Tammy Newton
Tamar Newton (1989; 1990)
Katy Edwards
Episodes: 359‒363; 534‒545
Parents: John & Angela Newton
Siblings: Viv Newton
Tammy was first heard on the telephone when her father Reverend Newton used her distress to force her sister Viv to come home after running away. Back at the family house it became clear that Viv and tammy were terrified of their father and Viv took the blame when Tammy split a glass of milk and was locked in the cupboard under the stairs as punishment. Tammy helped her escape and when Steven and Bobby came to the house and witnessed her father shouting at her they demanded to see Viv. After realising that Viv had been released by Tammy, Reverend Newton allowed Viv to leave but refused to let Tammy go with them and when they had gone he locked her under the stairs.
Viv and Bobby sneaked in after dark to rescue her and Bobby locked Reverend Newton under the stairs instead. He was let out after Bobby made an anonymous call to a neighbour and Docs were called in. Reverend Newton managed to get Fisher and the Docs worker onside and he said to Viv that she and Tammy could either go to a childrens home or go back to living with their father. Scared by her fathers talk of what a childrens home would be like Tammy agreed to go back with her father but Viv was allowed to stay with Mr Fisher. The Docs worker promised Viv that they’d visit Tammy once a week and if she was being mistreated they’d take her away.
A few months later Viv received a letter from Tammy saying that she had run away and the police later came to question her about his sister’s disappearance. She later received a phone call from a distressed Tammy but the call box ate the last of her money before she could tell Viv where she was. She managed to stow away on a bus heading to Summer Bay and confided in an old lady that she was going to see her sister and the old lady presented her with money for an ice cream. She tried phoning Viv but Fisher answered and scared her off by mentioning the police. She was seen hiding out in The Caravan Park and slept under a caravan as Stevn and Viv searched for her.
Sally helped her out bringing her food but by the time Sally managed to inform Viv of her whereabouts Tammy had run away after being scared off by The Caravan’s new tenants. Just as Fisher is about to call the police, Tammy turned up at Fisher’s house and was greeted by a relieved Viv. Fisher insisted to Tammy that she had to tell the police about her abuse but Tammy refused, scared that if she did, the devil would get her. Viv told Tammy that she would never leave her and when Docs told them that they would be moved to a new home beacuse Tammy needed a foster mother, Viv insisted she would go with her.
She made a friend in Sally despite their arguments over Murray Jenkins. She was delighted when her mother, who she had thought was dead arrive in the Bay and took her and Viv away to live with her in Queensland.