A Place to Call Home

Shadows from the Second World War linger as a mysterious newcomer arrives in a sunburnt corner of rural New South Wales, signaling a chance for a fresh start. The show unfolds in the 1950s and follows the Blighs, a wealthy, storied pastoral clan whose public grace masks private tensions and stubborn loyalties. Inverness, a weathered town in the NSW countryside, becomes the stage for romances, old money, and ambitious schemes as lives intertwine around farms, churches, and community rituals. With its sweeping scope and intimate character moments, the series maps how a new era can press on even the strongest family codes, without revealing its surprises. Its inhabitants speak in measured tones, and the landscape itself becomes a character.

Premiering in 2013 on Nine Network, the series was created by Bevan Lee. It presents an original drama set amid 1950s rural New South Wales, mixing lavish period detail with intimate stories of family power and loyalty and resilience throughout.

Despite its glossy look and strong performances, the show's awards trail is modest but real. It drew nominations in domestic television awards and garnered praise for Marta Dusseldorp's portrayal, the ensemble, and the series craftsmanship. These nominations reflected industry recognition of its period drama craft across Australia and beyond too.

The show helped spark renewed interest in mid-century rural Australia, influencing fashion, interiors, and storytelling tastes. Its focus on a wealthy families' secrets and community codes created talking points beyond the screen, as audiences debated loyalties, legitimacy, and the cost of progress in a changing nation for years to come.

Critics praised its lush production values and the way it balanced romance with social tension. Themes center on duty versus desire, family ties across generations, class aspiration in a postwar society, and the moral choices people face when tradition clashes with new possibilities. The show embraces moral ambiguity without melodrama.