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Minyip: Why tourists keep coming to the country town
Words: Matt GilbertsonProducer: Bianca Mastroianni
The Victorian country town of Minyip has lit up television and cinema screens over the past four decades, wowing audiences from Manchester to Munich.
The small town's on-screen presence has proved so intoxicating, tourists have been coming through for decades. But it's one particular show that's had the biggest pulling power.
The Wimmera hamlet first came to national attention in the 1985 miniseries The Flying Doctors, a one-off drama that struck a chord with audiences instantly.
Flushed with success, TV executives commissioned a full series — sending actors, producers and camera operators back up the Western Highway.  
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Even though the town was called Coopers Crossing on The Flying Doctors, it really did put Minyip on the map.
Yarriambiack councillor Corinne Heintze
More than 200 episodes were produced in the town between 1986 and 1993 and local landmarks became known around the world.
The show found a huge fanbase in Europe, and pre-Covid, thanks to reruns and fan sites especially in Germany, international visitors were a common sight in Minyip.
Located about 320km north-west of Melbourne, Minyip was picked by producers because it was remote enough to look like the back of Bourke but still an easy drive from the city.
In 2019, the town played a starring role in the Erica Bana film, The Dry, based on Jane Harper’s wildly popular novel.
Source: Film Victoria
Source: Film Victoria
Chris Niewand, (left) from the Minyip Progress Association, said with Covid and lockdowns, the town was yet to see much tourist spin-off from the film.
“I think The Flying Doctors will always be a drawcard for Minyip,” local councillor Corinne Heintze says. “It’s always being repeated somewhere on television around the world. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
																											

Original URL: https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/web-stories/free/the-weekly-times/minyip-why-tourists-flock-to-this-country-town