How it all began... Written by Emma Priestly
“In 1997/98 Karl Kennedy began a ‘special’ relationship with then secretary, Sarah
Beaumont. It was the start of a tumultuous 10 years for The Doc and his much
maligned wife, Susan. Meanwhile, off screen, in a different Melbourne suburb,
another ‘special’ relationship was blossoming. A relationship, that would come
to mean just as much to the dedicated fans of Ramsay Street, as that of Karl and
Susan Kennedy. A marriage of sorts that would, over the years, experience as
many ups and downs, highs and lows.
The renowned Neighbours Tour began in 1997 when British backpackers asked
Mr George Josevski (aka the BACKPACKER KING!!) where the famous show was
made. Where is Ramsay Street they asked? Where are the studios? Is Harold
Bishop really like that in real life?!!!
In early 1997, George Josevski – later to be known as ‘The Backpacker King’,
was working amongst backpackers as manager and sometime activities
co-ordinator, at a number of Melbourne’s most frequented hostels. The
‘Backpacker King’ phenomenon began as scores of travellers turned up in
search of ‘The King’ - the crazy guy who was dedicating more and more of his
time to ferrying groups of British and Irish backpackers to the leafy Melbourne
suburb, where the TV show Neighbours was filmed. George would stand by and
watch in awe as the backpackers found ever more ingenious ways of posing in
front of the Ramsey Street houses, in search of that perfect photographic
memento, to take home to stick in the family album. It was on the occasions when
the cast and crew were filming on the Street that George saw the true extent of the
passion the overseas travellers had for the show.
The cast were generous with their time, posing for shots and interacting with the crowds, who went nuts for a moment with the stars. Seeing an opportunity, George invited some of the regular cast members and their friends to join him at his busy backpacker trivia night at the Spencer Hotel, to see if it would spice things up a little. And boy did it! The cast members had a ball and news of their involvement spread like wild fire. Soon, the popular yet modest sixty-five capacity venue could no longer fit demand for the night. It became a personal crusade and George set about finding
the perfect home for the stars and fans to meet. From the Mercat Cross in the City to Inflations on King St and Frostbites in South Yarra, demand continued to grow, until the ‘Trivia Night’ found its perfect home. British theme pub, The Elephant and Wheelbarrow, in Melbourne’s favourite backpacker suburb, St Kilda, seemed to
provide the perfect base for the phenomenon to grow.
With its own function room and perfect surroundings, George took a punt and decided to put everything into turning the popular night & tour into a full time business venture. It was a risk and money was lost along the way, but George kept faith as he witnessed the endless energy and enthusiasm that cast and fans brought to the nights. As his business grew, so did recognition of his services and the infrastructure that his Neighbours experiences were bringing to the tourism industry in Melbourne.
In 2003 everything began to fall into place when Fremantle Media gave full recognition to George’s tireless efforts and the amazing job he had done in promoting the goodwill and popularity of the show. As such, ‘The Backpacker King’ became the official Neighbours Tour operator of choice and Fremantle gave their full endorsement to the ‘Neighbours’ trivia night extravaganza. From the humble beginnings in West Melbourne, The Backpacker King’s Trivia Night had become a world famous must do event for anyone that had grown up watching or ever loved Neighbours. The rest as they say is history, but don’t just take my word for it. Come on down and see for yourself. It really is the best night you will have in Australia!”
The Neighbours Night's are for everyone to enjoy, not just Backpackers!