Julie Martin (Neighbours)

Julie Martin
Julie Mullins as Julie Martin (1994)
Neighbours character
Portrayed by	Vikki Blanche (1985) Julie Mullins (1992–1994)
Duration	1985, 1992–1994
First appearance	18 March 1985
Last appearance	3 October 1994
Created by	Reg Watson
Introduced by	Reg Watson (1985) Don Battye (1992)
Classification	Former; regular
Profile
Occupation	Bank teller Secretary Newsagent Used car salesperson Student
Vikki Blanche as Julie Martin (1985)
Father Roger Bannon Mother Anne Robinson Adoptive father Jim Robinson Half-brothers Roger Bannon Jr. Paul Robinson Scott Robinson Half-sisters Jill Ramsay Lucy Robinson Husband Philip Martin (1986–94) Daughters Hannah Martin Stepsons Michael Martin Stepdaughters Debbie Martin Grandfathers Bill Daniels Grandmothers Helen Daniels Aunts Rosemary Daniels Nephews Andrew Robinson

Julie Martin (also Robinson) is a fictional character from the Australian soap opera Neighbours. Originally played by Vikki Blanche, she made her first screen appearance during the show's first episode broadcast on 18 March 1985. The character departed in the same year. When she returned in 1992, Julie Mullins took over the role. Julie married Philip Martin and became his children's stepmother. Julie and Philip also had a daughter, Hannah. Julie's storylines have included struggling to befriend her stepson, her crumbling marriage and the discovery that she is a product of rape. Julie was portrayed as a busy body and gossip.

Julie is described as being unable to keep her nose out of other people's business. She has a "brusque and pompous manner" which annoyed those around her. In her later years Julie had become more obnoxious than she previously had been. She was branded unbearable in Neighbours' anniversary book The first ten years. As a mother Julie was embarrassing, she humiliated her children with her antics. Her persona meant she found it hard to hold a job because she was never suited to anything she tried. She firewalled herself with these traits, as she genuinely had a good heart but refused to show it. The anniversary book describes this as the reason she was disliked by almost everyone she encountered.

After two years of playing Julie, Mullins decided to leave Neighbours in 1994. The producers wanted the character to have an exciting storyline, so they decided to kill her off. Mullins said "It was time for me to move on and I'd never have escaped the image of grumpy old Julie unless she actually died." During a murder mystery weekend, which was attended by many Erinsborough residents, Julie's body was found at the bottom of a staircase. Mullins explained that originally Julie was going to commit suicide, but the writers changed the storyline a couple of days before filming without telling her. Mullins told Inside Soap's Victoria Ross that this meant in the lead up to Julie's death, she played her "like a desperate woman on the verge of suicide!" Philip was initially suspected of killing his wife after the other guests witnessed him having an argument with Julie before she died.

Julie, known for her nosy and gossipy tendencies, indirectly derails her friend Lorraine Kingham's (Antoinette Byron) engagement to her ex-boyfriend Des Clarke (Paul Keane) by talking Lorraine into calling off the wedding on the eve of the ceremony. While working at the Pacific bank one day, Julie is held up by Gordon Miller (Red Symons) who threatens to shoot her unless she complies with the robbery. She later has to describe Miller to the police when they begin the hunt for him. Following the bank ordeal, Julie clashes with Anna Rossi (Roslyn Gentle) over dating her father, Jim.