Tina and Stephanie Bursill

Tina, who plays Ryan and Anita's mother Hilary, was born in Sydney, Australia. Her starsign is Leo. She actually wanted to grow up to be an anthropologist, but after Cremorne Girls High she visited the drama school NIDA and her first paying job was a part in "Grease" the musical. Tina's favourite food is Italian, and her favourite sport is swimming. She likes watching 'Startrek' late at night, and her all time idol is Vanessa Redgrave. Her favourite pastime is to have long, lazy lunches. She dislikes elitism and snobbery, and wants to be remembered as herself.

Before she started playing Hilary Scheppers, Tina already appeared in Heartbreak High as Trish Ferro, a reporter that did the dirty on Danielle.

But that certainly wasn't the first time Tina appeared on television: in 1975 she appeared in The Dave Allen Show in Australia, she played Sonia Stevens in Prisoner: Cell Block H in 1983 and 1984, Dee Tanner in Melvin, Son of Alvin and Det. Sergeant Anne Burke in television series Hey Dad..! in 1984, Suzy in Robbery in 1985, Billie Russell in A Single Life in 1986, Paula in Jilted in 1987, then she appeared in Afraid to Dance in 1988, in This Man... This Woman in 1989 as Liz Maddocks, in Jackaroo as Martha Logan in 1990, in Spider & Rose in 1994, as Sister Abbott, in Billy's Holiday in 1995 as Louise, and as Kerri Ingram in Aftershocks in 1998.

Tina's daughter Stephanie also appeared in Heartbreak High: she played English exchange student Clare Grant in episode 10, 11, 12 and 13 of series 7.