Wanderin' through Wandin Valley...

 Growing up in Australia, A Country Practice (ACP) was an Australian television soap opera staple. It ran on the Australian Seven Network for 1,058 episodes at 7.30 pm Monday and Tuesday nights, from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. 

The shows exterior locations were filmed in Pitt Town, Maraylya and Oakville on the outskirts of Northwestern Sydney. It also featured a number of native Australian animals, particularly the iconic Fatso, the Wombat with the lilting sounds of bell birds throughout the episodes adding to its enduring appeal both domestically and internationally. After the series was cancelled in 1993, A Country Practice was the longest running Australian TV drama. At its height, the show attracted 8–10 million viewers weekly, when Australia's population at the time was a mere 15 million, the show was sold to 48 countries.

I have watched almost all the episodes of the show over time and was amazed at the cutting edge nature of the show in dealing with topics that for the time were rather controversial like Anorexia Nervosa, drug abuse,sniffing spray cans, alcoholism, infidelity, Down Syndrome, Distemper for Dogs, Diptheria, PTSD, Spousal abuse, Psittacosis, independent journalistic publication pitfalls and a host of other topics that in the 1980s were not really spoken about openly.

I have traveled to many places around the district over the years since the show was on, and have even photographed a couple of weddings in some of the shows locations, though, this afternoon was the first focussed journey of mine to find the places that for many Australians in those early 1980s meant so much. I really enjoyed photographing the places and there was a moment or two when it felt like the past had touched the present.

I used images from scenes to provide the photographs with context, to show what had happened at those same geographic locations.

It was lovely seeing that some of the places so dearly loved by Australians, like the hospital, the store / pub and homes were not significantly changed or altered by the new owners...its nice to know that they (the owners and the council) have kept something of what connects us to our past. It would be nice if there was an ongoing Museum honouring major Australian productions with actual sets and memorabilia somewhere.

As I watch and recall, the parade of guests that were featured in episodes was incredible. Some episodes were directed by the great Australian actor / director John Meillon and were a whose who of Australian television and movie artists. That show could now boast the créme de la créme of Australia's acting talent.

lastly, I note with a tinge of sadness that some of the things that made Australia unique, some of its values, some that were reinforced and encouraged on ACP, together with some of the shows larrikins and the sense of Australian humour and language seem to have slipped quietly away. I do hold some hope however that the old Australian sayings still percolate in the regional parts of the country. #wandinvalley #acountrypractice #sydneyphotographer #australianapioneervillage #craigpeihopa #timelinephotography_au