If you’ve ever tuned into *Home and Away*, you know the voice before you see the face — that unmistakable gravelly cry of “Stone the flamin’ crows!” Ray Meagher has been delivering it as Alf Stewart since 1988, making him the longest-running actor in a single Australian television role. With over 8,500 episodes under his belt, he’s a living piece of Aussie pop culture.
Full name: Raymond Francis Meagher ·
Born: 4 July 1944 ·
Age: 80 (as of 2025) ·
Role: Alf Stewart on Home and Away ·
Years on show: 1988–present ·
Awards: 17 Logie Awards
Quick snapshot
- Full name: Raymond Francis Meagher (Wikipedia)
- Born 4 July 1944 in Roma, Queensland (IMDb)
- Married to Gilly since 1970 (WHO Magazine)
- Plays Alf Stewart since 1988 (Wikipedia)
- Exact net worth (estimates vary from AUD 14 million to AUD 22 million; University of Missouri LSF Fellowship)
- Exact salary per episode — not publicly disclosed (University of Missouri LSF Fellowship)
- Biological children status: not clearly confirmed (IMDb)
- 1988: First episode of Home and Away (Wikipedia)
- 2010: Wins Gold Logie (Wikipedia)
- 2017: Medal of the Order of Australia (Madame Tussauds Sydney)
Nine key facts, one pattern: almost every category of Ray Meagher’s public life carries a blend of deep public documentation and careful privacy. Here’s a compact table laying out the verifiable data.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Raymond Francis Meagher (Wikipedia) |
| Date of birth | 4 July 1944 (IMDb) |
| Place of birth | Roma, Queensland, Australia (IMDb) |
| Spouse | Gilly (Lynne) Meagher (m. 1970, reported as 2010 in some sources; New Idea) |
| Children | Stepdaughter Rebecca; no confirmed biological children (WHO) |
| Occupation | Actor (IMDb) |
| Years active | 1975–present (IMDb) |
| Notable role | Alf Stewart on Home and Away (1988–present; Wikipedia) |
| Awards | 17 Logie Awards (Wikipedia) |
The implication: Meagher’s verified biographical pillars are solid, while the financial figures remain the domain of speculation.
Ray Meagher’s public profile is unusually verifiable for a celebrity, but his salary and exact net worth remain genuinely opaque. For fans and journalists alike, the gap between what’s confirmed (17 Logies, 37+ years in role) and what’s speculated (salary figures) is the real story.
What is Ray Meagher’s real name?
Raymond Francis Meagher: The full name
Ray Meagher’s birth name is Raymond Francis Meagher, as documented by Wikipedia (the crowdsourced biographical database). He was born on in Roma, Queensland, Australia, according to IMDb (the entertainment reference database).
He grew up on a sheep and cattle station, a rural upbringing that would later inform his authentic portrayal of the salt-of-the-earth Alf Stewart, as Alex Chen is Editor-in-Chief at Reef Brief, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.Related stories
