Doris Collins

**Occupation:** | * Landlady for Inverness Hospital Nurses
* George Bligh Political Campaign Manager

Mr. Collins (Deceased husband)

Doris Collins is an infamous member of the Inverness Community, Collins is known to be the town gossip but despite this everyone is kind to Doris. Collins is the landlady of several of the Inverness Hospital Nurses, she was the previous landlady of Sarah Adams.

## Biography

### Series 1

When Sarah Adams arrives from Europe after 20 years away from Australia George Bligh offers her a job at the local Inverness Hospital, this is where Sarah meets Doris for the first time as Collins is the landlady for many of the Inverness Hospital Nurses. Collins is kind to Sarah and introduces Adams to the two over nurse that live in Collins's house. However Doris does irritate Sarah when Adams informs everyone that her aunt Peg Maloney will be coming to visit, Doris insists that she cook a special dinner and tea for Aunt Peg but Sarah insists otherwise. This annoys Doris, however she is pleased to receive a telephone call from Elizabeth Bligh inviting her to Ash Park. Collins goes to Ash Park where Elizabeth talks to her about the mysterious Sarah; Bligh then prompts Doris to fins out anything she can about Sarah. Doris agrees to Elizabeth's scheme and the next day Doris goes into Sarah's room while she is out, Doris looks through Sarah's papers and finds that Sarah's passport actually names Adams as "Bridget". This shocks Doris and she quickly telephones Elizabeth Bligh to tell her what she has found, Elizabeth is pleased with Doris and the friendship that has occurred but is furious about Sarah lying to the hospital and to the family. When Sarah learns that Doris has looked through her things she is angry and tells Doris that she wants the key to her room. Sarah shouting at Doris leaves her a little shaken. Later on when Sarah moves out of Doris's house Collins is a little hurt but the two have become closer throughout their trials, later on though when Doris catches Sarah bathing naked in the river as a jewish tradition on the Day of Atonement Collins is shocked and she quickly leaves after gasping. Doris then confronts Sarah in as to what she was doing saying that what she did was most improper.

### Series 2

While Doris is putting flowers into the local church she sees Roy Briggs who looks very sad, she then offers to help him pray yet he rejects saying that his shoes are too dirty to go into the church. Doris then smiles as Roy leave she is shocked to see his shoes were perfectly clean, this discovery then prompts Doris to go and find Sarah. Doris then tells Sarah that people are saying that she has broken Roy's heart by leaving for Ash Park to live with George rather than him. Doris sees Carolyn Bligh arrive home to Inverness and greets her. The two show they share a close bond as Doris watched Carolyn grow up. Collins also seems to have rekindled her relationship with Roy Briggs - the two seem to share a rather close connection. It is learned that Doris knew Roy's later wife very well as they served on the Women's Institute together. This pleases Roy to know that she remembers his wife to dearly, however after seeing Roy outside the church she offers to help him pray inside. Yet Roy declines because he says his shoes are too muddy, Doris then smiles but is shocked to see that Roy's shoes are actually clean. In light of this discovery Doris then goes to the Local Hospital where she tells Sarah that she is worried that Roy is taking it hard Sarah moving out and up to Ash Park. This she was right about.

Later when Sarah and George hold their engagement party at Ash Park Doris is invited to celebrate the occasion with them, while there she speaks with Roy Briggs and Alma Grey about how she always thought Sarah was special and that she was proud to say she let Sarah live at her house when she arrived in Inverness. However, Roy gestures to Sarah to get him away from Doris. When the speeches come at the end of the party Doris happily applauds Sarah's speech and Roy's bush poem.
Also Doris engages herself with the matter of Anna Poletti's engagement to Gino Poletti as while the rest of family go to Sydney for a garden party with Prudence Swanson Doris comes to visit Anna looking at Anna's ring and questioning her about the wedding. There Anna then invites Doris to the wedding much to Doris's happiness. A little later on when Regina Bligh uncovers that Sarah's husband is alive and she decides to go and find him Sarah bids goodbye to Doris. Where she tells Doris that she has enjoyed knowing Collins greatly, Doris then supports Sarah by saying that he should bring Rene back to Inverness as this was her home now.

When Anna and Gino's wedding day comes Doris tells Jack that she is having a special hair appointment, when Doris arrives at the church she meets Roy and then sees Sarah. And finally meets Rene, Doris then greets Rene and welcomes him to Inverness. Doris is very sweet towards Rene and then greets Roy again, before showing that she is happy that Sarah ahs arrived home to Australia again. She then goes into the church, Doris then smiles as Anna finally marries Gino.

### Series 3

After George Bligh was shot Doris rushed to the police station, when Sarah Adams arrives trying to go and visit her husband Doris begins to talk to her; however Sarah tries to waft her away until Doris reveals some helpful information that all of the town have greatly judged Rene. Later when George returns from the Sydney Hospital back to Inverness he announces that he plans to stand for local elections, in light of this Doris becomes the campaign manager for George's campaign. Later on Doris plans George's speech in the middle of the town before many of the town's residents, also Doris plans George's speech at the Inverness Hospital. When Sarah Adams arrives at the Inverness Hospital with Linda who has had a failed abortion which has caused terrible eternal bleeding and infection; Doris is present at the hospital when Sarah and Jack take the girl into the operation room while the duo do this Doris comforts Linda's mother in the waiting room. Doris tries to support Linda's mother, and when Linda dies on the operating table Doris is tearful and again comforts Linda's mother. When Sarah's husband dies following an operation Doris offers support and alongside Roy Briggs Collins helps to plan the funeral, being at first confused in as what to do due to the funeral being a Jewish one rather than a Christian Doris finds the planning very difficult but due to wanting to Sarah's husband to have a proper send off she powers through and the ceremony is true to a real Jewish funeral.

However Sarah is sad when she forgets to invite ten Jewish men to sing the Mourner's Kadish, in light of learning this Doris talks to the rabbi and works hard get ten Jewish men. When the ten Jewish men arrive Sarah is deeply moved and feels lovingly touched by Doris, Sarah then thanks Doris calling her a true friend.
Also when Doris learns that Sarah Adams is pregnant Doris gives Sarah a homemade tonic that helps to soothe Sarah during her pregnancy labours. However, when Regina Bligh learnt that Sarah's baby belongs to George Bligh Regina tricks Doris by putting rat poison into Doris's tonic in a bi to try and be rid of Sarah. Throughout the series Doris grows a lot closer to Roy and the two begin to comfort each other when something bad happens, also the two grow closer through them both caring for Sarah.

## Trivia

* She is portrayed by Deborah Kennedy
* Doris is known at the Inverness gossip
* Although getting off to a rocky start at first Sarah Adams and Doris are now very close friends
* Doris is friends with Elizabeth Bligh
* Alongside Prudence Swanson Doris us the only recurring characters to appear in the entire series of the show.
* Doris has appeared in Season One, Season Two, Season Three and Season Four.