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He is one of Australia's finest television actors - but rather than retiring comfortably at 65, Peter Phelps is still working an ordinary job more than a decade after he was swindled out of half a million dollars of his superannuation.
The Daily Mail's exclusive photos show the Logie-winning star of TV classics like Stingers, Baywatch, Underbelly and Blue Murder driving a minibus on Sydney's northern beaches.
Phelps was seen leaving a bus depot last week, wearing a uniform bearing the Transport for NSW logo.
With a large black bag under his arm, he also wore a high-vis vest, a black Sydney Swans cap and a pair of black Ray-Ban sunglasses.
It's understood he drives a minivan used in an on-demand public transport service to reach destinations not on the usual northern beaches bus routes, and also connect passengers to designated transport hubs like the B-Line.
Phelps started his career in the early 1980s, first beaming into Australian lounge rooms in the Channel Ten soap The Restless Years.
Peter Phelps, 65, the Logie-winning star of TV classics like Stingers, Baywatch, Underbelly and Blue Murder, is driving a minibus on Sydney's northern beaches
Phelps' best-known role came in 1998 when he starred as Senior Constable Peter Church in the long-running Nine drama Stingers. The role landed him a Most Popular Actor Logie in 2002
Rather than retiring comfortably at 65, Phelps is still working an ordinary job more than a decade after he was swindled out of half a million dollars of his superannuation
Following its demise in 1981, Phelps was cast in one of his best-known roles as John Palmer in the long-running Reg Grundy soap Sons and Daughters.
Hollywood beckoned and he headed stateside to star as lifeguard Trevor Cole in the iconic series Baywatch.
Writing about his time on Baywatch for Stellar in 2019, Phelps revealed he had to give co-star David Hasselhoff a few pointers on surf lifesaving.
'The Hoff actually asked for a few rescue board lessons when we kicked off,' he wrote.
'I gave him a four out of 10 because he wouldn't get high enough up the board and rarely made it to shore with the board intact.'
He added: 'That's what stunt doubles are for, Dave.'
Phelps also had a role playing an Australian surfer alongside Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in the 1991 thriller Point Break.
In 1994, he wrote an autobiography about his adventures trying to make it in Hollywood, called Sex without Madonna: The True Confessions of a Hired Gun in Tinseltown.
With a large black bag under his arm, he also wore a high-vis vest, a black Sydney Swans cap and a pair of black Ray-Ban sunglasses
It's understood he drives a minivan used in an on-demand public transport service to reach destinations not on the usual northern beaches bus routes
Phelps started his career in the early 1980s, first beaming into Australian lounge rooms in the Channel Ten soap The Restless Years
Following its demise in 1981, Phelps was cast in one of his best-known roles as John Palmer (pictured) in the long-running Reg Grundy soap Sons and Daughters
With his career failing to take off in the US, Phelps returned to Australia where he went on to do some of his finest work.
This period saw Phelps star in the likes of A Country Practice, the acclaimed mini-series The Lighthorsemen, and The Flying Doctors.
In 1993, he won an AFI Best Actor award for his role in an episode of the ABC drama G.P.
Phelps' best-known role came in 1998 when he starred as Senior Constable Peter Church in the long-running Channel Nine drama Stingers.
The role, which Phelps played from 1998 to 2004, earned him a Most Popular Actor Logie in 2002.
He then starred as Detective Inspector Joe Messina in Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, played Vince Marchello in Rescue: Special Ops, and was cast as Graham 'Abo' Henry in Blue Murder.
Hollywood soon beckoned and Phelps headed Stateside to star as lifeguard Trevor Cole (right) in the iconic series Baywatch
Phelps suffered a major financial setback when a company chaired by his financial adviser Brad Sherwin allegedly stole almost half a million dollars in superannuation from him
However, in 2015, Phelps revealed he had suffered a major financial setback, saying a company chaired by his financial adviser Bradley Thomas Sherwin had 'stolen' more than $400,000 in superannuation from him.
More than 300 self-funded retirees lost up to $27million after investing with Sherwin's company Wickham Securities, a mortgage finance lender that provided funds for borrowers buying or refinancing commercial property.
The company collapsed into administration in December 2012, owing millions to investors, and Sherwin was charged with multiple counts of fraud.
In November 2017, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but told he would be eligible for parole in five.
One former client, Beverly Holliday, told the court during a powerful and emotional victim impact statement that she was 'horrified and humiliated'.
'He stole my dreams of a fulfilling retirement after 52 working years by systemically and intentionally helping himself to my money without my knowledge or permission, and used it for his own self-interests all the while lying to my face.'
Phelps took to Facebook at the time to express his heartbreak over the massive financial loss, which amounted to 35 years of his superannuation savings.
'Superannuation stolen by bankrupt "financial adviser" Brad Sherwin,' he wrote.
'Was property investing super... [and] the c*** frauds us.
'Kids' future. Farm. Gone.'
More than 300 self-funded retirees lost up to $27million after investing with Sherwin's company Wickham Securities. (Brad Sherwin is pictured at Brisbane District Court in 2017)
Sherwin wasn't the only one to face serious consequences for the futures shattered by the collapse of Wickham Securities.
Garth Peter Robertson, the former CEO, was also sentenced in September 2016 to five years' jail, to be suspended after 20 months, after pleading guilty to various charges brought by ASIC, including fraud.
Judge Tony Moynihan said it was likely that Robertson's conduct had a 'devastating' impact on clients of the company, which collapsed in December 2012.
Between November 2010 and November 2012, Robertson illegally obtained more than $700,000 and used the funds to pay off tax debts, mortgage and credit card repayments.
His defence barrister, Damien Atkinson, said at the time that Robertson's wife had left him and he had lost his house and car, as well as battled with depression.
A decade on, it appears Phelps has taken on his bus-driving role to supplement his acting income, as he still has one foot in the TV and film industry.
From 2022 to 2025, Phelps starred as Gary Morrow, the foster father of siblings Cash and Felicity Newman, in the long-running Channel Seven soap Home and Away.
He has also recently had small roles in ABC series Optics, Plum and Return to Paradise.
His last feature film role was in 2021, where he starred alongside Steve Bastoni in the thriller Him.
While preparing this story, the Daily Mail approached Phelps' Northern Beaches address, but he was not at home. We left a number with his wife for him to contact us but did not hear back from him.
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