Home and Away started on 17 January 1988, when the first episode premiered on Australia’s Seven Network.

Quick Scoop: When did Home and Away start?

  • First broadcast date: 17 January 1988 on the Seven Network in Australia.
  • Format at launch: A feature-length, approximately 90‑minute telemovie (often treated as a pilot) that was then split into standard episodes.
  • Production kicked off: Mid‑1987 in Sydney, New South Wales, ahead of the January 1988 debut.

A bit of story flavor

The creator, Alan Bateman, came up with the idea after visiting a coastal town where locals were uneasy about a new foster home being built, and he turned that tension into the show’s core theme of foster families and community clashes. The opening storyline followed the Fletcher family moving from Sydney to the fictional coastal town of Summer Bay, setting up the now‑classic beachside small‑town vibe.

In other words, if you’re wondering “when did Home and Away start?”, you’re looking back to early 1988 and the show’s very first Summer Bay stories.

TL;DR: Home and Away began airing on 17 January 1988 as a telemovie-style launch on the Seven Network and has run continuously since, becoming one of Australia’s longest‑running dramas.

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