The Sullivans turns 45 ! ‘IT FEELS LIKE JUST YESTERDAY!'

Stars of the show share their fondest memories with Woman’s Day

- Craig Bennett

It’s been 45 years since Australia’s iconic wartime family drama The Sullivans first flickered to life on our TV screens, but for three of the show’s original stars, their love and fond memories for the series will never dim.

“Gosh, it only feels like yesterday I was whirling my hair up into Grace’s famous victory roll,” smiles Lorraine Bayly, 84, beloved as the show’s no-nonsense matriarch.

“We were like a real family, there was a tremendous affection and respect for one another, and it definitely shone though.”

Andrew McFarlane, 70, who became a household name as eldest son and resident hunk John Sullivan, recalls, “I still call Lorraine ‘Mum’, and when Paul Cronin was alive, I called him ‘Dad’ when we were together. That’s how close we remained long after the show finished.”

EVERY DAY WAS A JOY

Steven Tandy, as middle son Tom, says some of the best years of his life were working on The Sullivans, which ran from 1976 to 1983. “We made 1114 episodes, and every day was a joy. Sometimes we laughed so much our cheeks hurt,” says Steven, 69. “When The Sullivans began, it was originally planned for a six-week run. We had no idea how instantly successful it would become and so it just kept going.”

Despite Grace and Dave Sullivan’s long, happy marriage, the couple only ever shared one proper on-screen kiss.