Jessica Madison Jacobs (14 November 1990 – 10 May 2008) was an Australian actress and singer. She was best known for her role as Melanie Atwood in the second series of ''

The Saddle Club ''The Saddle Club'' is an Australian-Canadian children's television series developed by Sarah Dodd, based on the books written by Bonnie Bryant. Like the book series, the scripted live action series follows the lives of three best friends in ...

''.

Biography

Born in

Canberra, Australia Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The c ...

, Jessica Jacobs was the middle child of Joanna and Brendan Jacobs and the sister of Adam, Seth and Charlie Jacobs. Jacobs began acting at the age of nine. Jacobs appeared as Marta von Trapp in the Melbourne production of the 1999–2000 Australian stage revival tour of ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. Se ...

'', taking over from Rachel Marley who had played the role in the opening Sydney production. In addition to ''

'', Jacobs was featured in the television series ''

Fergus McPhail Fergus McPhail is an Australian children's comedy series that was released on Network Ten in 2004. Plot summary Fergus McPhail stumbles from crisis to crisis, mostly of his own making. His irrationally optimistic alter-ego acts as his conscien ...

'', ''

Worst Best Friends ''Worst Best Friends'' is an Australian children's television series first screened on Network Ten in 2002. The series is based on the children's books by Max Dann: ''Adventures with My Worst Best Friend'', ''Going Bananas'' and ''Dusting in Lo ...

'', and ''

Holly's Heroes ''Holly's Heroes'' is a children's drama series produced as a collaboration between the Nine Network in Australia and TVNZ in New Zealand. It was produced as a series of 26 episodes and first screened in 2005. Plot summary Holly McKenzie is a 1 ...

''. Jacobs replaced

Marisa Siketa Marisa Julia Siketa (born 7 November 1990) is an Australian actress, disc jockey, animal ambassador, and traffic manager. She is best known for her roles as the first actress to play Melanie Atwood on '' The Saddle Club'' and as Summer Hoyland o ...

on ''The Saddle Club'' after she left the show to star on ''

Neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera, which has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons an ...

''. Jessica studied ballet and classical violin when she was six years old. Jacobs eventually learned how to play bass guitar. Until her death she was a member of The Volten Sins. Jacobs and Janelle Corlass-Brown released a CD Single for their song "Trouble" in 2003. Jacobs was in Year 12 at the time of her death. She was six months away from leaving

Sandringham College Sandringham College, established in 1988, is a two-campus secondary college located in the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Sandringham. In 1987 the State Government of Victoria decided to merge four schools: Beaumaris High School, Hampton H ...

and getting her

Victorian Certificate of Education The Victorian Certificate of Education (often abbreviated VCE) is one credential available to secondary school students who successfully complete year 11 and 12 in the Australian state of Victoria. The VCE is the predominant choice for students ...

. Jacobs had planned to move in with older brother Adam and attend

Victorian College of the Arts The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...

to study bass guitar and establish herself as a musician. Jacobs was a Christian (Anglican Church of Australia). In the months before her death Jacobs took a break from acting to focus on school and music. Jacobs had been working at a local bakery until the day she died. Prior to her death, Jacobs was working on music for series three of ''The Saddle Club''. A year after Jacobs' death, her mother, Joanna Jacobs. founded the Jessica Jacobs School of Drama.

Death

On 10 May 2008, Jacobs was walking along the platform at

Cheltenham railway station, Melbourne Cheltenham railway station is located on the Frankston line in Victoria, Australia. It serves the south-eastern Melbourne suburb of Cheltenham, and it opened on 19 December 1881. History Cheltenham station opened on 19 December 1881, and w ...

, when she tripped and fell onto the tracks and was fatally hit by a train arriving at the platform. The police took several hours to identify her because Jacobs, who was returning from an overnight stay with a friend, was carrying a

fake ID Identity document forgery is the process by which identity documents issued by governing bodies are copied and/or modified by persons not authorized to create such documents or engage in such modifications, for the purpose of deceiving those w ...

. Jacobs was buried in

St Kilda Cemetery St Kilda Cemetery is located in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda East, Victoria. History St Kilda Cemetery covers a large block bordered by Dandenong Road, Hotham Street, Alma Road and Alexandra Street. It is bounded by a historic wall and conta ...

St Kilda, Victoria St Kilda is an inner seaside suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, 6 km (4 miles) south-east of Melbourne's Melbourne City Centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip Local governmen ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Discography

The Saddle Club discography

;Albums * ''Fun For Everyone'' (2002) – #45 Australia * ''On Top of the World'' (2003) – #20 Australia * ''Friends Forever'' (2003) – #38 Australia * ''

Secrets & Dreams ''Secrets & Dreams'' is the fourth album by cast members of the Australian television series ''The Saddle Club ''The Saddle Club'' is an Australian-Canadian children's television series developed by Sarah Dodd, based on the books written b ...

'' (2004) – #49 Australia * ''Hello World – The Best Of The Saddle Club'' (2004) * ''Summer With The Saddle Club'' (2008) * ''The Saddle Club – Greatest Hits'' (2009) * ''Grand Gallop – Hello World'' (2009) – Released in France only.

Singles

* ''Trouble'' (2003) * ''Princess Veronica Tour EP'' (2004)

Filmography

References

External links

*
The Volten Sins
on MySpace *
Jessica Jacobs School of Drama
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jacobs, Jessica 1990 births 2008 deaths Accidental deaths in Victoria (Australia) Australian child actresses Australian television actresses Actresses from Canberra Actresses from Melbourne Railway accident deaths in Australia Australian Anglicans 20th-century Australian women singers