Kirsty Sutherland

Actress Christie Hayes auditioned for the role when she was thirteen years old and secured it.[1] In 2008 it was revealed that Hayes was returning to the serial and likened it to returning home when she stated: "It felt like coming home after I had moved out already, everything changed but was really still the same, it was refreshing and exciting."[2]

In 2009, Hayes decided to leave the serial again and filmed her final scenes in August.[3] She cited that the time felt right, but added she was happy she had come back for the time she had.[1] Hayes later said that she is not planning to return in the future, but will not completely rule it out.[4]

Kirsty arrives with the rest of her family and take over the caravan park. She has a short romance with Nick Smith (Chris Egan), but she dumps him already after a week when she has feelings for someone else. She has also dated Seb Miller (Mitch Firth). She later falls in love with Dylan Russell (Brett Hicks-Maitland), they begin a relationship but his mother Angie (Laurie Foell) claims he is fathered by Rhys Sutherland (Michael Beckley) meaning they are siblings. Disgusted they break things off, many months later it's revealed that Angie lied. She later falls in love with Kane even though he raped her sister Dani. This leaves Dani devastated and she tries to break them up on a number of occasions. Kirsty pretends that she is pregnant and keep the lie up for a while, unable to cover it up she then pretends to miscarry. Kirsty then shockingly discovers she is actually pregnant for real, she then has to tell everyone the news, after a few weeks in an ironic turn of events she miscarries for real. Dani accidentally runs Kane over and is later imprisoned. Kirsty also believes she did it on purpose. Everyone comes to accept her relationship in the end when they realise Kane has changed.

Kirsty and other members of her family later get trapped down a mine shaft, she and Jade Sutherland (Kate Garven) use their twin psychic powers to contact each other and get out alive. She later finds out her real twin isn't Jade after there was a mix up at birth and Laura DeGroot (also played by Hayes) is her real twin sister. Kirsty later flees Summer Bay with Kane for a life on the run after Kane is framed for armed robbery. Kirsty is also pregnant. Three years later, they return with the help of Irene Roberts (Lynne McGranger). Kane goes to prison after he blows the prom dance up. After he is released, Kirsty realizes she doesn't love Kane anymore and the couple split up and he leaves. Kirsty starts working at the Diner, then she gets a job at the school where she falls for Miles Copeland and they begin a relationship. Martin Bartlett (Bob Baines), the headmaster then falls for her and act creepy towards her. He threatens to sack her for not liking his advances, when that doesn't work he sacks Miles instead. Kirsty becomes pregnant, then miscarries. She and Miles break up but later try to patch things up. Kirsty's mother Shelley returns to support her and convinces her to move back to the City with her. Kirsty leaves with her son Ollie (Oliver Davis) without telling Miles.

The Armidale Express commented on Kirsty's relationship with Kane stating: "The Romeo and Juliet love story between Kane and love interest Kirsty (played by Christie Hayes) still remains one of the greatest (if not most controversial) Home And Away love stories."[5] Soap opera coverage website Holy Soap branded her final episode as a real tear jerker.[7] Holy soap also brand her wedding to Kane as "bizarre" because of the double wedding and stated "it's little wonder" that the pair had a private wedding.[9]