9.9.04
Hi. Is Ted Bullpit what we Sydneysiders call a "Westie"? If not, what is the correct epithet? Where is the location of the house used in the series - that might provide a guide. Do other Australian cities have "Westies"? Could he be a peculiarly Melbourne phenomenon... or Adelaide perhaps...
Wallie (Sydney
I am from the Hills District, though originally from Mt Druitt, and am a proud westie. I think Ted and Thelma definatley lived in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, somewhere around Penrith, though in the more suburban side of it (possibly in Kingswood)
I can't see it being set outside of NSW because they mentioned Rugby League a few times. Another reason why I think they were westies was because Ted went for the Western Suburbs Magpies.
Anyway, I've only seen a handfull of episodes (being only 15), so that's just what I have gathered.
'A simple "Rest In Peace" would suffice'
one episode they were watching a (VFL Game the real football :) not this rubbish today :) )
shareDefintely not Melbourne as in one episode Ted says Graham Kennedy isn't funny because "He's from Melbourne!" and not Queensland as Ted's wife refers to QLD as "Up North".
My guess is somewhere in Victoria - in one episode Ted barracks for the Magpies in the AFL.
Though I believe the setting of KK is meant to be ambiguous.
Pretty sure you've got the wrong Magpies. That's also the name of a NSW rugby league team. The show's being aired again, starting 28th April (Monday) on 7TWO so we can all watch and find out.
I always had the impression they were meant to be in the Western suburbs of Sydney, either inner west or out near Penrith, and things other people have said here seem to make that certain.
The show was definitely set in Sydney.
Ted's newspaper was always either 'The Sun' or 'The Daily Mirror'
When Ted is seen sitting in his chair reading 'Mandrake'
The backpage of the mewspaper often featured Rugby League based headlines.
I had never heard of the Rugby league Magpies, but I am from Melbourne. I have alway thought that the show was a Sydney show but the magpies bit alway confused me. I guess I thought for the time, the Magpies would be one of the VFL teams Sydney siders had heard of. Now I know.
shareThe location of the house used in Kingswood Country is very close to Channel 7 in Epping (Sydney) Ted probably is a 'westie' though Goanna Heights is a fictitious place & nowhere near Kingswood. Ted is not a Melbourne phenomenon He's Sydney's own.(even if his alter ego Ross Higgins does drive a toyota.)
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i saw an episode a few days ago where thelma went to melbourne and ted mentioned that they live in sydney
i love my cat! - R.I.P. Steve Irwin & Peter Brock
That's the second episode and you're right. Don't know how I missed it. They've just started re-running it and this time I noticed.
Thelma wanted to take the radio to Melbourne so she could listen to the Sydney news and the reason she gives is because "Melbourne news is strange."
Goanna Heights must be near West Waratah from Neighbours :) It couldnt be that hard to find the actual house.Just look for Neville
shareI think that where they were supposed to live represented everywhere in Australia. There were some referecnces that indicated that they lived somewhere in Sydney but Thelma always went shopping at Myers which was the major department store in Melbourne at the time the show was made.
shareMyers is a nationwide chain. They've been in Sydney since who-knows-when and are also in Hobart. (You might have heard of the Hobart Myer store fire?)
shareThey haven't been in Sydney since who-knows-when. Grace Bros was the major department store in Sydney at the time of the series. Myer took over Grace Bros in the early 80s, but the stores still retained the Grace Bros name. They were only rebranded Myer in 2004.
If you're interested: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/02/05/1075854001131.html
So let me get this straight; Myers sold their Sydney stores to Grace Bros in 1983 and then bought out Grace Bros two years later??
I have no idea how I missed Myers pulling out - I was still living in Sydney then. If I recall correctly, there was one in the city, one in Warriewood or maybe Dee Why but somewhere that way, and I think there was one in Parramatta and another one down south, possibly Hurstville. Can't think of anywhere else they may have been. Don't think there was one out Strathfield way but that wasn't my area at all. Not, mind you, that I tended to go to Myers or David Jones much - they always struck me as too upmarket and expensive for the 'normal' people and I much preferred Grace Bros. I'd heard Grace Bros were no longer there but didn't know it had anything to do with Myers so thanks for the link.
The streetscapes look northern suburbs, probably near Epping where the show was shot at Channel 7 studios. Ted was always telling Craig to take government buses.
( Ted: "Take the Mercedes."
Craig:"What Mercedes?"
Ted:"The blue one with the driver!")
This would rule out Kingswood or other suburbs that far west as Government buses only covered Inner City, Northern, Eastern, Southern and Inner Western suburbs at that time.
Interesting bit of trivia: According to Ted Bullpitt's biographical book released in 1997, "Leave Your Money On The Fridge: A Good Bloke's Life", representatives from SOCOG paid Ted $200,000 for his house so they could demolish it and build what we now know as ANZ Stadium in its place.
So Goanna Heights is now Homebush Bay.
Pickle me grandmother! Ted Bullpitt lived at the old State Brickworks?
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