The author of Mary Poppins is Australian. She was born in Queensland.
Okay, speaking of Queensland. McLeod's Daughters cracks me up because the only state they seem to refer to is Queensland. I never hear anyone mentioning Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, or New South Wales. They did mention Uluru once, so I guess that counts for the Northern Territory.
I don't even think they mention South Australia that much--where the show is filmed and takes place.
It's Queensland this and Queensland that. Peter Johnson's family lives in Roma Queensland. Meg's husband Kevin runs off to Queensland. Brick goes to work in Queensland.
What is the deal with Queensland?
Oh yeah.
Back to Mary Poppins.
The author changed her name from Helen Lyndon Goff to Pamela Lyndon Travers to PL Travers--pulling the same trick as JK Rowling. Don't tell them you're a girl. They won' t want to read your book. Sadly, probably true. Although Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary did okay for themselves.
According to the gospel of Wikipedia, Travers was not pleased with the Disney version of Mary Poppins. I guess it was all too cheerful for her.
So with that in mind, I think she'd be very pleased with this following video.
Okay, speaking of Queensland. McLeod's Daughters cracks me up because the only state they seem to refer to is Queensland. I never hear anyone mentioning Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia, or New South Wales. They did mention Uluru once, so I guess that counts for the Northern Territory.
I don't even think they mention South Australia that much--where the show is filmed and takes place.
It's Queensland this and Queensland that. Peter Johnson's family lives in Roma Queensland. Meg's husband Kevin runs off to Queensland. Brick goes to work in Queensland.
What is the deal with Queensland?
Oh yeah.
Back to Mary Poppins.
The author changed her name from Helen Lyndon Goff to Pamela Lyndon Travers to PL Travers--pulling the same trick as JK Rowling. Don't tell them you're a girl. They won' t want to read your book. Sadly, probably true. Although Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary did okay for themselves.
According to the gospel of Wikipedia, Travers was not pleased with the Disney version of Mary Poppins. I guess it was all too cheerful for her.
So with that in mind, I think she'd be very pleased with this following video.
Queensland is kind of like an Australian soapies heaven. It's where characters go when they're written out of the series. Don't know why it's Queensland though. I guess because it's far away enough to be both exotic (especially for those of us in the southern states) and too far away for an easy return.
ReplyDeleteTasmania was a plot element in Neighbours. Don't know how familiar you are with that show, but Harold was swept out to sea and presumed drowned. Years later he was brought back into the show, suffering amnesia (of course!), his absence being explained as him living in Tasmania for those missing years. That's a bloody long swim from Victoria to Tassie though.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteThat's so funny. Thanks for explaining the Queensland thing. It makes sense.
I haven't seen Neighbors yet. Maybe that will be next on my agenda--after we're done with Mcleod's Daughters.
I'm trying to think if our soap operas have a place like that. I watch Days of our Lives. There was some talk of Colorado. That's all I can think of.
Anyway. I'm going to go to Queensland one day and track down all these characters.
You know....I wonder. What if there was a show set in Queensland? Where would all the written off characters go?
LOL What Stephen said is true - everyone in Home and Away, Neighbours and various other soaps disappear to Qld.
ReplyDeleteWe're waiting for the day Qld closes it's borders as it's full to the brim with drama queens lol.
P.L Travers wrote a whole slew of Mary Poppins books, they were all at my local library when I was a kid and I loved every one of them; very different to the movie and much, much better!
Jayne,
ReplyDeleteI think I now know my destiny.
I'm going to go to Queensland and track down all these missing soap opera people.
Then I shall bring them home again.
I will be a hero.
Maybe I'll try reading Mary Poppins. I need something fun to read.
I Love QLD... warm weather, beaches and theme parks yipee... particualary i love the gold coast and have just (30 mins ago) booked accom n flights for a week there in January with my sis cant wait!
ReplyDeleteyay QLD i understand y everyone on McLeods escapes there... its the complete oppisote of where they are!
Yeah, also Queensland has a diverse mixture of habitats, from Brisbane and it's surrounding populated areas, full of soap opera actors, to outback stations, inland dry mining areas, tropical rainforests, oodles of wild coral reef, and even though a lot of other staters have been to "Surfers" (Surfer's Paradise - the very touristy place an hour's drive south of Brissy), most have not seen a bit of the more interesting areas of the state, so it is a fantastic place to use as somewhere where anything can happen.
ReplyDeleteAlso, due to the warm climate, there are a lot of people from other states who run off to Queensland when their life seems 'not quite happy', with the belief that somehow the warmth of Queensland will penetrate their cold and lonely little lives and make them "happy".
Sadly, for most, they take themselves with them, so stay 'not quite happy', despite the weather.
Hang on. I don't see any mention of sugar here?
ReplyDeleteRinniez and Tribog:
ReplyDeleteI am NOT a soap opera character, okay?
I'm just a regular old human being.
Stop trying to convince me to go to Queensland.