margaret find out what happened to Lisa. She refuses to see any of them and Chris is confused as to why Lisa has turned to Wheels and not him. Unable to remember the attack, Lisa decides that she will undergo hypnotherapy with the help of Elly. When Elly puts her under, Wheels and Margaret are there. Elly takes Lisa back to the events of the party and Lisa says that her attacker told her `not a word little girl, remember Sarah McKillop`. As she opens her eyes Lisa reveals that her attacker was Sam. With no sufficient evidence it is hard for the police to charge Sam leading Margaret to take matters into her own hands by poisoning Sam. He dies and she is charged with murder.

Life is on a downward spiral for Lisa and after the attack, Sam's death and her mothers impending jail sentence, she has changed as a person. She explains this to Chris and says that she can no longer marry him but hopes they will be friends. Lisa continues to stay with Wheels, they have a strong bond and are very protective of each other. Lisa certainly needs his support as her worst fears occur and Margaret is sent to jail for 8 years. As usual Lisa picks herself up and dedicates her life to helping Wheels to walk and also to her new position as bar manager in the pub. When new girl Alice arrives in town Ernie gives her job, mostly because she is the daughter of local copper George. Lisa and Alice don't really hit it off, they are total opposites and Lisa is slightly jealous of the attention Alice is paying Wheels. Her jealously grows as Chris meets troubled Megan Bromley and marries her within a week. Lisa is happy for Chris but unhappy with the way her life is taking shape. At the wedding Lisa is surprised as Wheels walks down the aisle. Back at the squat she congratulates Wheels by climbing into the bath tub with him, and they share the sexiest scene in the history of E Street!

The bath marks the start of a relationship for Lisa and Wheels and it's nice to finally see Lisa happy. She gets more responsibility at work and even makes a break through with Chris as he confides in her about Megan. As Wheels starts work at the pub their relationship is threatened by the arrival of Jo-Jo. Wheels and Jo-Jo were in a band together and she claims that he stole equipment from the band. After she hits him they forgive and forget but Jo-Jo has high hopes and wants to reform the band. Wheels is not up for it because of Lisa. But they get a contract and an offer to tour Australia. Jo - Jo tells Lisa that she is holding Wheels back from doing what he really wants, so feeling positive that she and Wheels will survive the distance she tells him to join `Undercover` on the tour. Wheels leaves Westside and Lisa and she is once again alone....not to mention homeless.

She doesn't fancy living in the squat on her and decides to rent a flat. Chris finds her a place and as she prepares to move in she is faced with a weeping Alice who feels she isn't wanted by anyone. Lisa, being the incredibly nice person that she is, says that Alice can move in with her. It's all systems go as the girls move into their new flat and start, what is to become an amazing friendship. Lisa later decides that she's had enough of the pub. With Ernie's girlfriend Abbey and his Auntie Vi at loggerheads, Lisa leaves the pub and gets a job working for the local paper. She runs into conflict with editor, Kim, but it is clear that Lisa has a writing talent and they establish a good working relationship. Out of the blue Sonny is released from jail and on Lisa's doorstep. She knows he has a bad past but she is his sister and allows him to stay at the flat. Alice is also happy about it as she has a crush on Sonny. As Westside is on red alert that Sonny is out, Lisa believes him when he says he is a changed man. Through his petty crimes and drug taking, she supports him, even when he nearly dies after overdosing on speed.

As far as Wheels is concerned, Lisa is not happy. `Undercover` return to Westside minus Wheels who is touring around Fiji with Jo - Jo. So she writes him a letter saying their relationship is over. Unknown to her Wheels has also been in touch, but his letter was destroyed by Sonny who doesn't think Wheels is good enough for Lisa. As Sonny plots revenge against George and Bob, then men responsible for his imprisonment, Lisa gets caught in the crossfire. Sonny sets up Alice and Harley, the children of George and Bob, and his plot results in them facing a drugs charge. Despite everyone else waking up to Sonny's ways, Lisa refuses to face up to the truth. It is not until Sonny takes Kim hostage and shoots Max, that Lisa accepts what her brother really is. As Sonny is put back in prison to await trial, Lisa throws herself into work.

With Kim on a break, a new editor arrives. The handsome Michael Sturgess sweeps into the office and sweeps Lisa of her feet. The son of Angus Sturgess, the papers boss, Michael is pretty good at getting what he wants and Lisa soon falls for his charm. Their happiness is short lived when Angus` disapproval sends Michael packing. Lisa doesn't have time to dwell when she is called to testify at Sonny's trial. Sonny asks her to lie for him and say that their bad childhood is to blame for his behaviour - but she doesn't. She says, yes they had it rough as kids, but if that is why Sonny is so bad then why isn't she running around with guns shooting people. Sonny is given 25 years and Lisa says goodbye to her brother. She is shocked by his casual attitude towards prison, until she hears on the news that Sonny has escaped from police custody with firearms. What happens next is hard for Lisa as Sonny kills 4 of her friends, Kim, Megan, Abbey and most devastating, Chris. Before taking his own life, Sonny also shoots Elly and leaves her fighting for her life.

Having lost a brother, good friends and feeling a weird mixture of emotions, Lisa is more than pleased when Michael returns. Especially when he offers her a way out of all the mess. Michael is participating in a yacht race and he asks Lisa to go with him. So after Sonny's funeral, Lisa and Michael set sail. During the race they hit trouble and their yacht sinks. Lisa survives and is brought back to Westside but there is no sign of Michael. With Alice by her side she pleads with Sir Angus to continue a search for Michael, but he refuses and along with Michael's newly arrived sister Sheridan, he organises a funeral. Although Lisa attends she refuses to believe that Michael is dead and is certain she can still feel that he is alive. The telepathy between the couple proves to be right and a shipwrecked Michael arrives on Lisa's doorstep. Despite his temporary memory loss, Sheridan's interference and his fathers death, Michael and Lisa are happy together. He eventually moves into the flat with she and Alice. Michael later proposes to Lisa but she turns him down and they go through a bit of a rocky patch. It is not until he hits a low point at work that Lisa realises that she does want to be his wife, so she proposes to him and he says yes.

The weeks leading up to the wedding are traumatic! What with Alice's dress creation, Toni dying Lisa's hair purple and Max losing the cake, we ask what else can go wrong. Then we hear the sound of a motorbike and find our answer...Wheels returns. His arrival throws Lisa into turmoil and she really doesn't know if she is doing the right thing by marrying Michael. She tells Wheels that he hurt her when he never got in touch, which leads Alice to confess about the letter Sonny burnt. On the morning of the wedding Lisa goes missing, she and Wheels are sitting amongst the rubble of what was once their squat. In fact all that is left is their bath. They discuss old times and Wheels convinces her that her life with him is just a rock and roll fantasy. So as Michael is about to tell everybody the wedding is off, Lisa roars up the aisle on the back of Wheels bike!! She looks stunning and she and Michael become Mr & Mrs Sturgess, but the honeymoon period doesn't last long and Lisa is soon back to indecision over her feelings for Wheels. The main reason behind this is the fact that Sheridan has taken a shine to Wheels and Lisa is jealous, she hits the bottle, Michael leaves her and Wheels tells her he doesn't love her. Lisa is devastated and the only thing that puts a smile on her face is when Alice reveals she is pregnant. Lisa thinks long and hard and realises that she does love Michael and that she and Wheels are just a fantasy. But before she goes back to Michael she needs to know one thing from Wheels; `did you mean it when you said you didn't love me?`, `I`ll always love you Lisa`, with that our hearts melt, but Lisa returns to Michael and they try for a baby.

The reunion is shortlived when Michael gets increasingly obsessed with Steven Richardson, Sheridan's new boyfriend. He thinks Steven is dodgy and is convinced that he is dangerous. Lisa is not so keen to hear Michael's theories and after a row about it he doesn't return home. After a nights absence, Lisa becomes concerned of Michael's whereabouts and informs the police that he is missing. Later on the police tell Lisa that they have found a body in the country. Wheels goes with her to identify the body and it is Michaels. Desperate to find out how her husband was killed, Lisa stays near the scene of death. She finds a man who says he treated Michael with wounds before he headed to the road. As they visit the grave where the man found Michael half alive they stumble across another grave. The police are called and the other body is that of Virginia Travis. It appears Michael was right all the long and at his funeral, Lisa accuses Steven of killing her husband.

Lisa finds Michaels death hard. She wants revenge and she wants it from Sheridan. Lisa feels that if Sheridan hadn't of become Steven's lover than Michael would've never been killed, she is also upset that Wheels is taking Sheridan's side over hers. Lisa decides to take Sheridan to court over Sir Angus` will. When Michael was presumed dead at sea, Angus signed everything over to Sheridan and Lisa believes had Angus known that Michael was alive he would've been left hard. No - one agrees with Lisa's actions, Wheels remains at Sheridan's side and even Alice says she doesn't feel like Lisa is the same anymore. With the stress she has been under Lisa misses a period and is convinced she is pregnant, for a while she calms down over the law suit but when Elly tells her she is not pregnant she tackles the suit head on. Due to the court hearing, Lisa nearly misses the birth of Alice's baby. At the last minute she dashes from the court to the hospital and is by her best friends side as she has a little girl, Amber. After the birth Alice moves out of the flat. She still doesn't feel right around Lisa and says she doesn't want Amber in that environment. With all this, Lisa welcomes the return of Ernie and after a heart to heart with him she decides it's time for her to leave E Street. She tells Alice and after a quick reminisce, she departs for her new life in Queensland. As she climbs into her cab her driver is none other than Steven Richardson.

Steven knocks her unconscious and holds her hostage in a freezer. Lisa clings on to her life but it looks like all is lost until Wheels, once again plays hero and rescues Lisa. As she recovers in hospital, she tells Wheels that she will still be going away. She says she always thought that if she made the break it would be with him. They have one last `moment` and then Wheels walks out of Lisa's life once again. As Alice and Toni pay Lisa a visit they are shocked to find she is still planning to leave. Having come close to losing her best friend, Alice decides to depart with Lisa. They say their goodbyes and gather on the balcony of their flat. They talk about old times and discuss their new, impending life. Alice, Amber and Lisa sitting on a rock, sipping cocktails (not Amber) and `perving` (again not Amber). Lisa never returned to E Street but was never forgotten. An amazing, if not tragic life, but Lisa always came up smiling. We missed her and Alice and we pined for her and Wheels.