Mount Thomas
| Company type | Fictional town |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television setting |
| Headquarters | Victoria (fictional location) , Australia |
Area served | Setting of Blue Heelers TV series |
| Products | Police procedural drama setting |
Mount Thomas serves as the imaginary setting for the Australian police procedural drama series Blue Heelers, which was broadcast from 1994 until its conclusion in 2006. Filming took place in various Victorian suburbs such as Werribee, Williamstown, and Castlemaine for outdoor scenes, while indoor sequences were captured at the Seven Network studios.
Town overview
Within the narrative of Blue Heelers, Mount Thomas is located in Victoria’s rugged northern triangle near actual towns like Echuca, Swan Hill, and Benalla. According to episode 321, it lies inside the fictional Victorian Parliament electoral division of Hetherington. Population figures fluctuate between 7,805 (episode 56) and 6,399 (episode 266), which likely reflects a continuity inconsistency. The town maintains a police team consisting of five officers plus a detective, alongside facilities such as a courthouse, railway station with yards, hospital, primary and secondary schools, football and cricket clubs, and a swimming pool—small enough to foster close-knit community relations but sufficiently equipped with essential services.
Mount Thomas boasts its own municipal council and local newspaper titled The Gazette, as well as at least eleven pubs. "The Imperial" functions as the favored gathering spot for police officers and provides accommodation for some staff. Other drinking establishments referenced include:
- "The Commercial" (considered a rival to The Imperial)
- "The Railway"
- "The Federal"
- "The Steam Packet" (noted for poor reputation)
- "Customs House"
- "The Cumberland"
- "The Mainland"
- Several unnamed pubs located near the courthouse, Coles supermarket, and football oval
Additional lodging options encompass a motel, motor inn, and caravan park. The local country radio station is initially called 4TM before becoming 3SD, which operates out of nearby St Davids.
Throughout the series, real-world businesses are featured regularly, with characters frequently discussing economic difficulties and job-related issues. Mount Thomas is portrayed as being adjacent to a national park and surrounded by farmland, a river, and Lake Widgeree.
Origin of the name
During the third season, it is disclosed that Colonel Thomas founded the town, presumably inspiring its name.
Characters sometimes label Mount Thomas as the "Crime Capital of Australia" due to the recurring depiction of murders, thefts, kidnappings, explosions, shootings, and assaults in nearly every episode of Blue Heelers. Character Roz Patterson (portrayed by Australian actress Ann Burbrook) famously described it as "the place where elephants go to die."
St Davids
Mount Thomas and nearby Widgeree fall under the jurisdiction of the St Davids police district, headquartered in the larger fictional town of St Davids with a population exceeding 68,000. Inspectors Ted Faulkner and Russell Falcon-Price operate from there alongside Inspector Monica Draper of the Ethical Standards Division (E.S.D.). The C.I.B. based in St Davids oversees detectives stationed at Mount Thomas; however, this relationship is seldom elaborated upon beyond the early seasons. The St Davids Police Station also houses a district Forensic Services unit; specialized teams such as the Homicide Squad and Special Operations Group are based in Melbourne.
St Davids supports local media outlets including radio station 3SD and a Prime7 television broadcaster. It offers amenities absent in Mount Thomas like a multiplex cinema. The town lies roughly 37 kilometres from Mount Thomas.
Widgeree
Widgeree is a small, rural community with minimal commercial activity beyond a local pub and a football club. Law enforcement is managed by a modest one-officer station overseen by the Sergeant from Mount Thomas, although it generally operates independently. Following Senior Constable Al McCubbin’s suspension in season 1, the Widgeree station was closed, with Mount Thomas assuming responsibility for policing duties until its reopening in season 8. Upon reopening, the station was staffed by an overly enthusiastic senior constable who quickly lost favor with the residents and subsequently transferred out. Senior Constable Ian Goss, a friend of Tom Croydon, then took command but later resigned due to misconduct involving a criminal family. His successor was Senior Constable Rochelle de la Rue before the station closed once more. It briefly resumed operations in season 11 but was destroyed by fire and has remained closed since.
Initially described as requiring a 90-minute drive from Mount Thomas, the distance was later revised to approximately 20 minutes, diminishing the necessity for an independent station. Despite various incidents occurring in Widgeree throughout the series, there is no mention of fire or ambulance facilities in the area. The nearby Lake Widgeree is recognized for hosting boating and hunting activities.
Evanleigh
Mentioned infrequently within the series, Evanleigh serves as the residence of Regional Superintendent Clive Adamson, who supervises St Davids, Mount Thomas, and Widgeree. Although little detail about Evanleigh is provided, its status as the superintendent’s headquarters implies it is a relatively large urban center, possibly comparable to Ballarat.
Real locations used
The majority of outdoor scenes were filmed in Wyndham, Williamstown, and occasionally Castlemaine, all located within Victoria. Castlemaine, situated in the Victorian Goldfields area about 90 minutes north of Melbourne, was utilized primarily for aerial shots depicting Mount Thomas.
To minimize production expenses, filming locations were selected near Channel Seven’s studios in South Melbourne. Williamstown’s Victorian and Federation-style architecture effectively represented the town’s coastal environment. The nearby railway yards in Newport served as stand-ins for Mount Thomas rail yards and were frequently featured in crime-related scenes. Surrounding basalt plains near Werribee portrayed agricultural and bushland settings.
Northern perspectives were captured from the Burke & Wills monument looking toward the former Castlemaine Gaol, while southern views included shots over Castlemaine railway station aimed at the Post Office clock tower.
The exterior used for "The Imperial Hotel" is actually Beck's Imperial Hotel located in Castlemaine; this building currently functions as a secondhand store. It stands adjacent to the genuine Castlemaine Police Station (which never appeared on screen) and near the Castlemaine Courthouse. Early episodes even included footage of authentic Castlemaine police vehicles parked outside during filming.
The original Mount Thomas Police Station was represented by the former Williamstown Police Station where most street scenes were captured. After its sale and conversion into a private residence, it was specially adapted for filming purposes.
Scenes set in Widgeree were shot at Clarkefield, with Clarkefield Coach & Horses serving as the Widgeree pub. Nearby private homes were dressed to portray Widgeree Police Station during production.