My Place
My Place is a rich source of entertainment and education. It is one of the ultimate pieces of episodic literature and now it is on television, involving more than a century of time, lots of kids, and a tree to provide continuity.
My Place - Series 1 adapts the book, written by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins, into 13 episodes about 13 children who live in the same house over 130 years (2008-1888). Their special place is the fig tree that represents a place of belonging.
In episode 1 (2008), we meet Laura, an Indigenous girl, who through inadvertent misadventure needs to apologise to Michaelis, the landlord. Her reluctance to make this apology is paralleled by the Apology made by Kevin Rudd to the Indigenous people of Australia. The series mirrors the stories of the book but also introduces two new characters; 1988 - Lily, a Vietnamese girl whose parents were boat people and 1998 - Mohammed, an Islamic boy who is celebrating Ramadan while trying out for the local cricket team.
My Place features an extensive cast of acclaimed Australian actors, including Susie Porter, Dan Wiley and Australian screen legend Chris Haywood. The series also features 13 lead roles, and numerous supporting roles, by some of Australia’s best young talent.
The television series My Place is produced by Penny Chapman of NSW based Chapman Pictures, with the support of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), New South Wales Film and Television Office (NSW FTO) and Screen Australia.
Episodes
Awards
ATOM Award 2012
Winner - Best Children's Fiction Television Program
Australian Writiers Guild Award (AWGIE) 2011
Winner - Best Children's Television Script, Minna (1868)
KidScreen Awards 2012
Winner - Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series
AACTA Awards 2012
Winner - Best Children's Television Series
KidScreen Awards – Feb 2011
Winner - Best Non-Animated or Mixed Series
TV Week Logie Awards 2010
Winner of Most Outstanding Children’s Program
Banff World Television Awards 2010
Nominated for (Rockie) Award in the Children Family and Youth Category - (Ep 11) - Finalist.
ATOM Awards October 2010
Winner – Best Children’s Television Production
AFI Awards December 2010
Winner – Best Children’s Television Drama Series.
ACTF Education
The My Place for Teachers Resource provides rich educational material for primary and lower-secondary teachers using the My Place TV series in the classroom for Australian History and English.
The website features teaching materials from both series 1 and 2 and includes:
- 2 Decade Timelines, 2000s-1880s and 1870s-Before Time, each highlighting events of Australian History and politics, Society and culture and Science & technology, that underpin the stories of the children and the development of Australia. Each decade cites selected Indigenous and non-Indigenous histories.
- 78 clips, each with associated Teaching Activities and student activity sheets for Years 3-6 and beyond. The activities have rich curriculum content that relate directly to the Australian curriculum for the studies of History and English.
- 3 main Themes and 22 sub-themes, where teachers can search for relevant resources to support their individual programs.
- Behind the Scenes information including interviews with Nadia Wheatley (writer) and Penny Chapman (producer), stills gallery, clips bank, and production materials including scripts, press kits and a poster.
- Our Place, an interactive online teacher forum where teachers can share their strategies for using My Place in the classroom and upload stories of their own students.
The My Place for Teachers website is a partnership project between Education Services Australia (ESA) and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF)
Awards
eLearning Industry Excellence Awards 2010
Winner - eLearning K-12
Australian Education Publishers Award 2010
Winner – Best Primary Education Website
Interactive Media Awards (U.S.) 2010
Winner - Outstanding Achievement Award for Education
Australian Teachers of Media Awards (ATOM) 2010
Finalist – Best Primary Education Website
Australian Teachers of Media Awards (ATOM) 2010
Finalist – Best Instructional/Training Resource
Access this resource
Since its publication 33 years ago, My Place has been an unwavering favourite in Australian classrooms and homes. Teachers and students had the unique opportunity to hear author Nadia Wheatley discuss her classic picture book, the importance of writing about our own communities,
Since its publication over 30 years ago, My Place has been an unwavering favourite in Australian classrooms and homes. In this webinar presented by the ACTF, ACMI Education and ABC Education, teachers and students will have the opportunity to learn directly from My Place author, Nadia Wheatley.
Presented by ACTF and ACMI, this free virtual workshop explores storytelling in the My Place picture book and children’s TV series.
Since its publication over 30 years ago, Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins’ picture book My Place has been an unwavering favourite in Australian classrooms and homes. The My Place television series adapts this classic book into 26 episodes of children’s television.
Both on the page and on screen, My Place tells the story of an Australian community through the eyes of the diverse children who lived there over time, highlighting the ways that people and places shape our personal, local and national histories.
Hosted by the ACTF and ACMI Education, this virtual learning event for 2023 Book Week gives students the chance to learn from award-winning author, Nadia Wheatley. Nadia will discuss the screen adaptation of My Place and share her own approaches to storytelling and writing. Students will complete a short writing task and have a chance to ask Nadia their questions.
Since 2018, the ACTF has delivered an annual student writing competition based on the themes in My Place, encouraging thousands of students across Australia to reflect on and write about place, community and history.
This year, we encourage schools to run their own My Place Competition.