My Place: episode guide

Series 1 | Series 2

1878 Henry

Episode 2.01 (14)
Sun, June 26, 2011 (5:02)
Written by Greg Waters
Directed by Michael James Rowland

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Despite one failed invention after another, young Henry knows in his heart that he's a brilliant inventor. Against the advice of his friend, Franklin, Henry conducts his biggest experiment ever… but succeeds only in blowing up the local schoolhouse. Expelled, Henry continues to believe there's a living to be made from inventing weird and wonderful labour-saving machines. But his machines cause more trouble than they're worth, and after one of them goes berserk — wrecking Franklin's family's laundry business — Henry becomes an outcast. A near-tragedy in Franklin's family gives Henry the opportunity to try one last experiment to save the day… but can he get it to work?

Cast: Alexander Graham as Henry, Kevin Lou as Franklin, Eden Carnegie as Stanley, Angelina Yap as Mei-Lin, Jamie Oxenbould as Mr Twist, Sarah Snook as Minna, Bryce Youngman as Karl, Paul W. He as Leck Wong, Ivy Mak as Mrs Wong, Rob Carlton as Cornelius the Baker, Alice Ansara as Mrs Stockton

Note: the character of Mina Muller/Miller was played by Susie Porter in series 1

1868 Minna

Episode 2.02 (15)
Sun, July 03, 2011
Written by Nick Parsons
Directed by Michael James Rowland

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Minna lives with strict German-born parents who privately hope their young daughter's friendship with the well-to-do Owen children — Toby, Harold and Adelaide — will do her some good. However, Minna's parents have no clue what these kids get up to when they're on their own. Their favourite game is seeing who can scare the others the most. But when the Owens blame Minna for a disaster caused by their own children, Minna decides to give them the fright of their life. Unwisely, Minna helps herself to her friend Lecks' beloved magic lantern to carry out her revenge and soon she is in more trouble than ever.

Cast: Charlie Rose MacLennan as Minna, Abbey McPherson as Adelaide, Jarin Towney as Leo, Oscar Vertes as Toby, Paul W. He as Leck Wong, Andrew Ryan as Harold Owen, Merran Winchester as Beatrice, Julian Pulvermacher as Vati, Anja Raith as Mutti, Ben Purser as Wolf, Meegan Warner as Eva, Bryce Youngman as Karl, Alice Ansara as Mrs Stockton, Paul Hooper as Harold's Man #1, Alex Nicholas as Harold's Man #2

Note: Nick Parsons' script for this episode was awarded a 2011 Australian Writers' Guild Award

1858 Ben

Episode 2.03 (16)
Sun, July 10, 2011
Written by John Alsop, Blake Ayshford
Directed by Michael James Rowland

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Ben's one wish is for his wandering American family to be able to celebrate a proper Thanksgiving dinner in their new place with a real roast turkey. But his efforts to earn the money to buy a turkey plunge him into escalating rivalry with a local Chinese boy, Leck. Their competition leads to one mishap after another until they realise they might be better off co-operating than fighting. But is it too late? And if Ben does succeed, will his family move on again?

Cast: Lachlan Elliott as Ben, James Tsang as Leck, Stephen Anderton as Mr John Owen, Molly Ellison as Beth, Nataisha Gross as Amy, Septimus Caton as Walt, Melanie Munt as Clara, Andrew Ryan as Harold Owen, Matilda Brown as Maryanne, Derek Walker as George, Merran Winchester as Beatrice Owen, Graham Rouse as Mr Wilson, Alice Ansara as Mrs Stockton, Sara Cooper as Annie Priestley, Amber Mitrani as Eliza Priestley, Roderic Byrnes as Tavern Patron, Geordie McBain as Tavern Patron

1848 Johanna

Episode 2.04 (17)
Sun, July 17, 2011
Written by Alice Addison
Directed by Rachel Ward

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Johanna lives with her grandmother, Sarah, and doesn't go to school. She has a job everyday pushing a barrow-load of potatoes around the town, delivering them to her grandmother's customers. She works like a donkey and the Owen children treat her like one. But do they have the right to be so superior? Johanna is aware of a lot of whispering about her parentage and becomes determined to find out who her father really is. She starts to investigate but is unprepared for a shocking discovery.

Cast: Emma Jefferson as Johanna, Alexandra Schepisi as Granny Sarah, Matilda Brown as Maryann, Dylan Boyd as Edgar, Siobhan Eke as Christabel, Stephen Anderton as Mr John Owen, Vincent Stone as School Master, Danielle Jackson as Vickers' Maid, Betty Tougher as Potter's Housekeeper, Celia Ireland as Banks' Maid, Derek Walker as George, Alice Ansara as Mrs Stockton, Boris Brkic as Willie the Boatman, Adrian Barnes as Publican, Sam Haft as Builder, Greg Poppleton as Mate 1, Ben Johan Brunekreef as Mate 2, Greg Hatton as Mate 3, Grant Cartwright as Moustached Man, Renee Bowen as Jonanna's Stunt Double

1838 Davey

Episode 2.05 (18)
Sun, July 24, 2011
Written by John Alsop
Directed by Rachel Ward

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Davey, a stable boy working for the powerful Owen family, decides to put everything on the line to save his favourite horse from the tannery. He steals Duchess, determined to run away with her and to live wild and free like the bushrangers. He hugs his mother goodbye and makes his getaway when he witnesses a band of real bushrangers at their villainy. Davey's master Mr Owen lies shot and possibly dying on a remote road. Should Davey go on the run as planned or help his badly wounded master back to the farm and risk a terrible punishment for stealing a horse?

Cast: Joseph Ireland as Davey, Karel Elbourne as Rupert, Jeremy Pennings as Harold, Derek Walker as George, Stephen Anderton as Mr John Owen, Ben Oxenbould as Mr Owen, Kate Bell as Alice, Alexandra Schepisi as Sarah, Matilda Brown as Maryann, Kate Mulvany as Mrs Owen, Josh Messina as Bushranger, Grahame Ware Snr as Trooper, Jayden Blackner as Davey Riding Double

1828 Alice

Episode 2.06 (19)
Sun, July 31, 2011
Written by John Alsop
Directed by Rachel Ward

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When Alice's father, Sam, declares a half-day picnic for the workers, Alice and George propose a pig race between their pigs, Wilhelmina and Benny, as part of the entertainment. Alice's siblings, Maryann and Little Sam, enter a third pig in the race, a lumbering old sow named Oink. Oink doesn't strike Alice or George as posing much of a threat but they each fear defeat from the other's entry. And that's when the skulduggery begins. There's no end to the sneakiness Alice and George will employ against each other in order to win first prize — a cake baked by Sarah. But have they overlooked something?

Cast: Victoria Shaw as Alice, Michael Cochrane Jnr as George, Charlotte McSweeney as Maryann, Aidan McSweeney as Little Sam, Linal Haft as Old Feddie, Sam Cotton as Sam, Alexandra Schepisi as Sarah, Boris Brkic as Willie the Boatman, Chris Leaney as Shell Digger, Colin Borgonon as Convict Wag, Ben Oxenbould as Mr Owen, Kate Mulvany as Mrs Owen, Stephen Anderton as Mr John Owen

1818 Charles

Episode 2.07 (20)
Sun, August 07, 2011
Written by Samantha Lang
Directed by Alice Addison

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Charles and his older brother John are both expected to work on their parents' farm. Charles loves it but John is lazy, evading his work at every turn. Both boys will soon be sent to England to learn how to be refined young gentlemen. This doesn't appeal to Charles who sets out to make himself indispensible on the Owen family property so he won't have to go. While working on the property, Charles discovers an escaped convict who agrees to help him build the fence in exchange for food and freedom. But it's a devil's bargain and Charles finds himself being held to ransom by the ever increasing demands from the convict.

Cast: Simon Garratt as Charles, Nicholas Bakopoulos-Cooke as John Owen, Sam North as Liam, Ben Oxenbould as Mr Owen, Kate Mulvany as Mrs Owen, Alexandra Schepisi as Sarah, Sam Cotton as Sam, Nathan Lovejoy as Chaplin, Martin Thomas as Young Trooper

1808 Sarah

Episode 2.08 (21)
Sun, August 14, 2011
Written by Alice Addison
Directed by Samantha Lang

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Sarah, though still a child, works as a servant for the cold and demanding Mrs Owen. As if being bossed around by the lady of the house isn't bad enough, Sarah has to deal with Mrs Owen's sly and sickly daughter, Alice. Alice is as mean as her mother and twice as cunning. She sets out to make Sarah's life a misery, always trying to get her into trouble. But the two girls have more in common than they realise. They are both prisoners — Sarah to an impossible workload, Alice to a life-threatening illness. A truce of sorts, arising from a shared love of mischief, could lead to a lasting friendship between the two girls, but how much time do they really have?

Cast: Kate Harding as Sarah, Thomasina George as Alice, Kate Mulvany as Mrs Owen, Ben Oxenbould as Mr Owen, Sam Cotton as Sam, Shaka Cook as Aboriginal Young Man, Jaylene Bolt as Aboriginal Girl, Rikka Shillingsworth as Aboriginal Mother, Stephanie Storm Duckett as Aboriginal Baby

Note: Alice Addison's script for this episode was nominated for a 2011 Australian Writers' Guild Award

1798 Sam

Episode 2.09 (22)
Sun, August 21, 2011
Written by Blake Ayshford
Directed by Samantha Lang

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Sam is a child convict, arrested in London for stealing a jacket. Now, having lived his whole life in towns and cities, he's been sent to an isolated farm on the edge of the bush. Keen to impress, Sam tells his new master, Mr Owen, that he knows all about farming. Mr Owen who has business to attend to elsewhere, leaves Sam on his own in charge of the house, the farm and one terrible goat named Katie. Sam has a long list of jobs to do and it's as if it's the goat's main aim in life to make it as hard as possible for Sam to get them done and stay out of trouble. When the goat disappears, Sam has to endure a night in the scary bush to try and get her back. Can he survive and who will help him finish his tasks before Mr Owens returns?

Cast: Jack Tompsett as Sam, Lindsay Farris as Earl, George Sheppard as Wood, Ben Oxenbould as Mr Owen, Kadeen Wayne Bamblett as Aboriginal Boy, Judd Wild as Sam Stunt Double

1788 Waruwi

Episode 2.10 (23)
Sun, August 28, 2011
Written by Wayne Blair
Directed by Michael James Rowland

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Waruwi is an Aboriginal girl looking after her Nana while the rest of her extended family is away from camp. It's just for a day but what a day it turns out to be. Firstly a huge four-legged monster wanders near their camp that even spooks Waruwi's dingo Lapa. Then there's a boy — a young soldier — banging loudly on a mysterious round thing (a drum, it turns out). And another soldier who makes agonising cries come out of a box with a handle (a hurdy-gurdy). And still more soldiers — ones Waruwi's Nana calls the walking grubs. They are looking for the four-legged monster and their search is bringing them closer and closer to Waruwi's camp. Outnumbered, Waruwi has a big job to do as she'll have to use all her wits to lead the soldiers away from her place.

Cast: Leonie Whyman as Waruwi, Jared Ziegler as Dan, Ningali Lawford-Wolf as Nana, Roger Mason as Hurdy Gurdy Marine, Leigh Scully as Marine #1, Benedict Samual as Marine #2, Baykali Ganambarr as Aboriginal Boy #1, Wakara Ganambarr as Aboriginal Boy #2

1788 Dan

Episode 2.11 (24)
Sun, September 04, 2011
Written by Greg Waters
Directed by Michael James Rowland

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Dan is on his second patrol to the Botany Bay area when he's asked to capture a native dog to take back to the colony's Governor. Only trouble is the dog in question — Lapa — belongs to Waruwi, the girl Dan befriended last time he was in the area. Dan protests that it's stealing but his commander overrules his objection and orders him to stand guard over the dog. At first Dan thinks he can pay Waruwi for her dog, but when he sees that all she wants is Lapa back, he decides to disobey orders and return the dog to her. Now Dan is caught in a trap: he can't stay with Waruwi and he can't go back to the marines unless he wants to be flogged for disobedience.

Cast: Jared Ziegler as Dan, Leonie Whyman as Waruwi, Martin Jacobs as Roberts, Charlie Garber as Goodwin, Leigh Scully as Marine #1, Benedict Samual as Marine #2, Ben Wood as Cook, Baykali Ganambarr as Aboriginal Boy #1, Wakara Ganambarr as Aboriginal Boy #2

Before Time Bunda

Episode 2.12 (25)
Sun, September 11, 2011
Written by Dallas Winmar
Directed by Catriona McKenzie

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Bunda has a problem — his older brother Garadi acts like Bunda doesn't exist. Bunda does everything to try and get his older brother's attention: he steals his honey, he tries to copy his athletic feats, and he's thrown his brother's spear in the river. And for his trouble, all Bunda gets is his brother's anger and contempt. Their father decides to take them deeper into the bush to try and teach them a lesson but the boys are so intent on fuelling their feud that they miss the point of the challenges their father sets them. Will they ever learn to stop teasing each other and become friends as well as brothers?

Cast: Trevor Jamieson as Father, Aaron McGrath as Garadi, Darcy McGrath as Bunda, Judd Wild as Bunda Stunt Double

Before Time Barangaroo

Episode 2.13 (26)
Sun, September 18, 2011
Written by Tony Briggs
Directed by Catriona McKenzie

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Barangaroo's world would be perfect if only Mani, the biggest boy in her group of friends, would stop trying to be number one. Deep down Mani knows she's better than he is, that's why he keeps shutting her out from important adventures — to make himself look good. But when a little boy (Mung) goes missing, Barangaroo and Mani are forced to follow his trail into a scary gully ruled by the legendary monster: the Mumuga. The Mumuga has a ferocious howl that echoes across the land. He's said to knock kids unconscious with the smell of his horrible farts and drag them away into his cave. Who will have the courage to rescue Mung; what's the real story about the Mumuga; and what does it take to be a real leader?

Cast: Brooklyn Doomagee as Barangaroo, Elijah Button as Mani, Bailey Doomagee as Mung, Lincoln Hambrick as Badjai, Kamil Ellis as Wadi, Aunty Lila Kirby as Wiyanga