Blue Hills (radio serial)
| Company type | Radio serial |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Entertainment |
| Founded | 28 February 1949 |
| Founder | Gwen Meredith |
| Defunct | 30 September 1976 |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Radio drama series |
| Parent | Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) |
Blue Hills was a prominent Australian radio serial aired by the ABC over a span of 27 years, from 28 February 1949 until 30 September 1976. With a total of 5,795 episodes, each approximately 15 minutes long, it ranks among the globe’s longest-running radio dramas.
The series, conceived and scripted by Gwen Meredith, depicted the lives of families residing in the fictional rural Australian town of "Tanimbla," with the title derived from the home of Dr. Gordon. Blue Hills was the successor to Meredith’s earlier serial The Lawsons, which ran for 1,299 episodes and shared many characters and thematic elements.
History: background
Blue Hills emerged as a continuation following Gwen Meredith’s previous series The Lawsons, which had been developed by ABC play editor Leslie Rees alongside Frank Clewlow to encourage increased soya bean cultivation during World War II. Although Meredith had limited firsthand knowledge of rural life, she enhanced her understanding through time spent on a sheep station near Gunnedah. The program debuted on 21 February 1944 and quickly gained a dedicated rural listenership.
The plot revolved around John Lawson (played by Vivian Edwards), a farmer, his wife Ellen (Ailsa Grahame), and their daughter Sue (Jane Holland). Combining elements typical of soap operas with agricultural education and contemporary farming practices, the show evolved over five years. Following significant cast changes and under producer Charles Wheeler’s guidance—who prioritized authentic dialogue—Meredith concluded the series to introduce a broader narrative scope.
The Lawsons concluded its run on 25 February 1949, with Blue Hills commencing broadcast just three days later.
Broadcast on ABC’s major city stations as well as regional networks at 1 pm AET, Blue Hills also featured an evening repeat in metropolitan areas until 1954. Initially restricted to Eastern States and South Australia due to telecommunications limitations, its reach expanded to Darwin in 1952 and Western Australia by 1955 through the use of transcription discs and magnetic tapes supplied from Sydney. The final episode was extended to a half-hour duration to wrap up ongoing storylines. Notably, Queenie Ashton delivered the opening line portraying Mrs Gordon, while her character Granny Bishop spoke the closing words ("good bye") in the concluding episode.
The finale is archived at the National Film and Sound Archive.
List of actors
Numerous Sydney-based performers featured in Blue Hills, with several having also appeared in Gwen Meredith’s previous radio serial The Lawsons.
| Name | Role | Notes/Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Archdale | Richard Darbyshire | |
| Queenie Ashton | Lee Gordon (1949) / Rose Bishop (1954) / Granny Emily Bishop (1954-1976) | |
| Julianna Allen | ||
| Philippa Baker | Scottish nurse | |
| John Barnes | ||
| Ray Barrett | ||
| Joan Bruce | ||
| Faye Anderson | ||
| Lola Brooks | Fanny/Judy Macarthur | |
| Barbara Brunton | Sally Howard (?-1952) | |
| Keith Buckley | Nick Macarthur | |
| Alma Butterfield | Mrs Jenkins (1950) | |
| Neva Carr Glynn | ||
| Amber-Mae Cecil | Jackie Macarthur / Emmie Lawson (married Ted in 1951) | |
| Rupert Chance | Ted Lawson (married Emmie in 1951) | |
| Peg Christensen | Emmie Lawson | |
| Marie Clarke | Mary Howard (love affair with Peter Macarthur) | |
| Reg Collins | Joe Walters / Ned Walters (Joe's brother) | |
| Ruth Cracknell | Ruth Lawson | |
| Patti Crocker | Mandy Gordon / Meg Macarthur / Anne (Meg's daughter) | |
| Marshall Crosby | Josh Roberts | |
| Therese Desmond | Amelia | |
| Ed Devereaux | ||
| Myrna Dodd | Jackie Macarthur | |
| Maiva Drummond | Jean Lawson / Rose Bishop (1964-1976) | |
| John Ewart | Final episode appearance | |
| Tom Farley | Jim Macarthur (married Meg) | |
| Winifred Green | Martha Walters | |
| Gordon Grimsdale | Dr Neil Gordon (Dec. 1949) | |
| Anne Haddy | Elizabeth Ross-Ingham | |
| Marcia Hathaway | Hospital nurse | |
| Madelaine Howell | ||
| Faye Kelton | ||
| Nellie Lamport | Hilda (the Lawsons' cook, aunt of Emmie; married Joe Walters late in life) | |
| Ethel Lang | Dr Gordon's charlady (1949)/Meg Macarthur | |
| Hal Lashwood | Chris Lawson (in The Lawsons) | |
| Camilla Lay | Maisie Jenkins (-1949) | |
| Nigel Lovell | Polish airman | |
| Paul Maclay | ||
| Charles McCallum | Ed Bishop (son of Granny, married to Rose) | |
| John McCallum | ||
| Robert McDarra | ||
| John Meillon | ||
| Lynne Murphy | ||
| Coralie Neville | Trixie Gordon (daughter of Dr Gordon) 1949 | |
| Ida Newton | Auntie Gertie (1949) | |
| John Norman | Jerry Walters | |
| John Nugent-Hayward | Dr Neil Gordon (March 1949) | |
| Max Osbiston | Dr Frobisher (married Mandy Gordon) (1976) | |
| Pat Pearson | Judy Macarthur | |
| Gwen Plumb | Emmie Lawson (niece of Hilda; married Ted in 1951) | |
| Ron Roberts | ||
| Madge Ryan | ||
| June Salter | Sally Howard (?-1952) | |
| Thelma Scott | Aunt Laura | |
| Hilda Scurr | ||
| Sheila Sewell | Emmie Lawson (married Ted Lawson in 1951; appeared to 1953) | |
| Georgie Sterling | Claire Throsby (love affair with Anderson Roberts) | |
| Nancye Stewart | Mabel Ross | |
| Rod Taylor | Anderson Roberts (love affair with Sally Howard) | |
| Ngaire Thompson | Jenny Roberts | |
| Morris Unicomb | Bruce Gordon (son of Dr Gordon) | |
| Lou Vernon | Col. Ross-Ingham | |
| Bud Tingwell | ||
| Peter Whitford | Jack Porter |
Among those who produced the show were:
- Frank Harvey
- Robert Montgomery
- Eric John, whom Gwen Meredith credited significantly for much of the program's success
Signature tune
The well-known opening signature tune originated from a brief orchestral composition titled Pastorale, created by British composer Ronald Hanmer. Hanmer was unaware that the ABC had adopted his piece and that it had become iconic until his relocation to Australia in 1975. Subsequently, he developed the composition further into Blue Hills Rhapsody, which was recorded with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. The version initially used for the program was performed by the New Century Orchestra.
Books
Gwen Meredith authored multiple books inspired by the series:
- The Lawsons (1948)
- Blue Hills, Angus and Robertson (1950)
- Beyond Blue Hills (1953)
- Into the Sun (1961)
When adapting the radio serial Blue Hills for print, I encountered a less daunting challenge than with The Lawsons, as Blue Hills had only been broadcast for just over a year. This required reducing approximately half a million words to an eighty-thousand-word volume, necessitating considerable omissions. Nevertheless, the primary characters and storylines were retained, continuing the narrative up to its current broadcast point. GWEN MEREDITH. (Author's note, Blue Hills (1950))
See also
- The Archers – recognized as the world's longest-running radio soap opera, having aired more than 19,200 episodes by 2019.
External links
- Hear the theme from Blue Hills available on australianscreen online
- In 2008, the theme from Blue Hills was inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.
- Discover the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's Women in Early Radio collection, highlighting women's significant roles in Australian radio history, including personalities such as Queenie Ashton, Ethel Lang, Amber Mae Cecil, and Grace Gibson.