.
Character Profiles > Lisa Elliot Kate Straub

Lisa Elliot 1997
Lived: 30 Ramsay Street
Occupation: Teacher at Erinsborough High School

Lisa Elliot arrived in Erinsborough in early 1997 as the new science teacher at the high school. When Susan found out that Lisa needed somewhere to stay and that the housemates at Number 30 were looking for someone to share the rent, a new Ramsay Street resident was born.

Lisa got on particularly well with Catherine O’Brien, both of them being interested in environmental issues. As well as her housemates, Lisa also formed a firm friendship with her boss, Susan Kennedy. During her short time living on Ramsay Street, Lisa frequently found herself reprimanding her students and also on the receiving end of a few of their pranks. These included boot polish on the bike seat on her first day and a nasty caricature drawn by Lance Wilkinson.

Living with Sarah also led to some comic situations as the pair of them found themselves chasing the mysterious Alex, while also searching for a new housemate. Alex was soon forgotten, probably due to his tendency to wear white socks. Meanwhile, Lisa had offered the spare room to Darren Stark. Sarah was not happy about this development. Darren had, only weeks earlier, nearly ruined Mal Kennedy’s relationship with Sarah’s sister, Cath. The girls soon made up and also found a new housemate in the form of Ben Atkins.

Not long after, Lisa found herself being persuaded to let Lou coach her netball team. Lisa took it all very seriously and was devastated when the team lost the all-important final. Her spirits were raised by the team arriving in Ramsay Street on Lou’s bus chanting ‘Lisa! Lisa!’ but unfortunately, Lisa’s depression continued. Lisa spent her days moping around the house but found some sympathy from Sarah, who had recently got the job as Karl’s receptionist. After hearing Lisa’s symptoms and consulting some of Karl’s medical journals, Sarah diagnosed her friend with an over-active thyroid. Upon hearing about this, Karl was not happy with his receptionist doing the diagnosing, and after a few choice words from her GP, Lisa was back to her old self.

However, Lisa’s time in Ramsay Street was soon to end. Billy was suspicious of Lisa’s marking methods, as he received the same mark from her time after time, regardless of the quality of his work. By writing ‘Lisa is a numb-nut’ in his latest assignment, Billy proved that Lisa wasn’t reading her student’s work, leading to an investigation from Susan and Lisa quitting her job. She later admitted to Susan that she wasn’t cut out for teaching and set about finding a new job. Lisa was thrilled to be offered a job in the research labs at the University of Hobart, Tasmania, but also saddened as it would mean leaving behind her friends in Ramsay Street. After little persuasion, she accepted the job and prepared to leave. However, there was one more issue to be put to rest before she left, namely the unresolved sexual tension between herself and her housemate Ben.

On the day of Lisa’s leaving party, Ben overheard her on the phone talking to her mother. While she was simply referring to Ben’s impressive skills as a mechanic, he thought she was interested in him in another way and planned to confront her at the party. Rather than say anything though, Ben simply kissed her. She was taken aback, but admitted that, had she not been about to leave, she might have been interested in a relationship. And so, the next morning, after selling her stuff at a garage sale, Lisa said goodbye to Sarah and Ben, made up with Susan and drove out of Ramsay Street for good.

Trivia Notes
• Kate Straub was given the role of Lisa after being spotted by producers in the audience of Australian tv show Hey Hey It’s Saturday

Tenure
2776-2905

Magic Moments
Episode 2905: Lisa's Departure

Biography by Steve