Goodbye to Neighbours, Prisoner, and more? Nunawading Studios shuts down after 60 years
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It stood for six decades as a cornerstone of Australian television.
From Prisoner to Neighbours, countless stars and stories were born within its red brick walls.
Now, one of Melbourne’s most iconic studios has closed its doors for good.
Nunawading Studios, once the home of ATV-0, Network 10 and later Neighbours, was officially decommissioned after Fremantle Australia vacated the site in August.
The production company wrapped filming on Neighbours in July, followed by the upcoming miniseries Imposter in August, before dismantling sets, removing props and clearing out technical equipment.
Developers Bazem, who own the property, planned to transform the site into a distribution centre as part of its Forest Ridge townhouse development.
Only the original exterior, protected by a 2016 heritage overlay, would remain intact, while interior spaces and well-known backlot locations such as Lassiters were expected to be demolished.
Built on a former apple orchard, ATV-0 began broadcasting on 1 August 1964 under transport magnate Reg Ansett’s Austarama Television Pty Ltd.
The station made history as Australia’s first to broadcast in colour in 1967, the first to deliver a live news report with coverage of Prime Minister Harold Holt’s drowning, and the first to televise a live Melbourne Cup.
Opening night featured variety show This Is It, with Diana Trask, Ray Taylor and Lionel Long, and was co-hosted by Barry McQueen and Nancy Cato, who recalled: ‘I was at the opening. It was extraordinary. Ray Taylor was there, stars all over the place. I was in the tunnel waiting to go on. I made a fool of myself, because I was so naive and such a country kid and I waved “Hello, Mum!” to my mother on camera. Brian Naylor, who was a dear friend of mine, told me “You didn’t do that in professional television.”’
The tunnel she described would later be converted into a dressing room for Prisoner and eventually reused as Erinsborough High for Neighbours.
Over the years, the studios hosted Young Talent Time, The Magic Circle Club, The Go Show, Kommotion, The Box, The Price Is Right, Eyewitness News, Mass For You at Home, Perfect Match, Holiday Island, The Early Bird Show, The Comedy Company, Carsons Law, Rove Live, and The Morning Show with Bert Newton.
It became a launchpad for stars such as Olivia Newton-John, Pat Carroll, Tina Arena and Jana Wendt, while Eddie McGuire famously began his first job after being dropped off there by his father.
Fans of Neighbours would recognise it as the backdrop for countless storylines, from Harold Bishop’s farewell to Madge, to the bustling Lassiters complex that grew out of the tropical resort set of Holiday Island.
Actors including Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Dennis and Ryan Moloney spent decades working on the site, while Sally-Anne Upton reflected: ‘I never, ever thought that this building would be such a significant part of my life for 35 years. I came out for Bingles at the end of 1989, then we shot The Comedy Company out of here, all the Crawfords Productions, like Law of the Land … Prisoner was shot out here.. and then, of course, Bert Newton filmed out of here before Como. I was a regular on his show. Everybody used to queue up at the carousel turnstile for the audience to come in. It is fundamental what we’re losin. The only thing that will be remaining will be the big red brick building, because that’s heritage listed. When the developers come, all of this and the houses on the outside will all be pulled down.’
Neighbours will continue airing until December, with Imposter set to screen on Network 10 and Channel 5 UK.
Producer Jason Herbison paid tribute to the site, saying: ‘In my 13 years of driving through the gates of Nunawading Studios, not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about the incredible history of the site. As a child of the 80’s who grew up in front of a television, I have loved walking down the corridors and thinking about the past…’
‘Neighbours and the many, many shows that came before it. I’ve spent hours looking at corners and wondering what they were used for, before I reinvented them as a pocket of Erinsborough. I will certainly miss sitting by Lassiters Lake and pondering how to get myself out of whatever storyline pickle I happened to be in at the time. It’s the end of an era and I feel nothing but gratitude for Neighbours and the other productions I have been privileged to make inside the red brick walls over the years – thank you Nunawading.’
Some of the most unforgettable Neighbours storylines were filmed at Nunawading Studios, including the fiery romance between Chloe and Mel.
Source: Youtube/Neighbours Official Channel
The closure of Nunawading Studios marks the end of a place that shaped countless memories on screen.
It’s a reminder of how certain shows can leave a lasting impact far beyond their final episode.
For another look back at the programs that defined an era, there’s a story worth revisiting.
Read more: TV Time Machine: The Aussie Shows That Shaped a Generation
As Melbourne loses this historic studio, will Australian television ever see another place with such a legacy?
From Prisoner to Neighbours, countless stars and stories were born within its red brick walls.
Now, one of Melbourne’s most iconic studios has closed its doors for good.
Nunawading Studios, once the home of ATV-0, Network 10 and later Neighbours, was officially decommissioned after Fremantle Australia vacated the site in August.
The production company wrapped filming on Neighbours in July, followed by the upcoming miniseries Imposter in August, before dismantling sets, removing props and clearing out technical equipment.
Developers Bazem, who own the property, planned to transform the site into a distribution centre as part of its Forest Ridge townhouse development.
Nunawading Studios decommissioned after Fremantle departure. Image source: Instagram/neighbours
Only the original exterior, protected by a 2016 heritage overlay, would remain intact, while interior spaces and well-known backlot locations such as Lassiters were expected to be demolished.
Built on a former apple orchard, ATV-0 began broadcasting on 1 August 1964 under transport magnate Reg Ansett’s Austarama Television Pty Ltd.
The station made history as Australia’s first to broadcast in colour in 1967, the first to deliver a live news report with coverage of Prime Minister Harold Holt’s drowning, and the first to televise a live Melbourne Cup.
Opening night featured variety show This Is It, with Diana Trask, Ray Taylor and Lionel Long, and was co-hosted by Barry McQueen and Nancy Cato, who recalled: ‘I was at the opening. It was extraordinary. Ray Taylor was there, stars all over the place. I was in the tunnel waiting to go on. I made a fool of myself, because I was so naive and such a country kid and I waved “Hello, Mum!” to my mother on camera. Brian Naylor, who was a dear friend of mine, told me “You didn’t do that in professional television.”’
The tunnel she described would later be converted into a dressing room for Prisoner and eventually reused as Erinsborough High for Neighbours.
Over the years, the studios hosted Young Talent Time, The Magic Circle Club, The Go Show, Kommotion, The Box, The Price Is Right, Eyewitness News, Mass For You at Home, Perfect Match, Holiday Island, The Early Bird Show, The Comedy Company, Carsons Law, Rove Live, and The Morning Show with Bert Newton.
It became a launchpad for stars such as Olivia Newton-John, Pat Carroll, Tina Arena and Jana Wendt, while Eddie McGuire famously began his first job after being dropped off there by his father.
Fans of Neighbours would recognise it as the backdrop for countless storylines, from Harold Bishop’s farewell to Madge, to the bustling Lassiters complex that grew out of the tropical resort set of Holiday Island.
Actors including Jackie Woodburne, Alan Fletcher, Stefan Dennis and Ryan Moloney spent decades working on the site, while Sally-Anne Upton reflected: ‘I never, ever thought that this building would be such a significant part of my life for 35 years. I came out for Bingles at the end of 1989, then we shot The Comedy Company out of here, all the Crawfords Productions, like Law of the Land … Prisoner was shot out here.. and then, of course, Bert Newton filmed out of here before Como. I was a regular on his show. Everybody used to queue up at the carousel turnstile for the audience to come in. It is fundamental what we’re losin. The only thing that will be remaining will be the big red brick building, because that’s heritage listed. When the developers come, all of this and the houses on the outside will all be pulled down.’
Neighbours will continue airing until December, with Imposter set to screen on Network 10 and Channel 5 UK.
Producer Jason Herbison paid tribute to the site, saying: ‘In my 13 years of driving through the gates of Nunawading Studios, not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought about the incredible history of the site. As a child of the 80’s who grew up in front of a television, I have loved walking down the corridors and thinking about the past…’
‘Neighbours and the many, many shows that came before it. I’ve spent hours looking at corners and wondering what they were used for, before I reinvented them as a pocket of Erinsborough. I will certainly miss sitting by Lassiters Lake and pondering how to get myself out of whatever storyline pickle I happened to be in at the time. It’s the end of an era and I feel nothing but gratitude for Neighbours and the other productions I have been privileged to make inside the red brick walls over the years – thank you Nunawading.’
Some of the most unforgettable Neighbours storylines were filmed at Nunawading Studios, including the fiery romance between Chloe and Mel.
Source: Youtube/Neighbours Official Channel
The closure of Nunawading Studios marks the end of a place that shaped countless memories on screen.
It’s a reminder of how certain shows can leave a lasting impact far beyond their final episode.
For another look back at the programs that defined an era, there’s a story worth revisiting.
Read more: TV Time Machine: The Aussie Shows That Shaped a Generation
As Melbourne loses this historic studio, will Australian television ever see another place with such a legacy?
