Ailsa Stewart (also Hogan) is a fictional character from the Australian television soap opera Home and Away, played by Judy Nunn.

The role of Ailsa was briefly played by theatre star Nancye Hayes whilst Nunn was taking leave due to illness in 2000.

[3] Of the storyline, Nunn commented "Just when I thought I'd been playing this rather nice woman, I had to take a different approach when Ailsa's dark past was revealed.

"[3] Author Andrew Mercado noted that long-hidden secrets like Ailsa's were a recurrent theme in Home and Away's early years.

[3] After Ailsa's grocery store is burnt down, leading to the creation of The Diner when she went into business with Bobby Simpson (Nicolle Dickson).

[3] Ailsa later gave birth to a son, Duncan Stewart (Alanna Ellis), which led to the writers exploring the effects of post-natal depression.

Ailsa's niece Emma Jackson (Dannii Minogue) arrives in Summer Bay after attacking her stepfather for trying to sexually molest her.

Just before Emma leaves, Ailsa takes in her former cellmate Margot Dean's two teenage children; Blake (Les Hill) and Karen (Belinda Jarret) much to Alf's chagrin.

They also begin fostering Simon Fitzgerald (Richard Norton), Sarah Thompson (Laura Vasquez) and Curtis Reed (Shane Ammann) in the years that follow.

Ailsa wakes up, but due to the brain damage she has suffered, her personality becomes cold and distant and she is resentful toward Alf for thinking of turning the machine off.

It is revealed that Ailsa was raped by a prison guard while incarcerated for her father's murder, resulting in Shauna's conception and her being subsequently adopted by the Bradley family.

When the diner burns down due to carelessness from Colleen Smart (Lyn Collingwood), Ailsa is saddened as it is her last link to Bobby.