Phoebe Tonkin was born in Sydney in 1989 and from the age of 4 participated in various dance classes including classical ballet, tap, hip hop and contemporary dance.
Keen to pursue her passion for acting Phoebe completed various courses at the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) at the Wharf Theatre from the age of 12. Courses at ATYP included Shakespeare, Script to Stage, Clowning Around and Musical Theatre.
Attending Queenwood school at Balmoral, renowned for its excellent drama department, Phoebe attended private drama classes and became involved in all school productions including Antigone, White Crane and Venetian Twins. Each year Phoebe took part in the school's Shakespeare festival culminating in winning the state final in 2005 in a Midsummer Nights Dream.
At 16 Phoebe is the youngest member of the principal cast of H2O and her role as Cleo is her first TV appearance. Winning this role was a dream come true and although not the strongest swimmer originally, Phoebe worked hard to develop her swimming skills during pre production.