IT was late May 2004 and the tots of Australia turned on the telly to watch the ABC’s Play School, as they’d done each weekday since 1966.
After a lively reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the kiddies took a peek through those famous windows. The camera panned past the square and moved down the wall to settle on the arched window, the bent one. As the scene beyond came into focus, a pretty little girl in a blue tracksuit was revealed running along, ponytail bouncing behind her. At her side was her best friend, dressed in pink. Two women waved at the excited girls as they took to the merry-go-rounds. “Hi, I’m Brenna, that’s me in the blue,” the little girl said. “My mums are taking me and my friend Meryn to an amusement park. There are lots of different rides to go on. Here’s the rollercoaster … ” And what a rollercoaster it was.