Lois Crawford
Lois Crawford (1991)
Tina Bursill
Episodes: 830‒868
Occupation: Principal
Following the Department’s decision to close Mangrove River High School, Donald Fisher learnt that he would face a forced transfer out of Summer Bay High, due to the subsequent merging of the schools requiring a principal of a higher grade. Faced with the prospect of leaving Summer Bay, Donald took a demotion to deputy principal, with a plan to reapply in six weeks after completing the necessary training.
Lois met Donald in the car park whilst helping him pick up paperwork he dropped, and the pair got off on the wrong foot after a misunderstanding about Lois’ new office. When Donald explained they had tidied an office for her, she was quick to tell him that he would be taking his office, and he can occupy the newly cleaned office. When Karen Dean came to the office to announce she wanted to leave school, Donald tried to dissuade her. Unimpressed after reading Karen’s file, Lois agreed that Karen should leave the school if that’s what she wanted.
Lois quickly made her mark on the school by calling Blake and Haydn, amongst other troublemakers, into her office to set the tone for the future of Summer Bay High under her. However, the trouble continued, despite her words of warning, causing her to punish Blake for fighting. The more Lois punished Blake, the more she forced a wedge between Blake and Haydn, to the point their clashing became physical.
When Karen was arrested, Lois addressed her classmates, telling them that if they act up, they will end up the same way she did. Donald called her out, causing a further rift between the two. Lois threatened Donald, reminding him that she has to write a review and if he continues to clash with her, it won’t be favourable. When she realised Haydn had been doing Blake’s punishment of lines for him, she urged Michael and Pippa to ban Haydn from seeing Blake, which caused a rift between them and the Stewarts. She also showed Donald up during the Red Nose Day events in Summer Bay, wearing hers, but catching Donald out for not wearing his.
As Donald and Lois continued to clash, he called in school inspector Martin Bradley. Lois convinced Martin to let her and Donald sort out their differences, leading to Lois telling Donald that he won’t beat her. Following an altercation in Donald’s classroom between Blake and Haydn, Lois visited him at home and revealed she was applying for the full-time principal role. When she got a flat tyre, she met Grant Mitchell, and was immediately enamoured. When she learnt he was a teacher, she explained she may have a job for him. She was quick to take Donald off his Year 11 English class after witnessing a fight in his class. She replaced him with Grant. Not long after, Donald resigned.
Furious, Bobby went to Pippa, asking her to call an extraordinary meeting of the P&C to discuss Donald’s resignation. Word quickly spread of the meeting, and it soon got back to Lois. She informed Pippa and Ailsa that she intended to attend, and when she did, felt the wrath of the parents. After his ongoing feud with Michael caused Haydn to leave Summer Bay and return to his mum’s in the city, Michael publicly withdrew his support of Lois at the meeting. As a result, she reluctantly reinstated Donald and give him his Year 11 classes back.
Upon Simon Fitzgerald’s commencement at Summer Bay High, she praised him due to a brilliant reference from his previous school, but he quickly humiliated her by pinning a drawing of a pig to her blazer. After discovering the drawing she summoned Donald to her office, revealing she’d been appointed as the permanent principal. Lois told Donald that his ego had always interfered with the running of the school, which is why a lack of discipline had flourished. Her first task, she announced, was to eradicate these problems, together with any staff who couldn’t control them.
After an altercation with Finlay Roberts, Lois declined her application to the school. Donald appealed to the school inspector, but Lois lied, stating Finlay abused her in her office. When Finlay confronted her, she vowed to lie to keep her out of every school in the state.
After injuring herself, Finlay claimed the bruise on her face was due to Lois punching her. She denied the allegation and eventually the truth came out. After Pippa explained the extent of Lois’ chaos causing at Summer Bay High, Mr Bradley demanded a meeting with her. Lois was forced into a corner as Mr Bradley explained he had uncovered her lies about Finlay’s behaviour at her previous school, and he gave her the option of leaving voluntarily or he’d call an inquiry.
Defeated, Lois put in for a transfer. She had one final encounter with Donald as she left, where she expressed her disappointment about the backward people of Summer Bay, and concern about the future of the school under his tutelage.