Roberts received the role of Nick a day after he left drama school. Roberts quit the serial in 1994 to relocate to the UK to be with his girlfriend, Suzanne Dando. He met her while starring in a pantomime during the 1993 Christmas production break. Roberts told Lisa Anthony from BIG! that his girlfriend was just one of the reasons why he had chosen to leave.
Development
In one storyline Nick begins a relationship with Julie Gibson. However when Julie's brother Revhead learns of their romance he is not happy. As Tom Etherington from TV Week reported, Revhead "didn't do anything by the book" and "his head nearly exploded" because Nick is a police officer. He "tried his best" to separate the pair but they end the relationship on their own terms. Etherington added that "it became obvious they were better suited to being just good friends". After his relationship with Lucinda Croft ended, Nick fell for Roxanne Miller. A writer for the TV Times commented "The soap's unlucky-in-love copper Nick appears to have fallen in a big way for Roxy". They added that Nick might be embarking on a new relationship too soon, while Roxy also believed Nick still loved Lucinda. Roxy was wary of getting involved with Nick and when his ex-girlfriend Sandy turned up in the Bay, she decided to put him to "a love test", which Nick passed. Of Nick and Roxy, Roberts said "On the outside, Nick looks as if he got his act together after Lucinda left him, but underneath he's vulnerable. He fancies Roxy, but doesn't want his heart broken again." Nick and Roxy eventually shared a "passionate kiss" signalling the beginning of their relationship.
Storylines
Nick arrives in Summer Bay and rents a room from Marilyn Chambersat the beach house. Their housemate Bobby Simpson believes he is attracted to Marilyn but he soon befriends Julie, a young disabled woman. Julie's brother, local criminal Revhead, is unhappy about his sister spending time with a police officer and tries to get Nick into trouble with his superiors. Nick is concerned when Julie develops feelings for him but before he can put her straight Julie's father Alec dies of a heart attack and he has to support her in the aftermath. Nick eventually admits he only has feelings for Julie as a friend. Julie soon leaves the Bay to attend college. Nick is not single long as Donald Fisher plays matchmaker between him and his niece, Lucinda Croft, who arrives to live with him. Nick and Lou begin dating but when Lou's brother, David dies in a car accident, she turns to David's best friend, her former boyfriend Ryan Lee, for support and breaks up with Nick. Nick tries to get over Lou by dating another girl, Isabelle Britton, but realises he still loves her. As Lou is about to return to Perth with Ryan, Nick appears at the roadside and convinces Lou to stay. Ryan leaves, defeated, and Nick and Lou become engaged. Ryan returns and causes trouble for Nick and Lou by stealing a nude painting Lou has done of Nick and persuading Simon Fitzgerald and his friend Blake Dean to publicly display it. Nick's teenage brother Shane arrives in the bay and causes trouble by taking Donald's car for a joyride. Nick discovers that Shane is hassling Ryan because he believes he is having an affair with Lou. Lou admits to sleeping with Ryan and Nick tries to forgive her but the relationship collapses and Lou and Ryan leave the bay separately. Sometime after Nick dates Roxanne Miller for several weeks, but the relationship does not go anywhere. When Shane is accused of a burglary at a house where he was doing community service, Nick is sceptical of his protests of innocence at first but eventually believes Shane and supports him in court. Shane is jailed but later released when Tug O'Neale confesses. Nick helps convince Shane not to go back to his old self-destructive behaviour. Nick later convinces Shane to do work experience at the police station but this blows up in his face when Shane uses Nick's password to access confidential records and finds that his girlfriend Angel Brooks has a son. Nick then mediates between the couple after Shane finds the discovery hard to take. Nick is involved in a minor car accident when Sam Marshall runs out in front of him. He then joins a yoga class as part of his physiotheraphy, where he befriends local teacher Beth Armstrong. The pair arrange a date but Nick is shocked when Tug, one of Beth's pupils, confronts him and reveals he and Beth are in love and will start a relationship once he leaves school. Nick talks to Beth and she admits it is true. Beth leaves and Nick realises he wants to see more of the world than Summer Bay. He takes a posting in Africa and leaves.
Reception
The character made it into the news when a female fan from the United Kingdom, named "Kate" mailed a letter addressed to "PC Nick Parish, Summer Bay, Australia". Even though the letter did not have an official stamp, the British post office mailed it for free. Australia Post realised who the letter was meant for and delivered it to the Network Seven studios. Roberts said that he received plenty of fan mail from the UK, but he had never had one like Kate's letter. The letter simply read "Dear Nick We will be married next week Kate." Alex Cramb writing for Inside Soap said that Nick, Lou and Ryan were involved in a "tortured love triangle" that boasted scenes of "fantastic action".
