Netflix Celebrates a Decade of Aussie Storytelling with New Sydney Office

Nearly ten years ago, Australians invited Netflix into their homes for the first time. We commissioned our first local series, Mako Mermaids in 2014, and since then have been redefining Australian storytelling with authentic representation and fresh perspectives. Now, a new space on the traditional land of the Gadigal people (Chippendale, Sydney) cements a bright future for the next decade of Aussie stories.

Co-CEO Greg Peterswelcomed a room full of Australian creatives, policymakers, media and industry peers to the new hub that will serve as the home to Netflix's dedicated local team.

"It's been an amazing journey to be able to work with incredible storytellers, some of which are represented in this room." he said as part of his opening remarks, "we've created [shows and films] like Boy Swallows Universeor Heartbreak High, True Spirit, Love is in the Air and The Stranger.All of which have graced our Top Ten lists not only here in Australia and New Zealand, but around the world."

"The impact of these films and shows goes beyond our screens. Following the release of Boy Swallows Universe, the novel was again #1 in the Bookscan charts - some five years after publication - and fans started an online movement to reopen the infamous Boggo Road Gaol to visitors. That 'Netflix Effect' that we call it, this thing that happens when a great story meets a big audience on our service - it's so important to us.

We want amazing Australian storytellers to know that they can tell their incredible stories right here in Australia. They don't need to go to Hollywood, they don't need to go somewhere else, but they can tell hugely ambitious stories, authentic stories at significant scale right here, and we will help them find an amazing audience in Australia, in New Zealand, and around the world."

The Honourable Tony Burke, Minister for the Arts said in his remarks to the room "simply to have a permanent office in itself is really important. It sends a message to me, it sends a message to everybody who works here that this is a permanent home of creativity in Australia for one of the biggest platforms on the planet, and that's something to celebrate."

This decennary milestone for Netflix in Australia and New Zealand underscores the company's commitment to the local creative community.

• In the past four years (2019-2023) that we've reported our investment to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), Netflix has invested over $1 billion AUD on new Australian and Australian-related Netflix films and shows.

• Between 2020 and 2023:

  • Netflix productions have hired 6,000+ cast and crew in Australia

  • Australian productions hired on average 600+ local vendors

  • Netflix productions shot at 250+ locations (towns, cities and suburbs)

• As of October 2024, 15+ Australian titles have appeared in the Global Top 10 since the list launched in July 2021.

"Along with our production partners and organisations like AFTRS, Bus Stop Films, and Screenworks, we're investing in a range of training, scholarship, and attachment programs to help nurture local talent," Greg continued. "Because we don't just want Netflix to succeed here. We want to make the entire creative community stronger."

We're proud of what we've achieved over the last ten years in Australia and excited about our upcoming slate of homegrown Australian films and shows, which include drama series Apple Cider Vinegar, an adaptation of Jane Harper's mystery novel The Survivors, a standalone comedy series Son of a Donkey from Theo and Nathan Saidden and the final season of International Emmy Award-winning show Heartbreak High.

Greg concluded, "we know, like anyone who has worked here, that working in Australia and New Zealand, the talent, the facilities, the landscapes you have, they're unparalleled, there's no other place like it in the universe, and we want to continue that tradition and legacy going forward.

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