Edward Dunglass
Edward Dunglass was a main character in 1999-2000. Apart from his rather startling Gothic appearance, he is best remembered for his relationship with Peta Janossi and beginning his journey with the devastating Huntington's Disease. He was played by Stephen James King.
Backstory[]
In the early 1980's Edward's mother Judith Ackroyd had an affair with university lecturer Edward Dunglass Snr. He later died from Huntington's Disease. Edward Jr knew there was a high likelihood that he too would develop the incurable condition and started to act out. He donned Gothic clothes, wore make-up and adopted a reckless "live for the moment" attitude.
1999-2000[]
Judith became headmistress of Summer Bay High School and Edward moved to the town with her. He quickly attracted attention for his decidedly non-surfer look. Although he clashed with Will Smith at first, they became good friends. He also befriended Peta Janossi, Mitch McColl and Duncan Stewart. After learning from Peta that she hadn't had a proper funeral for her late grandmother (the grandmother had died while she was visiting some family in Poland), they held a memorial service in the cemetery. Colleen Smart saw the candles and jumped to the conclusion that Edward was dabbling in the occult.
By now Edward was starting to develop definite symptoms of his illness, including muscle spasms and temporary paralysis. This drove him to experience as much as possible without caring about the consequences. His thrill-seeking attitude began to alarm and annoy people. He was now going out with Peta but she broke up with him after he dived off Jump Rock. She issued him with an ultimatum - he could either continue with the risk-taking and they'd break up, or he could cool his jets. At first Edward chose the former option but soon had a change of heart. He reconciled with Peta and their relationship moved to the next level. They staged an unofficial wedding in the Caravan Park and moved in together, though this was into his mother's house.
After turning 18 Edward took a test to see if he had Huntington's Disease. As expected, he got the bad news. At first he tried to downplay the diagnosis but he eventually broke down in front of Peta and Mitch. Judith gave him a videocassette which his late father had recorded for him many years earlier. He had asked for it to be given to Edward if he too inherited the disease. After seeing it, Edward calmed down. He removed his Gothic make-up and asked his mother for his trust money in advance. With it, he and Peta travelled to Rome to stay with his aunt.
Little is known about what happened to Edward or Peta after this. Will Smith travelled to visit them in 2001 and on his return, said that Edward's condition had deteriorated. It can be assumed that Edward has since passed away. The typical life expectancy for someone diagnosed with Juvenile Huntington's Disease is ten years.
Family[]
Father Arthur Edward Dunglass
Mother Judith Ackroyd