Locale:
The show is filmed on location on what had been a working farm (until it was purchased in 1999 by the show's production company) in South Australia near Adelaide. The interior scenes at Drovers Run are filmed inside the farm's 150-year-old house.

The backstory:
Drover’s Run is a large cattle property 180km from the nearest town and 400km from the nearest city. The property has been in the McLeod family for generations.

Jack McLeod became the owner of Drover’s Run after inheriting it from his father. Jack, his wife and their young daughter, Claire, ran the property together until Jack’s wife died while giving birth to Claire’s baby brother Adam, who also died during the birth.

After the death of his wife, needing a helpmate for Drover's Run and a mother for young Claire, Jack hastily remarried the beautiful Ruth, a city girl, and they had a second daughter, Tess.

Tess and Claire were devoted sisters, and even as Ruth struggled with the loneliness of living in the country and the harshness of life in the Australian bush, the hasty marriage began to show cracks. Eventually, unable to take the strain, the fragile Ruth abandoned Drover’s Run, and took 5 year old Tess back to the city, leaving behind Jack and Claire.

McLeod's Daughters:
The story begins when Tess receives a letter, from solicitors, informing her that Jack has died, and that she has inherited half of Drover’s Run. Being reared as a city girl, and having no interest in raising cattle, Tess only wishes to sell her half of the property to her estranged half-sister, Claire, who she has not seen in almost 20 years. So she makes a fateful decision and returns to Drover's Run.

Upon arrival, Tess learns that Claire has never left the land and has been running the property on her own. Drover's Run is Claire's life and Tess comes to realise that the property has accumulated a large debt, and Claire cannot afford to buy Tess out.

The return of McLeod's 'other' daughter, to Drover’s Run, affects all around her and her cheery outlook and can do philosophy is infectious to all around. It doesn't take long for Tess to rediscover her sisterly bond to Claire and her own bond to the land, and so, once again, Tess makes a fateful decision, this time to stay at Drover’s Run and help to pay off some of the debt.

The Other Ladies of Drover's Run:
Meg Fountain, the housekeeper and 'mother figure' in the show, is a warm- hearted woman, who embraces life no matter which way it turns. Like Claire, Meg has invested her life at Drover’s Run. Once Jack McLeod’s secret lover, Meg’s world was rocked upon his death and she contemplated leaving Drover’s Run and heading to the city. Fortunately for all, she decided to stay on at Drover's Run.

Meg's daughter, Jodi Fountain, longs for city life and finds living in the country to be a real 'drag'. Jodi is a typical teenager who belives she is destined to be famous and that staying at Drover’s Run will not allow her to fulfill her dreams. Meg makes Jodi stay on, however, after she does poorly on her exams, and gradually Jodi learns to accept life in the country and put in her fair share of work.

Local girl, Becky Howard, has a bad reputation in town and when she finds herself in trouble, Claire and Tess come to the rescue. Claire offers Becky a place at Drover’s Run, but proud Becky insists she works for her board. Becky is overwhelmed by the other women’s unconditional generosity and she makes a considerable contribution to the team.

Becky’s presence at Drover’s Run gives Jodi a friend, closer to her own age, but Meg has concerns, as Becky is also escaping a difficult family life and Meg doesn’t approve of her actions with the town’s men. Gradually Meg and Becky come to an understanding.

Together, with McLeod's Daughters, the women pull together an all-female workforce and commit to an extraordinary life at Drover's Run.

Extra Links:
Welcome to Freeling, South Australia, home to McLeod's Daughters

McLeod's Daughters, the movie that started it all!

Posie Graeme-Evans, the imaginary spark of McLeod's Daughters