The Heeler family have listed their iconic Queenslander in the hit ABC series Bluey

The Queenslander in the hit children’s television series Bluey is almost as familiar to viewers as the animated characters themselves.

Set high on a hill, the weatherboard, with its wraparound terrace and beautiful Jacaranda, is the backdrop to many episodes. But that may soon change. 

In two new episodes of Bluey, one of which aired on Sunday (April 7), the Heeler family go on a moving-house journey.

Series creator and writer Joe Brumm says the show has touched on some tricky subjects before, but this may be the toughest.

“It feels like after three seasons the house itself has become a sort of fifth Heeler character,” he says.

“Some past episodes have touched on how a room can become imbued with memories and take on a life of its own. But families leave houses all the time.

“It happened to me as a kid around the same age Bluey and Bingo are, and then again a bit later on. I still remember it vividly.”

Selling up and moving into a new home is an experience most viewers – children and adults alike – can relate to. But for many, it can be an unsettling experience. Brumm says the team at Ludo Studio handled it sensitively by being straightforward.

“The usual Bluey way; by allowing the characters to get upset and/or excited about it and not clobbering the audience with verbiage,” he says.

Bluey follows a family of four Blue Heelers, including daughters Bluey and Bingo, and mum Chilli (voiced by Melanie Zanetti) and dad Bandit (Dave McCormack). Since airing on the ABC in 2018, it has racked up an astounding number of viewers and captured the hearts of children in Australia and overseas.

Now in its third season, it became the most popular children’s show in the US last year – overtaking Cocomelon – according to Nielson ratings. 

In 2020, it won an International Emmy Kids Award and has featured the voices of both homegrown stars and Hollywood A-listers, from Mick Fanning to Natalie Portman. 

The Heelers live in Brisbane with many episodes set in identifiable locations such as South Bank and New Farm Park. Rhiannon Steffensen, Ludo’s production manager, says real-life connections have been vital to the success of Bluey.

“With every location that exists in Bluey, we try to be really, really accurate to the real world reference,” she says. 

“Bluey is really reflective of Brisbane, and I think that the Heeler house epitomises that. I think the iconicness of the show begins and ends with the house and the backyard, and that home base for the Heelers in terms of making it just very, very Queensland.”

Countless drawings of the Heeler house have been created for the episodes, and the exact layout has been intensely debated on fan forums. 

“I’ve only scrutinized (sic) every ep in season 1, just started 2 but I think the TV room IS the loft that the stairs connect to in the footstep couch room,” wrote one Reddit user.

But even the animators aren’t all that clear on the rooms in the house.

“The house is just an enigma,” Steffensen says. 

“It changes depending on what we need its function to be, in a lot of ways. I remember starting season three and we’d gotten to the Housework episode and I was trying to find all of the other backgrounds we’ve done and I was like, ‘I don’t understand where this room is with the formal dining room off the lounge room’ so I asked the art director and he’s like, ‘We’ve never seen that room before. That’s just new’.”

Tackling the subject of Bluey and her family moving from the house was never going to be easy, particularly with the housing playing such a pivotal part of the show. Those curious to see where the move takes the Heeler family will have to watch the upcoming episode for all the answers. 

Top tips for moving house

Moving house is a big deal for parents and no less of a big deal for kids. It’s right up there with the arrival of a new sibling or starting childcare or school for the first time, says Laura Stone, early childhood education producer at the ABC.

Here, she shares her tips on making the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. 

1. Maintain the familiar as best you can.

Keep reading those favourite bedtime stories, music or podcasts, keep your familiar washing smells, and surround children with their attachment items and toys. Things that provide familiar sensory comfort will make a huge difference.

2. Even though it can be fun to plan, don’t be tempted to go overboard with all-new bedroom set ups.

Keep it simple to start with and involve children in helping to set up their new space. Keep those familiar sheets and pillowcases on the bed, but maybe add a fun new poster or a cheerful new lamp shade to start with, then build up over time if you need to.

3. Be flexible and remember to squeeze in some fun.

Camping on the living room floor together for a few cosy nights might be the best medicine when kids are trying to navigate a new space. It will also create a fun new memory for them. 

When the physical environment changes, it’s the human connections under the roof that matter most.

Watch the 28-minute Bluey special episode The Sign at 8am on Sunday April 14, on ABC Kids and ABC iview.