Secret Valley
Encyclopedia
Secret Valley was an Australia
n children's television adventure series from 1980 made by the Grundy Organisation
and first shown on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
. The concept was developed from a television movie of the same name which was produced since 1980 by the same company.
Secret Valley was a fictitious children's holiday camp in Bildarra which had been transformed from a run down ghost town into a resort. The children who worked and visited the camp often found themselves in battle against a gang of "bad" kids - Spider McGlurk and his gang from "Spider Cave". These battles usually featured flour bombs and other food related missiles and everyone inevitably ended up in a big mess.
Spider McGlurk and his gang were not the biggest threat to the peace at Secret Valley. Secret Valley was also under threat of closure by the local council, and property developer William Whopper (also known as 'WW') played by Hugh Keays-Byrne
.
Produced by the late Roger Mirams
who also produced a spin-off series in 1986 (Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin
), amongst other programs and series.
The series was aired in Spain, the UK and the Netherlands in 1982/1983
"
I had dream I could ride across the mountaintops
Ride on the waves where the sea turns blue
Gum trees, gum trees rise until they touch the sky
I know a place where it all comes true
Chorus:
I know a valley, I know a valley
My Secret Valley the world has to see
One place for children, welcome from around the world
Please come and share Secret Valley with me
Paris, London, Montreal and Amsterdam
So many friends that we want to know
From the hills of Spain to the city streets of Germany
I know a place where we all can go
Repeat chorus
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n children's television adventure series from 1980 made by the Grundy Organisation
Reg Grundy Organisation
The Reg Grundy Organisation was an Australian television production company founded in 1959 by businessman Reg Grundy . It has since branched out into Europe and the USA. The company first produced game shows, before branching into soap operas in 1973...
and first shown on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
. The concept was developed from a television movie of the same name which was produced since 1980 by the same company.
Secret Valley was a fictitious children's holiday camp in Bildarra which had been transformed from a run down ghost town into a resort. The children who worked and visited the camp often found themselves in battle against a gang of "bad" kids - Spider McGlurk and his gang from "Spider Cave". These battles usually featured flour bombs and other food related missiles and everyone inevitably ended up in a big mess.
Spider McGlurk and his gang were not the biggest threat to the peace at Secret Valley. Secret Valley was also under threat of closure by the local council, and property developer William Whopper (also known as 'WW') played by Hugh Keays-Byrne
Hugh Keays-Byrne
Hugh Keays-Byrne is an English character actor who moved to Australia in 1973. He is well-known in Australia as a television and film actor...
.
Produced by the late Roger Mirams
Roger Mirams
Roger Eastgate Holden Mirams was a New Zealand film director, well known for the children's television series he produced throughout his career which extended over 70 years...
who also produced a spin-off series in 1986 (Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin
Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin
Professor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin was a popular Australian children's television series and a spin-off from the 1984 series Secret Valley...
), amongst other programs and series.
The series was aired in Spain, the UK and the Netherlands in 1982/1983
Production
- This program was a co-production between Australia, Spain and France (Grundy, TVE and Telecip).
- Some of the child actors in this show were real-life siblings - BethBeth BuchananBeth Buchanan is an Australian actress. She is best known for the television roles of Gemma Ramsay in Neighbours, in the early '90s, and Susan Croydon in Blue Heelers from 1994. She is also a long-standing member of the Ranters Theatre company.-Early life:Buchanan is the daughter of musician Tony...
, Miles and Simone BuchananSimone BuchananSimone Louise Buchanan is an Australian actress best known for her television roles as Debbie Kelly in the situation comedy Hey Dad..! and Samantha Fitzgerald in the soap opera Neighbours....
. - The series was at Smokey Dawson's ranch http://www.australianbiography.gov.au/dawson/interview11.html in Terry Hills, New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and also at El Caballo BlancoEl Caballo BlancoEstablished by Sydney Entrepreneur Emmanuel Margolin, El Caballo Blanco was a theme park that operated at Catherine Field on the outskirts of Sydney...
. - In the United Kingdom, Secret Valley was a commercial failure when screened there for the on the ITV Network in 1985, being cancelled before the series had finished running after failing to earn enough viewers despite being heavily advertised by ITV. In contrast the 1986 spin-off Professor Poopsnagle's Steam ZeppelinProfessor Poopsnagle's Steam ZeppelinProfessor Poopsnagle's Steam Zeppelin was a popular Australian children's television series and a spin-off from the 1984 series Secret Valley...
, was very popular in the UK and was shown three times between 1987 and 1998; it still enjoys a strong cult following in the UK nearly 25 years after its first airing there.
The theme song
The theme song was sung to the tune of "Waltzing MatildaWaltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is Australia's most widely known bush ballad. A country folk song, the song has been referred to as "the unofficial national anthem of Australia"....
"
I had dream I could ride across the mountaintops
Ride on the waves where the sea turns blue
Gum trees, gum trees rise until they touch the sky
I know a place where it all comes true
Chorus:
I know a valley, I know a valley
My Secret Valley the world has to see
One place for children, welcome from around the world
Please come and share Secret Valley with me
Paris, London, Montreal and Amsterdam
So many friends that we want to know
From the hills of Spain to the city streets of Germany
I know a place where we all can go
Repeat chorus