Storylines of Shortland Street

This article details the various storylines that have occurred on the TVNZ soap opera Shortland Street since its debut on 25 May 1992.

Storylines by year

1992

Highlights

• The first episode airs, featuring the now infamous line "You're not in Guatemala now, Dr Ropata!"
• Kirsty Knight (Angela Dotchin) is the victim of an attempted rape by Darryl Neilson (Mark Ferguson).

1993

Highlights

• Tom Neilson runs away from Shortland Street with all his and his wife's earnings and starts a new life.
• Hone Ropata is stalked by an obsessed fan.
• Nurse Carrie Burton (Lisa Crittenden) gives birth to triplets.
• Dr. Leonard Dodds (Marton Csokas) and cafe owner Gina Rossi (Josephine Davison) marry.

1994

Highlights

• Katherine Blake is revealed as a fraud and murderer and attempts to run down Chris Warner in her car.
• Nurse Steve Mills (Andrew Binns) and TP Aleni are killed in a car crash.
• The 500th episode of Shortland Street airs in April.
• A kiss between Dr. Meredith Fleming (Stephanie Wilkin) and Nurse Annie Flynn (Rebecca Hobbs) sparks controversy.
• Stuart Neilson (Martin Henderson) objects to the marriage of Kirsty Knight (Angela Dotchin) and Lionel Skeggins (John Leigh).

1995

Highlights

• Sir Bruce Warner (Ken Blackburn) revealed that Margot Warner (Glynis McNicoll) was not Guy's (Craig Parker) mother and that he had an affair which resulted in his conception. This could explain the hostile nature between Guy and Chris (Michael Galvin)
• After getting drunk and enraging a truck driver who raped her, scheming Nurse Carla Crozier, Ellen Crozier's sister, managed to persuade him to kill himself by driving his truck into the clinic. Receptionist Kirsty Skeggins (née Knight), received the full force of the crash, and was put into a coma. On waking a few days later, she could not remember the last two years of her life, including her marriage to, and love for, cafe owner Lionel Skeggins. Kirsty eventually got her memory back, but found her love for Lionel was gone, possibly never there to begin with, and the two eventually divorced amicably.
• In that same crash other characters, including Nurse Carmen Roberts (Theresa Healey), received minor injuries. While Carmen had complained of a bump to the head, she was adamant that she did not need admitting to hospital, choosing instead to be at home with her family on Christmas Eve. Her partner, Guy Warner (Craig Parker) had proposed to Carmen was attending to the baby when she dropped dead due to a brain aneurysm, leaving him to raise their baby daughter Tuesday (Olivia Tennet) alone.

1996

Highlights

• In April, Shortland Street marks its 1000th episode with an earthquake storyline and the murder of Bernie Leach, by his psychotic wife Carla (née Crozier), nurse Ellen Crozier's sister. Carla then attempted suicide by slashing her wrists in the bathtub, only to be discovered by her niece, Minnie Crozier. When Carla eventually came to in hospital and very much alive, she turned even more psychotic and was eventually admitted to a psychiatric facility by Ellen. Carla then went ballistic at Ellen for institutionalizing her on a visit from Ellen, causing Ellen to try and come to terms with an alternate plan for dealing with Carla. Eventually Carla was released into their mothers' care.
• Future New Zealand Prime Ministers Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark make special appearances in an episode involving Marj Brasch's exit storyline as Marj visits the beehive to begin her new job as an M.P.
• In the first of two one-hour episodes of Shortland Street in 1996, the clinic staff are taken hostage.
• The second one-hour episode of Shortland Street for that year is the season finale, and features location scenes shot on location in Fiji, the storyline being David Kearney's search for his estranged partner Ellen Crozier.

1997

Highlights

• The fifth Anniversary of Shortland Street is marked by the marriage of Dr. David Kearney (Peter Elliott) and nursing manager, Ellen Crozier (Robyn Malcolm).

1998

Highlights

• Baby Rose Crozier-Kearney dies of SIDS.
• Shortland Street celebrates its 1500th episode in May.
• Oscar Henry, the controlling ex-boyfriend of Minnie Crozier (Katrina Devine), rapes her in her home after they split up.
• A pregnant Tiffany Marinovich (Alison James) slipped and fell from the roof of a high-rise while trying to stop a patient attempting suicide. The patient was later admitted to a psychiactric ward.

1999

Highlights

• Lionel Skeggins (John Leigh) is presumed drowned on his wedding day to Dr. Mackenzie Choat (Ingrid Park).
• Mackenzie murders Oscar Henry by making his hospital room explode.

2000

Highlights

• Another earthquake strikes, causing the clinic to sink due to soil liquefaction. The clinic shifts to a bigger premises nearby – (in reality, the movement of the Shortland Street studios from Browns Bay to Henderson necessitated this storyline).
• Shortland Street's 2000th episode features the wedding of paramedic Rangi Heremaia (Blair Strang) and medical assistant Donna Heka (Stephanie Tauevihi).
• Nick Harrison (Karl Burnett) and his partner, paramedic Ange Weaver (Katherine Hubbard), celebrate the arrival of their son Lucas.

2001

Highlights

• A cast cull leads to the exits of 14 characters, with new characters such as Nurse Toni Thompson (Laura Hill), The Heywood and Hudson Families coming in to replace them.

2002

Highlights

• Shortland Street celebrates its tenth anniversary in May, followed by its 2500th episode in June.
• After a tumultuous eight-year courtship, Nick Harrison (Karl Burnett)and Waverley Wilson (Claire Chitham) finally marry.

2003

Highlights

• Tama Hudson and Shannon Te Ngaru are devastated by the death of their newborn son Ngakau Kahu, to Streptococcus B.
• Nurse Anne Kahu embarks on a scandalous affair with son-in-law Nelson Copeland.
• Dr. Geoff Greenlaw's body is found frozen in a chiller, sparking off a whodunit storyline that becomes Shortland Street's main focus over the following year.
• Nurse Anne Kahu is crushed and killed in a building collapse as the result of business mogul, Rex Treherne's (Raymond Hawthorne) shoddy building practices.

2004

Highlights

• Shortland Street celebrates its 3000th episode in June with an episode focusing on the two remaining original cast members, Dr. Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) and Nick Harrison (Karl Burnett). In the episode Chris struggles with his attraction to Lucy Swinton (Sally Stockwell), only to learn that she is sleeping with his old foe Dominic Thompson (Shane Cortese), while Nick and Waverley (Claire Chitham) celebrate the birth of their new baby girl, Tina-Anne.
• Dominic Thompson's return marked his second reign of terror, during which he frames Dr. Victor Kahu for Geoff Greenlaw's murder; murdered his PA, Avril Lucich by drowning her in a bathtub; left teenager Scarlett Valentine (Nicole Thomson) in a coma after pushing her down the stairs to prevent her identifying him; framed Bernadette Lucich (Avril's twin sister) for fraud and finally stealing Chris Warner's identity and money before attempting to kill him in a jealous murder-suicide ploy which resulted in Dominic being severely burnt in an explosion and dying after confessing to Geoff and Avril's murders.
• Shortland Street screens a one-hour episode on Christmas Day, featuring the marriage of Tama Hudson and Shannon Te Ngaru.

2005

Highlights

• Chris Warner (Michael Galvin) marries Toni Thompson (Laura Hill).
• Nick, Waverley, Lucas and Tina-Anne depart Ferndale for Taranaki.
• Norman Hansen (Jacob Tomuri) dies following a car accident.

2006

Highlights

• On 14 February 2006, Shortland Street was the first soap opera to feature a Civil Union between lesbian couple, Maia Jeffries and Jay Copeland.
• A deadly virus outbreak in Shortland Street Hospital claims the life of Dr. Li Mei Chen a year after her boyfriend Norman died.
• Shortland Street films two episodes on location in Rotorua.
• The love-triangle between Huia Samuels, Dr. Craig Valentine and Dr. Sarah Potts comes to an explosive end when Huia is killed in a car bombing in the hospital carpark meant for Anthony Richards. Those responsible were never identified until 2008 when those responsible are revealed to be the dodgy pharmaceutical company Scott Spear. With this storyline it also introduces Dev Robin Gardener who appears again in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

2007

Highlights

• Scarlett Valentine was a target of schoolyard bullying and moved to Australia after she tried to run over ex-boyfriend Hunter McKay who also had his share on problems being underage for a safe sex campaign and for forming a relationship with widow Tess Adamson.
• Maia Jefferies's desire for a baby led her use her brother-in-law Mark Weston as a sperm donor. The father's identify was discovered by Jay. After learning of Jay's death, Maia was consoled by her mother Yvonne and sister Tania when Mark announced he was the baby's father. Maia then went into labour.
• Sarah Potts marries TK Samuels, but their honeymoon was short-lived, as she returned to work after ex-boyfriend and E.D. head Craig Valentine suffered a heart attack.
• Toni Warner took son Harry and fled to Australia with brother-in-law Guy and his daughter Tuesday having discovered husband Chris with Rachel McKenna and then learned of his affair with Justine Jones from Guy. They later returned to New Zealand, but what happened during that time has not been revealed. Their return in December 2007 ended with the four upsidedown in a wrecked car driven by Guy.
• From early July, a serial killer, dubbed "The Ferndale Strangler", had the women of Shortland Street Hospital living in fear when several were found strangled with surgical procedures carried out on their bodies. The victims: receptionist Claire Solomon found in a rubbish skip outside the hospital, nurse Meg Harris found in a skip outside The I.V., bar owner Jay Copeland found in bushes near the hospital, nurse Beth Wilson was abducted from her home and found a week later by river, and nurse Brenda Holloway was given a lethal injection on Halloween night by someone in a Halloween mask after discovering crucial evidence regarding mysterious cardiac arrests. Undercover policewoman Tracey Morrison, posing as a nurse, had a narrow escape when she was found sedated in a skip behind The I.V., markings on her torso indicated surgical procedures – she was moved to a safe-house. Gavin Capper and Justin Salt were arrested on an unrelated case. The police assumed Gavin was the Ferndale Strangler, however the last episode for 2007 revealed that the Ferndale Strangler was in fact, nurse Joey Henderson when he pulled IV tubing from his pocket and was seen about strangle nurse Tania Jeffries having learned she was in a relationship with doctor Kip Denton.

2008

Highlights

• With the identity of the Ferndale Strangler revealed, viewers saw Joey Henderson fail in his attempt to strangle Tania Jeffries. Joey then set his sights on nurse Shanti Kumari Joey later turned his frustration onto Alice Piper who he kidnapped and kept in a storage unit where he gave her an appendectomy. Alice managed to escape when she stabbed Joey's leg. Craig and Kieran arrived at the lock-up. Craig found a bleeding Joey who pretended to die. As Craig turned away, Joey ran off, only to be pursued and caught by Kieran on the roof. Rather than surrendering to the police, Joey committed suicide by jumping off the building.
• The aftermath of the high-speed car crash saw Toni, Harry and Tuesday Warner admitted to Shortland Street Hospital and Guy Warner taken to Central. Toni lost one of her kidneys and later returned to work. Guy was seriously ill and placed in an induced coma for a time. Guy later caused a sensation by publishing a book about the Warners and Chris' relationship with various women, alluding to him offering promotion for sex which was incorrect.
• Teenage cousins, Wiremu Potae and Tane Samuels returned to Ferndale as Shortland Street tackled the issue of teenage driving. This storyline's dramatic climax occurred when the boys, along with Sophie McKay and Tuesday Warner, become involved in street-racing with illegally modified cars. Wiremu, with Sophie, lost control of his car at high-speed when it hit a pot-hole. He hit Tane, leaving him in a crumpled heap on the road. Tane ended up being paralysed. Wiremu was charged with operating a dangerous vehicle.
• Original series regular, Dr. Hone Ropata (Temuera Morrison) returns in Episode 4000 for a six-week guest-stint.
• Norovirus was identified on an incoming patient and Toni Warner unwittingly became exposed to the disease but thought it was a stomach bug which Harry had a few days earlier. On 12 June 2008 June, Toni was taken to hospital because of dehydration soon it became apparent that her surviving kidney was irreparably damaged. Toni was floored at the news that she would need dialysis for the rest of her life. Chris vowed to do everything he could to care for her, and insisted that she moved back home. A reluctant but grateful Toni accepted. Unfortunately Toni succumbed to the disease and died in front of Chris and Harry.
• Problems with drugs supplied by the dodgy pharmaceutical company Scott Spear were found to have been severely diluted and some patients had died as a result. Among them was Toni Warner. Doctors Craig Valentine and Justine Jones began to investigate the source. Anthony Richards, a former Scott Spear drug company employee who was in hiding, fearing retaliation, alerted Craig and Justine to a journal containing drug cover-ups. When Craig eventually got his hands on the ledger, he was pursued by Don Lennox and thugs who are members of a ruthless gang known as the whitetails and were hired by Scott Spear. The thugs forced his SUV off the road and then chased him around a wooded area. Craig's heart problems resurfaced, which led to him being captured, beaten to death, then torched in his SUV. Justine Jones then became a target when Don Lennox and the whitetails were hired by Scott Spear to kill her. After Justine discovered a bomb in her car, she used it to fake her death and escape with a new identity to Australia where she is under witness protection.
• Sarah Potts finally accepted that she has multiple sclerosis and resigned as Head of E.D., much to the astonishment of her husband TK. Her pregnancy also played a factor in her decision to resign. Soon after she was appointed acting Chief Executive Officer when Callum McKay was stood down pending an investigation over his shares in Nessus Bio, a company that Ethan Pierce has encouraged him to invest in.
• Kieran Mitchell unwittingly discovered that the new head of surgery, Ethan Pierce was involved with funeral home operator Sterling Haldane in a body harvesting operation. Tissue from one of the bodies was used in several patients that included Timothy Carson, a 10-year-old with muscular dystrophy and hospital receptionist Yvonne Jeffries. It was subsequently discovered that Timothy had contracted HIV through an infected DBM. He then confronted Haldane, and was furious to discover death certificates had been falsified. An elderly woman abandoned at the hospital by her family was befriended by Ethan, who then had Kieran drive her to the funeral home on the pretence that she was to view to husband's body. She was killed by Ethan for her body parts. Ethan then decided to leave the country and as everyone started to find out his true colours, Ethan was shot three times and died.

2009

Highlights

• Ethan Pierce dies on the beach in Brooke Freeman's arms.
• Tania Jeffries and Kingi Te Wake survive thanks to Whitetales member Tupac.
• Sarah Potts becomes Acting C.E.O after Callum McKay is dismissed due to the Nessus Bio scandal.
• Nurse Maia Jeffries is forced to confess she shot Ethan Pierce when Alice Piper remembers she was there the day of the murder. Alice promises to stick by Maia and keep it a secret.
• Sarah Potts and TK Samuels elect to terminate her pregnancy when they learn the baby has a disease.
• Ethan Pierce makes a surprise return as a hallucination of Maia Jeffries after she is sent to a mental institution.
• Justine Jones returned for the trial of John Grainer and the dodgy pharmaceutical company Scott Spear but she is still hunted by Don Lennox and the ruthless whitetail gang. After Justine gave evidence, she also ended her marriage to husband Callum McKay on learning he is in love with Brooke Freeman. In 2010, it was revealed that John Grainger is imprisoned and Scott Spear (the dodgy pharmaceutical company) is facing billions of dollars worth of fines.
• On 19 October, Shortland Street Hospital lost beloved nurse Shanti Kumari when she was accidentally infected with dengue fever by Oliver Ritchie.
• Rachel Mckenna returned to Shortland Street Hospital to supervise CEO Callum McKay and to try to win back the affections of Chris Warner.
• The 2009 season ended with Kieran accidentally killing Morgan Braithwaite by hit and run, a lot of the storylines of the past 2 years had focused on Morgan.

2010

Highlights

• Gerald, Hunter and Nicole discover the lifeless body of Morgan the night after the Christmas Party.
• Kieran and Sophie's big wedding gets interrupted by Kieran's ex-girlfriend Libby Jeffries who has evidence that Kieran killed Morgan.
• Hunter gives a drug addict some clean needles and her friend stabs him with a used needle possibly infecting him with HIV. Later in the year it is revealed he was not infected with the disease.
• Kieran starts to get blackmailed by an unknown source, it is eventually revealed as his new waitress Jane. They conceive a con together and Kieran eventually pays her the sum.
• After a fight at the supermarket, Hunter is stabbed with a screw driver and Ben is knocked to the ground hitting his head hard on the pavement. Ben develops a brain hemorrhage and eventually is declared brain dead after surgery and dies a week later.
• Kieran, Gerald, Nicole and Sean are pursued through a forest by Thai thugs in a special 90 minute episode. The episode concludes with Kieran admitting to Morgans death and letting himself fall to his death to save Gerald and Sean.
• After weeks of poisoning Scotty, Penny Rourke kidnaps him and holds him hostage. She shoots him and escapes.
• After the apartment they are in catches alight, Callum jumps onto the passed out lovers, Chris and Rachel, protecting them from another huge explosion as the year ends.

2011

Highlights

• The dramatic fire from 2010 leaves Callum with third degree burns, smoke inhalation and metal shards in his back giving him a small chance of survival.
• Maia, Yvonne and Jay Jeffries leave Shortland Street, ending a 7-year era and one of the longest running roles ever on the show.
• Rachel's brother Jonathon McKenna returns to the street after 15 years in order to have an operation which leaves him blind.
• After abandoning fiance; Roimata at the altar to help ex-wife Sarah give birth, TK Samuels saves Hunter from his mangled car as it explodes.
• Brooke is stalked for several months by eager research assistant, Winston Youn which results in Brooke attempting to kill him by running him over.

2014

• Josh Gallagher died by being crushed by rubble in the Warner Bach Explosion, while Roimata Ngatai back to Shortland Street, then later died on the operating table.
• Chris Warner and Grace Kwan decide to have a bab,y then at Chris and Rachel's wedding, Grace decides to leave Shortland Street when Brooke Freeman tells Chris Warner and Rachel McKenna that Grace has had a miscarriage.

Cliffhangers

The annual Shortland Street cliffhanger is a storyline at the end of the year's season, often a crisis, that leaves behind a question to be answered the following year. This technique is used to lure viewers back after the long break. Cliffhangers are usually carefully written as so storylines from throughout the year finally interconnect and come to a head.

Births

Name	Year and Date	Mother	Father	Notes
Unnamed girl	25 May 1992	Lisa Stanton	Darryl Neilson	Darryl's brother Stuart claimed paternity after Darryl refused to accept responsibility of being the father.
Frank, Finbar & Sarah Burton	11 October 1993	Carrie Burton	Chris Warner	conceived using sperm donated by Chris Warner, although donations were solicited from several characters
Lucy Derby	1995	Ramona Derby	Tim Cunningham
Tuesday Warner	24 October 1995	Carmen Roberts	Guy Warner
Phoenix Raynor	2 September 1996	Alison Raynor	Chris Warner	Chris only learns about Phoenix in August 2010 when Alison's uncle informs Chris that Alison drowned in 2009
Rose Crozier-Kearney	13 June 1997	Ellen Crozier	David Kearney	Died in 1998 due to SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome)
Bradley Kearney	1998	Isobel Kearney	Johnny Marinovich
Maria Marinovich	31 July 1998	Tiffany Marinovich	Johnny Marinovich	born via emergency c-section while her mother, Tiffany was on life support
Lucas Harrison	14 December 2000	Angela Weaver	Nick Harrison
Harry Warner	14 May 2002	Toni Thompson	Chris Warner
Te Ngakau Hudson	29 April 2003	Shannon Te Ngaru	Tama Hudson	Died soon after birth of blood poisoning by Streptococcus B
Tina-Anne Harrison	23 June 2004	Waverley Harrison	Nick Harrison
Rangimarie Hudson	25 May 2005	Shannon Te Ngaru	Tama Hudson
Jay Jeffries	8 October 2007	Maia Jeffries	Mark Weston	conceived via a sperm donation from Mark Weston
Kelly Piper	5 September 2008	Alice Piper	Craig Valentine or Guy Warner	Died on 8 October of renal failure
Catherine, Elizabeth & William Watson	3 June 2009	Morgan Braithwaite- Surrogate Mother Cindy Watson- Biological Mother	Trent Watson- Biological Father	Surrogate children
Matilda Potts	18 July 2011	Sarah Potts	TK Samuels	Born in a ditch with the assistance of TK's nemesis Owen Sutherland.
Adam Vailalo	25 June 2012	Ula Levi	Tom Stanton	The son of the 16-year-old Ula, the baby was adopted out shortly after birth.
Cooper Paul	25 August 2014	Trina Paul	Unknown	Evan Cooper had to step in as mid wife and successfully delivered the baby boy. He was named Cooper in his honour.
Trinity Kwan	1 October 2014	Grace Kwan	Chris Warner	Born in Fiji under the pretense that Grace had suffered a miscarriage months beforehand.
Pele Kruse	11 December 2014	Nicole Miller	Vinnie Kruse	Shortly after giving birth, Nicole suffered a seizure, leaving her in a coma for several weeks.
Stevie Issac	12 October 2015	Bella Cooper	Jimmy Issac	Was conceived by cesarean and had breathing failure for a few moments but then was stabilised.
Lulu Karim	25 May 2017	Lucy Rickman-Karim	Ali Karim	Born in the back of Ali's car during the Ferndale Volcanic Eruption. Lucy suffered postnatal complications, and died from a cardiac arrest following a hysterectomy.

Deaths

Character	Date	Cause of Death	Other Notes
Miles Lucas	2 November 1992	Drug overdose	Died after intentionally overdosing on headache pills after Stuart Neilson's birthday party.
Nurse Sarah Donnelly	24 December 1992	Melanoma	Died in the arms of boyfriend Steve Mills at her birthday party.
Willy Sia'atu	15 September 1993	Beaten to death	Sam Aleni's brother Nat's best friend Willy dies due to a beating he suffered at the hands of a Tongan street gang.
Dani Brown	1993	Euthanasia	Dani was a terminally ill cancer patient whose husband Rob Hawkins helped her die.
Tom Neilson	11 November 1993	Heart attack	Tom had mysteriously disappeared that year but returned wanting a kidney transplant. Unfortunately, after the transplant Tom died of a heart attack
Jean-Luc Mafart	25 December 1993	Fell to death	Alison had married him overseas and returned after he had turned out to be abusive. They had a fight on a rooftop and he eventually fell to his death when pushed by Alison. Darryl Neilson helped Alison to cover up the crime.
Damon McEwon	9 February 1994	Pneumonia	Damon was an AIDS sufferer and close friend of Jamie Forrest. After collapsing, he contracted pneumonia. Jonathan McKenna was with him on his deathbed.
Nurse Steve Mills	25 March 1994	Car accident	Died in the explosion of a vehicle he crashed after a heated argument with Chris Warner while driving. He initially survived the crash but was killed when he went back to the overturned vehicle to rescue Talita Pahele (TP) Aleni and it exploded.
Talita Pahele (TP) Aleni	25 March 1994	Car accident	Died in the explosion of a vehicle crashed by Steve Mills.
Noel Sturgess	7 June 1994	Heart attack	Majority share holder of the clinic. Had previously been hospitalized from a heart attack in 1992. His death caused a takeover by daughter Hillary.
Tina Twentyman	March 1995	Post op complications.	Actress who had received breast implants which then became infected. Died due to faulty drugs provided by Darryl's Pharm-Ex company.
Darryl Neilson	21 March 1995	Drowning	Drowned after falling from the boat 'The Toroa' after attempting to murder Kirsty Knight.
Richard Thornton	October 1995	Broken neck	Richard broke his neck falling off the roof of the Thornton residence while trying to repair a TV antenna on a night of heavy rain after drinking heavily.
Rima Wellington	23 October 1995	Internal Haemorrhage	Rima was a child with cancer who died due to the side effects of a trial medication with Dr. Finlay Keats.
Sir Bruce Warner	16 December 1995	Cancer
Nurse Carmen Roberts	25 December 1995	Brain hemorrhage	Received a knock to the head after a madman drove his truck through the entrance to the clinic. She was sent home but collapsed and died at the house boat 'The Toroa' that evening.
Bernie Leach	5 April 1996	Bludgeoned	Bludgeoned to death with a candlestick by Carla Crozier-Leach in Episode 1000.
Rebecca Frost	25 April 1997	Faulty heart valve	The faulty valve was a surgical replacement for her own.
Annabelle Lustwick	22 October 1997	Euthanasia	Suicide assisted by Caroline Buxton
Baby Rose Crozier-Kearney	1998	SIDS	At age 6 months
Tiffany Marinovich	1 August 1998	Fall	Fell from a high-rise building after trying to talk down a suicide jumper. She was successful but slipped as she tried to get away from the ledge. She was pregnant at the time and later died in hospital. Her baby miraculously survived and was born via C section before Tiffany's life support was switched off.
Dr. Michael McKenna	21 January 1999	Heart attack	Michael was aiding his daughter Rachel with the possible overtaking of the hospital when he suffered a severe heart attack.
Oscar Henry	7 June 1999	Explosion	Eventually murdered by Dr. MacKenzie Choat after an earlier attempt on his life, also by Choat.
Earl Crombie	1999	Car accident
Dr. Laura Hall	26 May 2000	Heart attack
Eamon Dempsey	15 January 2001	Fall	Fell off a cliff
Angela Weaver	2001	Cancer	Was unable to be treated while pregnant. Died not long after having her son Lucas Harrison
Rangi Heremaia	9 April 2001	Drug Overdose	Murdered by Kim Tairoa's husband
Jack Hewitt	21 January 2002	Hit by a Car	Committed suicide by jumping in front of a car.
James Kingi	2002	Gangland stabbing	Murdered by Kurt Matakuare.
Connie McAllister	2002	Euthanasia	Assisted by Dr. Geoff Greenlaw.
Lady Margot Warner	24 April 2003	Cancer
Baby Te Ngakau Hudson	2003	Streptococcus B
Max Henley	27 June 2003	Brain haemorrhage
Dr. Geoff Greenlaw	6 November 2003	Hypothermia	Froze to death in a chiller. Murdered by Dominic Thompson.
Nurse Anne Greenlaw Kahu	19 December 2003	Crush injuries	Was crushed in a building collapse that resulted from her father Rex Treherne's dodgy building practices.
Nurse Layla Cornwall	2004	Hanging	Suicide following the realization Nelson would never love her.
Rex Treherne	2004	Heart attack
Avril Lucich	2 August 2004	Drowning	Drowned in a bathtub. Murdered by Dominic Thompson.
Dominic Thompson	1 December 2004	Explosion	Failed attempted murder-suicide with arch-enemy, Chris Warner.
Brett Valentine	15 December 2004	Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy	Craig's brother, arrived to warn Scarlett she may have the disease, only to die of it while in Ferndale.
Baby James Warner	2005	Miscarriage	Miscarried by Toni Warner at 6 months.
Norman Hanson	28 October 2005	Car accident	Died of injuries sustained in a car accident.
Ian Jeffries	28 February 2006	Fall	Jumped off a cliff. Was suffering from Kennedy's disease.
Dr. Li Mei Chen	5 July 2006	Illness	Died in the hospital outbreak of Stryker Virus.
Huia Samuels	11 October 2006	Car Bombing	Murdered by the thugs hired by the dodgy pharmaceutical company Scott Spear. The bomb was meant for Anthony Richards.
Gary Davis	25 June 2007	Cancer	Brenda's estranged husband unexpectedly dies, leaving Brenda with hope she can raise their son.
Claire Solomon	9 July 2007	Strangled	Naked body found in a rubbish skip outside the hospital. Murdered by Joey Henderson, aka The Ferndale Strangler, who killed her for using him to make Kieran jealous.
Nurse Meg Harris	13 August 2007	Strangled	Naked body found in a rubbish skip outside The I.V.. Murdered by Joey Henderson, aka The Ferndale Strangler, on the night of Mark Weston's birthday party.
Jay Copeland	27 August 2007	Strangled	Naked body found in the bush close to the hospital. Murdered by Joey Henderson, aka The Ferndale Strangler, as he was uncomfortable with her sexuality.
Nurse Beth Wilson	28 September 2007	Strangled	Body found (off-screen) a week after being abducted from her home. Murdered by Joey Henderson, aka The Ferndale Strangler, as to him, it was assumed that she was stringing orderly Steve Roberts along. Her attack on Joey was also the reason for her death.
Nurse Brenda Holloway	31 October 2007	Cardiac arrest resulting from a lethal injection	Injected with suxamethonium by a person disguised in a Halloween mask. Murdered by Joey Henderson, aka The Ferndale Strangler, while he was preventing her from exposing him as the person responsible for several recent cardiac arrests at the hospital.
Nurse Joey Henderson	5 March 2008	Fall	Jumped off the roof of an inner-city storage unit building to avoid capture when being cornered by Detective Lara Wade and police. Revealed to be The Ferndale Strangler.
Nurse Toni Warner	12 June 2008	Cardiac arrest caused by renal failure	Died of cardiac arrest caused by renal failure due a faulty drug distributed by the dodgy pharmaceutical company Scott Spear.
Dr. Craig Valentine	2 September 2008	Beaten to death	Beaten to death then torched by Don Lennox and thugs who were members of a ruthless gang known as the Whitetails and who were hired by the dodgy drug company Scott Spear.
Baby Kelly Piper	8 October 2008	Complications from premature birth	Causes of the death included pneumonia and renal failure.
Betty Crawford	11 December 2008	Lethal injection of potassium	Pensioner "granny-dumped" at the hospital by family. Murdered by Dr. Ethan Pierce for body parts to supply his body harvesting operation.
Sterling Haldane	19 December 2008	Lethal injection	Murdered by Dr. Ethan Pierce to cover his tracks regarding their harvesting operation.
Dr. Ethan Pierce	19 December 2008	Shot	Shot three times by Maia Jeffries, who, while in an unstable mental state, killed him for all the hurt and grief he'd caused those she loved.
Ryan Smith-Reynolds	30 July 2009	Died of injuries as result of car crash.	He had been persuaded by Daniel Potts to deliver stolen Mp3 players.
Nurse Shanti Kumari-Scott	19 October 2009	Ectopic Pregnancy.	When Oliver Ritchie accidentally infected her with dengue fever, it masked the symptoms of the ectopic pregnancy which ultimately caused her death.
Nurse Alison Raynor	12 November 2009	Drowned	Chris Warner was informed in August 2010 that his ex-wife Allie had drowned in a yachting accident and that she had had his child in 1996.
Don Lennox	10 December 2009	Died of injuries as result of gunshot to chest.	Brought into hospital under false identity and operated on by Chris Warner who identified him as the killer of Craig Valentine.
Nurse Morgan Braithwaite	18 December 2009	Hit and run	Kieran Mitchell accidentally ran her over and framed a drunk Rachel McKenna by putting her in the driver's seat.
Heather Sloane	12 February 2010	Cancer operation	Ben Goodall's ex lover. Died on the operating table due to cancer.
Ben Goodall	8 June 2010	Brain hemorrhage	Developed brain hemorrhage after being hit in the head and was pronounced brain dead on 31 May. Was kept alive by machines until 8 June.
Warren Briggs	1 July 2010	Drug overdose	Murdered by Penny Rourke for revenge as she blamed him for the death of her father that gave her psychopathic tendencies.
White Dragon	2 August 2010	Fell from a cliff	Died after falling from a cliff after Sean Mitchell pushed him, himself and Kieran Mitchell over.
Kieran Mitchell	2 August 2010	Fell from a cliff	Kieran confessed to killing Morgan Braithwaite before letting go of the cliff in order to save the life of his brother Sean.
Dr. Lars Hammett	3 March 2011	Heart attack	After manipulating Dr. Brooke Freeman into sex, Lars collapsed and died.
Dr. Nadia Hammett	20 June 2011	Car crash	Drove off the road on the way to dob Brooke Freeman to the police. For months Brooke suspected Winston of murdering her.
Nurse Jill Kingsbury	16 January 2012	Stabbed	While trying to stop Hunter from robbing a pharmacy, Jill ended up accidentally getting stabbed by a security guard and later died in hospital.
Hayley O'Neill	21 May 2012	Bludgeoned	Beaten with a plank by her abusive boyfriend Drew in the show's 20th anniversary. Chris ended up getting arrested for her murder.
Gus Afeaki	14 December 2012	Melanoma	Died in a hospice after having been diagnosed several months beforehand.
Dr. Luke Durville	30 January 2013	Brain tumor	Died from a brain bleed resulting from his month-long diagnosis of a brain tumor. His death came only a day after celebrating his life with an early funeral.
Travis Corfield	11 December 2013	Hit and run	Vasa's abusive ex fiance; mysteriously found dead in her apartments carpark. It later turned out he had been murdered by Bree Hamilton.
Dr. Josh Gallagher	13 January 2014	Crushed by rubble	Having exploded the Warner bach deck under the influence of his hero syndrome, Josh was crushed by rubble trying to save the life of Roimata Ngatai
Nurse Roimata Ngatai	13 January 2014	Bleeding as result of explosion and crushing	Died on operating table after being caught in an explosion at the Warner bach.
Dr. Brett Franklin	30 June 2014	Bludgeoned	Hit with a spade by his son Toby after he threatened Toby's friend Kane with a pitchfork. The death was covered up as a suicide.
Nurse Effie Sommers	7 July 2014	Mystery illness	Died as a result of a deadly illness spreading rapidly throughout Ferndale.
Dr. Sarah Potts	18 August 2014	Mystery illness	Sarah contracted a mystery illness whilst investigating a cure for the rapidly growing epidemic. She died with fiance, TK Samuels at her side.
Caleb Potene	20 July 2015	Propofol overdose	Whilst hospitalised after a diazepam overdose, Caleb was murdered by his wife Pania Stevens when she injected propofol so no one would find out about her attempted murder.
Pixie Hannah	19 August 2015	Pneumonia	Fourteen-year-old Pixie developed pneumonia as a result of chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression, having recently overcome a Ewing's sarcoma in her right femur. She didn't respond well to antibiotics and died after entering cardiac arrest.
Len Cooper	14 December 2015	Fatal Gunshot Wound	Caught in a hostage crisis inside the hospital cafeteria, he was shot at point blank by gunman Gareth Hutchins. Medical attention was not able to be administered until it was too late.
Gareth Hutchins	18 January 2016	Fatal Gunshot Wound	Shot by the Armed Offenders Squad after attempting to escape the Hospital Cafeteria.
Nurse Wendy Cooper	19 January 2016	Fatal Gunshot Wound	Suffered a stroke after being shot by gunman Gareth Hutchins, leading to Brain death. After a day on life support, long time husband Murray Cooper decided to let her life support be turned off.
Norelle Brown	18 April 2016	Suicide - overdose	After suffering with cancer for a few months, her daughter, Nurse Kylie Brown let Norelle take her own life after suffering unbearable pain when the cancer spread.
Dr. Victoria Anderton	5 July 2016	Wounds sustained from a Car crash	Victoria went through the windscreen of her car in a attempt to flee from Ferndale. She later died in the Ambulance on the way back to Shortland Street Hospital.
Howard Black	7 December 2016	Supposed drowning	Wife Leanne Black, after returning to Ferndale following their Honeymoon, discovered soon after that he had fallen overboard on a cruise ship.
Trina Duncan	19 December 2016	Beaten up by Hayden Crowhurst	Beaten by Hayden when he discovered that she was in love with TK Samuels. She survived the beating, but later died in Hospital.
Hayden Crowhurst	16th January 2017	Drowned	TK Samuels drowned Hayden in self defense, after Hayden had kidnapped Nurse Kylie Brown.
Glen Rickman	16th January 2017	Car explosion	Glen was ran off the road, his car doused in petrol and set on fire by DI Brent Cochrane, while his daughter Lucy Rickman-Karim watched on in horror.
DI Brent Cochrane	30 January 2017	Murdered by Mason Coutts' associates	Killed off-screen as ordered by Mason Coutts, after it was discovered he was a corrupt cop, revealing Mason to be the boss of Brent, Glen and Hayden.
George Bentley	23 May 2017	Strangulation	Murdered by one of Mason Coutts' thugs hiding in the back seat of Mason's car, due to being a loose end in Brent Cochrane's murder.
Elizabeth Elliot	25 May 2017	Strangulation	Murdered by Mason Coutts after attempting to take his wife's place in their escape from Ferndale, during the Volcanic Eruption.
Marjorie Brasch	25 May 2017	Aortic aneurysm	The show's Original Receptionist, Marjorie passed away quietly in the Hospitals reception, while helping with the victims of the Ferndale Volcanic Eruption.
Nurse Lucy Rickman-Karim	29 May 2017	Complications from Childbirth	After giving birth during the Ferndale Volcanic Eruption, Lucy suffered postnatal internal bleeding, and required a hysterectomy. After a successful operation however, she had a Cardiac Arrest, and died in the recovery room.
Robin Grieves	19 July 2017	Cardiac arrest	Committed suicide due to many people thinking he was stealing the bodies in Shortland Street hospital.

Fake deaths

Character	Date	Cause of "Death"	Notes
Dr. Ian Seymour	January 1998	Presumed suicide by drowning.	Nearly five months after going on the run for the attempted murder of Kirsty Knight (amidst other crimes), his car was found abandoned by the sea, and police assumed he'd committed suicide. The following month it was revealed that Ian was still alive.
Alex McKenna	November 1998	Sudden illness while in Tibet	Alex's estranged husband Michael and daughter Rachel received news from a Tibetan monastery of Alex's death. In 2002 Rachel discovered that Alex was alive and well, reports of her death having been exaggerated as part of a callous plot on Alex's part to spend some time apart from the rest of her family.
Lionel Skeggins	12 March 1999	Drowning	Shortly after his wedding, Lionel discovered evidence to suggest his wife Mackenzie Choat had tried to murder Oscar Henry, and was washed off a rock whilst trying to escape her. He would be presumed dead for the next 18 years, until the Ferndale Volcanic Eruption, where he ran into Chris Warner at the Hospital, with what appeared to be amnesia.
Dr. Justine Jones	11 September 2008	Car Bombing	Justine faked her death to escape Don Lennox and the Whitetails, hired by the dodgy pharmaceutical company Scott Spear to kill her. She fled to Australia but returned to testify at the trial of John Grainger and the dodgy drug company. Now resides in Australia.
Sean Mitchell	30 July 2010	Burns sustained from fire	Thai thugs faked his death so they could kidnap him without police distractions.

Marriages

This list contains all the marriages and civil unions that have occurred on Shortland Street. Note that it contains weddings that took place off-screen as well as invalid marriages, commitment ceremonies and vow renewals.

Marriages

• Note – (1) indicates a non legal marriage.

Date	Bride	Groom	Notes
9 September 1992	May McKenna	George Bently	Michael believed George was marrying his mother for her money, however this was not the case
1993	Carrie Burton	Declan Kennedy	Off-screen wedding that took place in Las Vegas.
1993 (1)	Alex McKenna	Michael McKenna	Vow renewal to celebrate their reconciliation.
10 November 1993	Leonard Dodds	Gina Rossi
8 December 1993	Talita Palele	Sam Aleni	The two married so their families could not split them apart.
14 September 1994	Marjorie Neilson	Laurie Brasch	A mixed-faith ceremony presided over by a catholic priest but containing the Jewish rite of Breaking the glass
10 January 1995	Kirsty Knight	Lionel Skeggins	Second attempt at a wedding.
1995	Carla Crozier	Bernie Leach	Offscreen wedding
24 July 1995	Rachel McKenna	Nick Harrison	A marriage of convenience in order to benefit from student income while at university
25 December 1995 (1)	Carmen Roberts	Guy Warner	After Carmen seemingly survived a truck crash the night before, Carmen and Guy agreed that they would never legally marry and made personal vows to each other instead. Sadly Carmen died from an undiagnosed brain hemorrhage mere moments later
14 February 1996	Tiffany Pratt	Chris Warner
1997 (approx)	Alison Raynor	Chris Warner	Off screen wedding in the States
28 May 1997	Ellen Crozier	David Kearney	The marriage marked the shows 5th anniversary.
24 July 1997	Jenny Harrison	Ian Seymour
20 February 1998	Tiffany Pratt	Johnny Marinovich
11 March 1999	Mackenzie Choat	Lionel Skeggins	Groom was presumed lost at sea hours after the wedding.
1999 (1)	Josie Bergman	Luke Bellingham	Took personal and private vows to each other since they were unable to legally wed.
18 June 1999	Josie Bergman	Luke Bellingham	This was the couple's legal wedding.
1999	Rachel McKenna	Daniel Buchanan	Married off-screen in the states
7 April 2000	Moira Crombie	Dean Cochrane
9 June 2000	Donna Heka	Rangi Heremaia	This wedding occurred on Shortland Street's 2000th episode.
9 October 2000	Tasmin Yates	Alan Dubrovsky	The two married so that Al could adopt, however ended up falling in love.
2001 (1)	Angela Weaver	Nick Harrison	Decided not to legally marry, took advantage of the empty church after Fergus and Waverley's aborted wedding to make personal and private vows to love each other always in an unofficial ceremony
4 September 2002	Anne Greenlaw	Victor Kahu
3 October 2002	Waverley Wilson	Nick Harrison	Nick had lost the marriage license and forged a new one, thus casting doubt over the legality of the marriage
2002 (1)	Rachel McKenna	Jack Hewitt	an unstable Jack had kidnapped Rachel and forced her to partake in a mock wedding ceremony
15 April 2003	Toni Thompson	Matt McAllister	Eloped by train for an off-screen wedding
27 June 2003	Judy Brownlee	Max Henley	Max was a cancer patient and, moments after the wedding, he died.
1 September 2003	Dominic Thompson	Emily Bredican	Delphi Greenlaw attempted to stop the wedding but was locked in a cupboard by Dominic and Toni's mother Ngaire.
25 December 2004	Shannon Te Ngaru	Tama Hudson	Married on the beach and substituted shells for their lost wedding rings.
16 March 2005	Toni Thompson	Chris Warner
17 March 2005 (1)	Waverley Wilson	Nick Harrison	Waverley had recently discovered that her marriage to Nick may not have been legal causing a rift between the two. However the two reconciled and renewed their vows at Chris and Toni's wedding to signify that they still considered themselves married.
24 August 2005	Sarah Potts	Andrew Solomon	Just after the "I do's," Robyn Stokes gatecrashed, announcing Andrew was the father of her unborn twin girls.
2007	Tania Jeffries	Mark Weston	Off-screen wedding
14 May 2007	Sarah Potts	TK Samuels	Sarah initially called off the wedding as she decided she still loved Craig Valentine but after she visited him she decided she did want to marry TK and Craig drove her to the wedding himself.
21 July 2008	Shanti Kumari	James "Scotty" Scott	Second attempt – Married in a four-day ceremony observed by family and friends
29 April 2009	Morgan Braithwaite	Gerald Tippett	Morgan insisted that they get married during the wedding rehearsal, the overhearing Libby gives in. Hunter disappears and Chris Warner ends up being the Best Man.
5 March 2010	Sophie McKay	Kieran Mitchell	Tricked Sophie's brother, Hunter and father, Callum into attending. They were married at the McKay house. However, it didn't last long.
23 September 2010	Libby Jeffries	Gerald Tippett	A marriage of convenience so that Libby could go back to America and get her job back.
14 February 2011	Tracey Morrison	James "Scotty" Scott	Shortly after reconciling, the two married on Valentine's Day 2011 in their back garden.
26 July 2011 (1)	Roimata Ngatai	TK Samuels	Promised to love each other forever; the ring was substituted for a fern leaf.
14 December 2012	Bella Cooper	Luke Durville	Married in a "Winter Wonderland" themed ceremony, despite Luke's diagnosis of a brain tumour the previous night; shortly after the "I do's", Bella's father Murray got run over by a truck driven by TK.
8 May 2013	Brooke Freeman	Boyd Rolleston	Married so that Boyd would be disowned from his overbearing family and so his sister could rightfully claim the family farm instead of him.
14 November 2013	Nicole Miller		Nicole dramatically married herself after swearing off relationships in one of the show's most criticized storylines.
26 February 2014	Rachel McKenna	Chris Warner	Labelled the "Shortland Street Royal Wedding", the couple married after an on again/off again relationship of over 10 years.
2 September 2015	Nicole Miller	Vinnie Kruse	Disguised the event as Vinnie's 32nd birthday party, but surprised all by revealing the event to be their secret wedding, officiated by Vinnie's cousin Maxwell Avia.
14 December 2015	Dayna Jenkins	George Kirkwood	Following the cancellation of Boyd and Harper's wedding, the young couple made use of the abandoned celebrant and church to marry each other after their turbulent, fast-paced engagement. Sole Mio sung at the end of the ceremony.
16 September 2016	Leanne Miller	Howard Black
5 October 2016	Lucy Rickman	Ali Karim	they got married in a ceremony in front of their friends and family after months of being together.

Aborted marriages

Date	Bride	Groom	Notes
1992	Alison Raynor	Chris Warner	Chris called off the wedding the night beforehand, in an attempt to reconcile with his ex-wife.
31 May 1993	Alison Raynor	Chris Warner	The wedding was cancelled after Darryl Neilson locked Chris in a barn for the duration of the wedding.
23 December 1994	Kirsty Knight	Lionel Skeggins	The wedding was aborted after Stuart Neilson objected to the marriage.
2001	Waverley Wilson	Fergus Kearney	The wedding was aborted when Fergus fled as the police arrived at the church to arrest him for his involvement in an immigration scam.
2002	Waverley Wilson	Nick Harrison	Waverley was kidnapped by her ex fiance Fergus shortly before the wedding.
2008	Shanti Kumari	James "Scotty" Scott	The wedding was aborted after Dinesh Jivani and Sunil Kumari arrived to stop the wedding.
17 February 2010	Sophie McKay	Kieran Mitchell	The wedding was stopped when Libby Jeffries and the police arrived before everyone accusing Kieran of killing Morgan Braithwaite.
18 July 2011	Roimata Ngatai	TK Samuels	TK ditched the altar after hearing his ex-wife Sarah was giving birth. they have since reconciled

Civil unions

Date	Partner	Partner	Notes
14 February 2006	Maia Jeffries	Jay Copeland	Took place on Valentine's Day and was the first civil union on a New Zealand primetime television programme.

See also