Katarina Chapman

Katarina "Kat" Chapman,[2] played by Pia Miller, made her first screen appearance on 5 February 2015.[3] The character and Miller's casting was announced on 4 August 2014.[4] Miller auditioned for the role two weeks before the announcement and she began filming from 5 August. She commutes to and from Sydney for filming, as her family is based in Melbourne.[4] Of joining Home and Away, Miller said "I'm feeling very excited, it just feels like it's been such a whirlwind."[4]

Pia Miller plays Katarina Chapman

Katarina moves to Summer Bay from the city and she was initially described as being "tough and resilient".[4] Katarina is the Bay's new policewoman and Miller explained that her character was there "to enforce the law and help people", instead of being a "sex symbol".[5] Miller also called Katarina "the coolest chick ever" and said she was strong.[5] The actress added "she has been through a bit and had experiences - some good and some not so great. She came to Summer Bay with the idea of putting her head down and getting back to the city."[5] For her portrayal of Katarina, Miller earned a nomination for Best New Talent at the 2016 Logie Awards.[6]

Katarina arrives at the Summer Bay Caravan Park and meets Martin Ashford (George Mason), who begins flirting with her. Katarina starts her job as the Bay's new policewoman by telling Jett James (Will McDonald) off for taking a vehicle from the surf club at the request of his father. Katarina later arrests and questions Darryl Braxton (Steve Peacocke) about a murder. She also befriends Nate Cooper (Kyle Pryor). She checks up on Brax as she suspects he is planning to leave town, causing her senior Mike Emerson (Cameron Stewart) to reprimand her and assign her to the bus crash case. When Katarina tries to talk to Nate about the crash, he tell her he does not have time. He later apologises. Brax's partner Ricky Sharpe (Bonnie Sveen) comes to talk to Katarina, but she suspects she is being played. Katarina is later sent a photo proving Brax left town, breaching his bail conditions. She decides not to show the photo to her superiors, as she believes Brax is innocent. Katarina encourages Nate to move on from his ex-wife and they go on a couple of dates. After they have sex, Kat tells Nate she wants to keep their relationship a secret. She later ends their relationship when she feels that the locals are gossiping about her, but changes her mind. At the summer carnival, Kat spots Billie Ashford (Tessa de Josslin) face down in the rip and she and Nate save her. Kat realises that Billie has developed a crush on Nate and feels uncomfortable.

After she warns Billie to leave Nate alone, someone posts photo shopped pictures of Kat around the Bay. Kat accuses Billie, but Billie denies it. When Nate is arrested for attempted sexual assault of Billie, Kat supports him. She also reveals that her fiancé was abusive towards her. Chris Harrington (Johnny Ruffo) wears a wire and records Billie confessing to setting up Nate. After Billie goes missing from the hospital, Kat finds her on a cliff top and attempts to talk her down. When Billie panics that she is going to be arrested, Kat tries to grab her, but falls off the cliff. Billie manages to pull her back. Kat is shot by drug dealer Damo Adams (Josh Anderson). She almost dies, but James Edmunds (Myles Pollard) saves her. Kat becomes jealous of Nate and Ricky's closeness, and she and Nate eventually break up. They later get back together, and Nate accompanies Kat to see her family after her brother dies. Nate and Kat break up again when she realises that he wants to be with Ricky. Ash finds an upset Kat and he comforts her.