Jesse & Ken’s Garage

Description

In late 1999, Jesse McGregor bought an old bodyshop on Beach Road in order to set up his own garage. It only took a matter of weeks before Jesse managed to find himself involved in illegal activity, when an old associate from his criminal past, Mick Dwyer, threatened him into helping strip down stolen cars. This would eventually lead to Jesse’s downfall in the 1999 season finale, when the pair bumped into local copper Joel Nash as they were driving out of the garage. Panicking, driver Mick took off at speed, resulting in a car chase and dramatic crash.

After Jesse subsequently absconded from the bay, the plot was later bought by Sally Fletcher as an investment, with the business then leased to Ken Smith. Sadly, Ken was killed only four months later when a faulty car jack gave way, crushing him. Son Will had discovered Ken in a bad way and lifted the car off him, but this only served to release toxins from the compression injury into his system, hastening his inevitable death.

That episode, 2885 which aired in July 2000, marked the last time the garage was seen on-screen. When Ken’s younger son Nick later went to visit the site, he was upset to find it had been demolished.

The real life location still stands however, in the suburb of Maraylya, an area NW of Sydney bordering Kenthurst that was used frequently in earlier years of the show. The exterior of the garage only appeared on a handful of occasions in the months it was on-screen, with the majority of scenes being interiors filmed on a studio set.

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