Alfred James "Alf" Stewart is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Home and Away, played by Ray Meagher.

As of 2017, Meagher is the sole remaining original cast member and he holds a Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving actor in an Australian serial.

For his portrayal of Alf, Meagher won the Gold Logie Award for Most Popular Personality on Australian Television in 2010.

"[1] During an interview published on the Channel 5 website, Meagher revealed that he did not audition for Alf and the producers originally saw him for the role of Tom Fletcher (eventually played by Roger Oakley).

[2] Meagher holds a Guinness World Record as the longest-serving actor in an Australian serial for portraying Alf since 1988.

[5][6] In April 2010, it was announced Meagher was taking a break from Home and Away, so he could travel to London to star in the West End production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Meagher said "[Home and Away] have very generously allowed me to do Priscilla in the West End from 20 September roughly until early March.

[11] Meagher revealed that he had been offered the part 18 months prior, but had to turn it down due to his filming commitments with Home and Away.

[11] On 17 January 2023, Home and Away celebrated its 35th anniversary and Meagher, the only original cast member still in the show, announced that he had signed a new five-year contract.

"[12] Meagher revealed that his new contract allowed him to work less weeks and give him some extra time, but he made it clear that it was not leading to his retirement.

[13] He further added "He can be a bit grumpy and gets stuck into people and you have to be quick to catch his apology if he is wrong, but on the whole he is a big softie.

[16] Alf then learned that Owen had died after being attacked by his son Eric "Ric" Dalby (Mark Furze).

[16] Alf attends Owen's funeral and when he sees his grandson, he is tempted to approach him, but he decided to take Morag's advice and wait.

[1] Alf married a local woman called Martha Baldivis and they moved into the Summer Bay House at the Caravan Park.

[17] Alf first appears in the pilot episode of the show, in which he sells the Summer Bay Caravan Park to Tom and Pippa Fletcher, unable to cope with living there following the death of his wife, Martha, three years earlier.

The revelation leads Alf to realise local bad boy Eric Dalby, whom he loathes, is his grandson.

The following year Alf is reunited with yet another long-lost family member when Roo introduces him to Martha, the daughter she gave up for adoption in 1988.

Alf decides to visit the Canberra war memorial with some students when he realises they do not care about ANZAC Day.

[18] In 2014, Stephanie Packer of the Herald Sun reported that the use of slang words, like those favoured by Alf, was decreasing in Australia, and television was the one of the only remaining places to hear them.

[19] In 2010, a video featuring a parody version of the character was created and posted online by an artist known as "Mr Doodleburger".

News outlets claimed the Facebook page and the videos were pro-rape,[24][25] leading for some to call for the social networking site to be more closely monitored.

[37] Rosemarie Milsome of the Newcastle Herald was critical of Alf's treatment of Chloe Richards breastfeeding her newborn daughter Olivia in the diner, labelling him "The stereotypical ocker middle-aged male; judgmental, laconic and a pain in the backside."

She added: "I thought Chloe should have decked Alf, but then I tend to fly off the handle and, anyway, it would have been difficult for her to have a good swing with a baby attached to her nipple.

[14] In Catherine Deveny's book "It's not my fault they print them" she joked that she was distressed after watching three episodes of Home and Away and not hearing Alf say "flaming mongrels".

Alf was one of the show's original 18 characters when Home and Away launched in 1988 and strewth, would you believe Meagher now holds a Guinness World Record for being the longest-serving actor in an Australian series?

Alf is beloved for his no-nonsense approach, his fondness for ocker headwear, dishing out advice (whether wanted or not) and his many catchphrases.

Loved by all in Summer Bay, he's often a sounding board for the locals, and should anyone be in need of a yarn or advice, you'll find him at the nearest wharf, fishing rod in hand.