Year: 1966
Location: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park
Description: This is the original building used as Ranger Headquarters in the pilot episode. The building is still in use as the operations unit of the National Parks & Wildlife in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.
Hello!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great blog you have! I fondly remember Skippy from my beloved childhood, and I have been looking for photos and facts about the series for a while. My question to you is this; do you have any interior photos of the Headquarters from the pilot episode? I have seen it on youtube, the episode that is, but I would love to see better pics of the interior decor for sure! I actually love the Headquarters from the series, but the house used in the pilot seems bigger and really interesting as well! May I mention that I live in Norway? Yepp, that's right! I'm a devoted fan :-)
Camilla
Hello Camilla from Norway!
DeleteThank you for your generous comment. Unfortunately I don't have any interior photos of this building. The day I took my pictures was a Saturday and the place was closed. You may be interested in looking at these places on Google maps satellite images. The address for the Headquarters in the pilot episode is Ku-ring-gai Chase Road, Mount Colah, New South Wales. I don't have the street number. The address for the Skippy film set is 13 Namba Road, Duffys Forest, New South Wales. You may also be interested in this site www.waratahpark.org.au/ dedicated to the preservation of Waratah Park. Always good to hear from another Skippy fan. I intend to rephotograph as many episodes as I possibly can.
Brett
This site is an absolute bloody credit to you Brett.
DeleteThe pictures are outstanding in every way. Keep up the good work son....
I have started helping the Duffy's Forest Residents Association with weeding and tidying up Waratah Park. I didn't know till now there was another building for the pilot episode, I'll have to try a locate it.
ReplyDeleteBrett
I also would like to help just got to find some spare time. The Headquarters in the pilot episode is located on Ku-ring-gai Chase Road just before you drive down to Bobbin Head.
DeleteHi Brett, The next cleanup day is this Sunday June 9th. You can contact me on brett.j.miller @ gmail.com for more information or http://duffysforest.com/index.php/waratah-park/about-waratah or https://www.facebook.com/groups/waratahpark/
ReplyDeleteWhere in Ku ring gai chase park did they film the opening theme?
ReplyDeleteThanks
Andrew
Hi Andrew thanks for the question, and I hope my answer is adequate. The opening sequence in the second season where Sonny blows on the gum leaf. Was filmed on a rock formation off to the left of the Basin fire trail,on the crest of the hill just before you start descending towards the Basin. In the next scene where Skippy hops through the bush. I think this was filmed inside Waratah Park. Ed Devereaux and Tony Bonner's scenes were filmed inside Waratah Park. Ken James scene was filmed around Cowan Creek near Cottage Point.Then back to the rock formation next to the Basin fire trail. Where Sonny and Skippy are running and hopping towards each other. I have already rephotographed this last scene on my post tilted season 2.
DeleteWorth noting that the helicopter which was used in this episode (VH-AHF) crashed shortly after filming concluded (probably only a week or two), killing everybody on board.
ReplyDeleteA sister craft owned by the same company (Rotor-Work), VH-AHI, was used in the other Season 1 & 2 episodes - AHF had black floats, AHI had silver.
in "May Day", Jerry remarks that he'll be glad when he has "his" chopper back; the one in that episode has black floats and AHF registration letters. It crashes (in a very similar way to how AHF crashed in real-life), and it's been claimed that the helicopter wreckage featured in the episode is that of the real AHF...
Thank you Dr Keats for your very informative comments regarding the helicopters.
DeleteI can't tell you what a fantastic Website THE SKIPPY PROJECT is. The attention to detail is terrific.
DeleteHow were the original Filming locations found and compared to the way they look now ?. It must've been an impossible feat !.
I'd also like to see a good clear copy of the WARATAH PARK Sleeve Patch as seen on the Ranger Uniforms. These are different to the ones on the Patrol Boat and Cars. The modern versions differ as well.
What happened to the White XT Falcon Wagon ?. It suddenly disappeared and replaced by the Landcruiser. We can only praise Chris Keating for his sterling efforts in creating such a wonderful and detailed Website. Will it be added to occasionally ?. If only Chris could weave his magic with Matlock Police locations then and now...
Does that mean that the intact AHF in the mayday episode is a different machine just with modified rego letters ?
DeleteIn the mayday episode there is an intact AHF before Jerry goes on his patrol. Was that one of Rotorwork's other machines just with different rego letters stuck on? I'm assuming the episode was filmed after the real AHF had its tragic accident
DeleteAre there any visitors allowed into the area where the Ranger's Headquarters was located? Its a pity that most of the set has deteriorated. Is this website still monitored?
ReplyDeleteOnce a month there is a working bee, if your keen to help plant trees and pull weeds you can visit the set. I monitor my site now and then.
DeleteFor some years now I have been trying to locate the surviving 'Skippy' helicopter VH-AHI with a view towards having it repatriated and preserved in Australia.
DeleteAfter serving in PNG it later appeared on the U.S. civil register as N1164T. In 2012 it was permanently deleted from that register however in 2014 I was eventually able to track down its current owner - a helicopter spares dealer in Florida who was happy to sell the unairworthy but mostly complete airframe for $US5000.
Despite my best efforts, neither the National Museum of Australia, the Powerhouse Museum, the National Film and Sound Archives or the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council expressed the slightest interest in this proposition.
This unique item of national cultural heritage significance has now been scrapped. The dealer in Florida emailed me last week to say he would sell VH-AHI's logbooks and manufacturer's plate for $US1500.
Was a time, once, when I would have pulled out all the stops to ensure these also found a home in a suitable Australian collecting institution. A hard lesson.
Hi Mark
DeleteIt's disappointing the people associated with these outfits don't share our enthusiasm with Skippy and the vehicles used in the series. I am sure either of these museums would have made their money back in no time. There are still a lot of fans out there.
Hi guys. I too tracked the chopper to Florida but didn’t locate the dealer. That news has saddened me no end. I guess however that a replica could be made. I too approached the NSW gov’t a few years ago to recreate the entire house site as featured in the series to no avail. I day I found out the govt gave custody to the Aboriginal Council I knew my dreams would never come true. The only thing I can do now is rebuild the entire site elsewhere on my own property...
ReplyDeleteIf one walks behind Ranger HQ, the building is too far back and resting on stilts !. It should've been moved further forward during construction. If you're sincere about building a replica of Ranger HQ, try the local Council, as plans would've been drawn up and approved. 'Lockwood Homes' built the set. Let me know if I can be of any help with Uniform designs or anything else.
DeleteG,Day what was the name of the Chopper used in the show ,I never missed a show back when it was showing Great Australian TV Show .
ReplyDeleteG,Day I'm 99% sure its a Bell 47 Ranger.
DeleteBell 47, yes, but not a ranger. The rangers had a completely enclosed fuselage whereas the Sioux which is what these models are more or less have the open framework tail boom
DeleteThough there was a -47J Ranger in the episode Many Happy Returns when Sonny had to be instructed to land the helicopter when Jerry was incapacitated by food poisoning mid-flight.
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ReplyDeleteShame - Had I known I might have been very interested in bringing Ranger 1 back home. Once scrapped - forever gone:( Rebuilding the set house would be all but impossible anywhere near a tree given the numpty's at RFS. More tragic loss to creative Australia.
ReplyDelete