Stefan Dennis, who played Paul, was an important part of the winning Neighbours formula of the 1980s and early 1990s. Aside from Kylie and Jason, he was probably the only other actor from that time who was known to viewers by his real name too. This was partly due to his (failed) attempt at following his aforementioned co-stars on the path to chart success with the single Don’t It Make You Feel Good in 1989. His dalliance with the world of music aside, Stefan was a hugely popular member of the cast and lasted for many years after the heyday of the series was over. His decision to leave in 1992 came as a blow, because it was the first in a series of big name departures within the space of a year, and his departure also meant that only two members of the original cast remained – Anne Haddy and Alan Dale.

But despite Stefan’s departure, the importance and central role of Paul Robinson to the series continued. Paul still owned Lassiter’s and The Robinson Corporation, and his family still lived on Ramsay Street. He was always on the other end of the telephone in scenes at the offices of The Robinson Corporation, and indeed, in one memorable plot which involved Philip Martin and Gaby Willis vying for the top job at Lassiter’s, Stefan reprised the role of Paul to do a voice-over where Paul remonstrated with the pair during a conference call. And when the series reached 2000 episodes in 1993, Stefan was invited to return to the show for a couple of episodes. He duly obliged, having just finished touring Australia in the musical Blood Brothers with his former Neighbours co-star Elaine Smith. Paul’s return – along with that of his sister Lucy – was much heralded in the press in the lead-up to the 2000th episode celebrations and it was just like old times when Paul once again sat behind his desk in the Robinson Corporation offices to talk business. A shocking plot accompanied Paul’s return in which he had to flee Australia for Brazil to avoid arrest for fraud. Gaby Willis discovered that Paul had framed his brother-in-law Philip for fraud, but after seeing the hurt Philip’s arrest had caused for the family, Paul fell on his sword and sent a written confession to the police before fleeing Erinsborough for good.

The most rewarding part about a character like Paul Robinson was the fact that he was never an out and out baddie. “Deep down, he has a conscience,” Stefan once remarked. And he was right. While Paul had no qualms about sacking staff or making plans to bulldoze local landmarks for financial gain, he would just as easily go to the ends of the earth for his family, particularly his beloved gran Helen. He hired a private investigator when his little sis Lucy – who he always called ‘Munchkin’ – married a sleazy photographer twenty years older than her. He was very close to his younger brother Scott, regularly offering him advice on his various relationship problems with Charlene, and when he was married to Gail, they often had Paul’s young cousins Todd and Katie Landers over to stay. Indeed, the tragic death of Todd in later years devastated him. He helped his old mate Des Clarke through the death of his wife Daphne. He had the height of respect for family friend Madge Bishop, who managed The Waterhole for him for several years, even though they were constantly at odds about how best to run the place. And even after his marriage to Gail had ended, Paul opened his door to Gail’s stepmother Gloria, letting her stay at No.22 with him when she was being intimidated by a criminal gang, and later giving her a job at The Waterhole. Indeed, for all his dirty dealings, Paul’s final scene on Neighbours in 1993 sums him up best – it portrayed his devotion to Helen, and the helplessness with which he said goodbye to her, and couldn’t give her the answer she wanted to hear when she tearfully asked “When will I see you again?”