Matlock's town matriarch, Grace Falconer, is brutally attacked and robbed. Suspects include a group of hippies who become involved in town affairs when a local girl's horse is shot, two yobbos on a hunting trip who are found trespassing, and a handyman recently sacked by Mrs. Falconer - who refuses to account for his movements on the night in question.
Local tough guy Brownie Merkle becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a man and the disappearance of another when he suddenly begins paying his debts, and Det. Sgt. Maddern finds his attention diverted from his marital problems.
The search for a trio of prison escapees, Carol Price, Judy Bennett and Bob Pollard, endangers many lives when searchers and escapees alike are caught in a bushfire.
At the end of the hop picking season, an Italian worker resorts to a Mediterranean custom of abducting a young local girl to force her parents' consent to a marriage.
Matlock police appear to be stumped while investigating the mysterious death of a woman; the strange relationship between a successful businessman and a schoolgirl; the rape of a 40-year-old spinster; a business power game; and an attempted blackmail.
James Ivan Murray is a name known to most police. When he suddenly turns up in Matlock to work as a strapper at a racing stable, Det. Sgt. Maddern is not terribly happy. Murray's major profession is that of a safe cracker, and Maddern is not satisfied with Murray's innocent attitude toward a robbery and bashing in Melbourne. When three youths attempt to blow open a bank with a land mine, the attempt goes wrong and one of them is trapped with an unexploded mine nearby. Murray is enlisted to defuse the mine.
When William Morgan escapes from a prison farm he heads for Matlock seeking the aid of a friend, but his friend's wife informs him that her husband has been jailed, and it is the fault of Det. Sgt. Maddern. She supplies him with a rifle and he flees to the ranges.
Patti Anderson and Ian Forbes are in love, but the boy is dominated by his wealthy father, a stud farmer who owns the property which Patti's father manages. Patti cannot understand Ian's attitude to marriage, for unknown to her, he believes his father would never condone a marriage with his employee's daughter. Then Patti disappears, and she is found brutally assaulted and close to death. The Matlock police organise a search for the culprit, but when all else fails an Aboriginal tracker, Jack Winter, is called in. Jack tracks the culprit down, but before he can reveal his identity, Jack has to make an agonising decision.
Cathie Prentice returns to Matlock with a 4-day-old illegitimate baby which was born in Melbourne to save the reputation of the family. Her intention was to try and marry the father, Ray Turner, but he has since become engaged to a wealthy grazier's daughter. Then a shy Brian Woods arrives in Matlock and seeks the help of the police in finding Cathie, as her departure from the hospital was most irregular. In her disturbed psychological state of mind, Cathie leaves the baby at a deserted farmhouse and goes in search of her former lover. The Matlock police launch a desperate search to try and save the life of the baby.
Gay Lincoln is a Matlock girl who has become a celebrity in the Melbourne entertainment world. She returns to Matlock for a charity concert but before it starts, she receives a death threat. The police are also kept busy with a blackmail attempt, a brutal wife basher, and his son who has robbed a service station.
A strike is caused by the sacking of a small time organiser at the local cannery. When the strike enters its fourth week, it brings crime and tragedy to Matlock.
Ron and Sandy Fuller move to Matlock from the city to escape the embarrassment of a forced marriage due to a pregnancy. When the arrival of Sandy's baby approaches, she wonders whether Ron will accept it, and at this crisis point they become involved with two men running from an armed hold-up when they almost collide with their getaway car.
Stewie Hall has been caretaker of the Old Pioneer’s Cemetery since the war. When the local council decides to evict old Stewie from the caretaker's hut so that a reserve can be constructed there, they seek the assistance of the Matlock police. Sgt. Kennedy faces danger when a mentally unstable Stewie arms himself with a rifle to keep the eviction party at bay.
An apparently routine assault and robbery investigation triggers a large-scale probe into Maddern's conduct, both private and professional, after Maddern is forced to investigate a friend, Bob Ryan.
A series of burglaries occur in Matlock, but when a woman's body is found the investigation is almost brought to a halt - until a connection is found between the crimes. A further connection is made when Clem Davidson alleges a new school teacher in Matlock molested his step-daughter.
A young protester throws paint over the Matlock war memorial, and tempers flare in the town with the approach of the Anzac Day march.
Because her husband is frequently away, Nora McKellar feels trapped on their isolated farm, and her irrational behaviour leads Det. Sgt. Maddern to believe that she may need help. She tries to kill her husband when he agrees to have her committed to a psychiatric hospital. To complicate matters for the police, a fugitive from New South Wales carries out an armed robbery in Matlock.
Investigations of a large scale hijacking operation from transport trucks leads to small time criminal 'Buttercup' Sands. At his home, shared with his de facto wife Edie, the police discover an autistic child, Monty, who is confined to his room by a leg rope. His mother tells police it is the only way she can control him. The child also has a crippled leg which the mother believes is due to the child's autism, but a chiropractor, Tony Carboni, is convinced there is a spinal complaint. Later, the boy runs away and inadvertently helps police stumble on a vital clue when they have to rescue him from an abandoned mine shaft.
A skilfully planned raid on a security firm in Melbourne nets a haul of $170,000 for Dave Collier and his partner. He returns to his home town of Matlock to hide away in a vacant farmhouse. All seems to have worked out perfectly until a curious old farmer starts poking about.
During the investigation of a series of baffling car thefts, the Matlock police encounter a moody high school student who is obsessed with guns.
It appears that a group of gypsies have bashed and robbed a local Matlock man, and one of them is sprung from the lock-up when his wife is having difficulty giving birth to a baby.
A Matlock youth, who has become the boyfriend of a motor cycle gang leader's old flame, is tortured and beaten by two yobbos from the gang. Police investigations lead to a youth centre run by Rev. King. Church members are not happy with the progressive means King uses at his meetings, but he has gained the confidence of young people. King's information leads police to the chase and capture of two bike-riding offenders.
The opening of the duck-shooting season brings trouble with stolen guns and out-of-hours drinking. The efforts of a self-styled protector of wildlife to thwart the activities of prospectors and duck shooters has disastrous results, and a young camper, Jenny Fisher, is held hostage by an escaping criminal.
When police look into strange events on a farm they find a five year old mystery and a seemingly supernatural occurrence: the sighting of farmhand Freddie Olsen's ghost, who was killed by farmer Jenkins when he found out about Olsen's affair with his wife, Ester.
Doug Bennet's financial and marital problems take a back seat when he shoots a thief on the roof of a factory and is labelled a killer, and his brother seeks vengeance. Later a man is assaulted who wants to take Bennet's wife and son away.
Matlock police become involved with a domestic problem, racial trouble and personal tragedy when an itinerant Aboriginal worker returns to his wife Betty and son Marty after several years of chasing work; and a half-caste woman who, through ignorance, had mistreated her child and thereby provoked the bigots in the community to burn her house down.
A young policeman is shot in a mountain town. The Matlock police investigate and encounter bitter hostility steeped in history that leads to a violent death and a gruelling pursuit into snow-clad ranges.
A mysterious hermit, Herman, has lived in a shack outside Matlock for seven months. Suddenly, his past and present catch up with him, when he is terrorised by three local youths. When one is accidentally blinded, Chip Richardson burns down Herman's shack and later blames him for the accident. Herman takes off in a panic and the police mount an intensive search for him.
When a wealthy farmer is killed in a hunting accident, his daughter seems a prime target for a con-man unless the Matlock police can prevent it.
Following a robbery at a motel, a young police constable is killed in a car accident, and the personal conflicts of several people in the town of Matlock are revealed.
Matlock police investigate a complaint of carnal knowledge involving an itinerant artist and a young girl, but the accused has his own way of extricating himself from the situation.
The Matlock saw-millers are a tough breed, but the builders of the new dam claim to be even tougher. A series of ugly incidents lead the two groups towards a violent showdown.
A broken down ex-heavyweight boxer, Dan Regan, is in Matlock on a sinister assignment. Unforeseen events cause Regan's past, present and future to meet head-on in the biggest battle of his career.
An important businessman, Eric Schneider, wants to set up a deal with a Matlock company. However, when he is arrested for assaulting a young girl, public feelings rise up against Det. Curtis who may have made a serious mistake. Schneider, with his lawyer Harrison, puts his money and his pressure in the right places to beat the charge.
When Johnny Marcelli returns from the Vietnam war on compassionate leave, he is told that his father has committed suicide. He refuses to believe it and sets out to solve the mystery.
The investigation of a series of wool thefts in the Matlock district uncovers the problems of one of the suspects, and provides some surprises for the police - especially Const. Hogan.
Ron Grey, an ex-Spitfire pilot, embarks on a dubious mission as a courier to gain some quick money, because he only has a few years of active life left - he is a chronic diabetic who daily keeps coma and semi-blindness at bay with insulin shots. While flying a light aircraft with his girlfriend Betty Holmes, the plane strikes trouble and they have to crash land in the Candowie Ranges. When the plane is found by a police search party, they discover that Grey and Holmes have both fled into the bush.
A feud among some Albanian immigrants in Matlock starts to get out of hand, and police are soon investigating an attempted murder.
Matlock police search for two dangerous snipers when a couple at a campsite are shot and injured without any apparent motive. The snipers hold a farmer's wife, Vicky Thompson, as a captive.
When salesman Frank Ross finds himself in serious financial difficulties, he takes an illegal way out and starts an unexpected chain of events that bring surprises to the Matlock police.
A prison escapee is loose in Matlock and the police follow his trail of violence and fear, which ends at the farm of a young widow who guards a secret.
Lee Gibson is convinced that bad luck follows him about and that he can never win - but this time he is determined to do or die when he carries out an armed robbery.
The innocent friendship between a little girl and a mentally retarded young man leads them to an encounter with criminals.
When a callous farmer, Geoff Mitchell, who thinks more of his shotgun than he does his wife, chases a trespasser off his property, it sets of a chain of events that culminate in a fatal shooting.
A rich stranger, Ben Peterson, arouses the curiosity of the Matlock people, which turns to hatred when he is suspected of a violent sex crime. The battered, molested body of teenager Doreen Henderson is found in the bush and police discover that Peterson was the last person to see her alive.
Two Matlock boys return from a jail term in Pentridge to recover the hidden proceeds of their crimes. They are also seeking vengeance on Salvation Army Major McKenzie, but find they have too much conflicting information when they realise they have been double-crossed.
A lonely young boy joins a dangerous criminal on a crime spree that climaxes in violent death.
In the middle of the camping season, Matlock police run up against an irate father and an officious American Army officer - and some surprising results.
An accident involving the use of explosive fuel brings the Matlock police to the local camping ground. During their investigations a young girl is found murdered, causing tragedy and complications for the detectives.
A routine investigation turns into a death puzzle for the Matlock police when their enquiries take them among the truck drivers that operate along the Central Highway.
An attractive young girl goes missing from Matlock, a series of bashings follow, then another girl goes missing. Matlock police try to fit the pieces together in what turns out to be a fatal game of cat and mouse.
An ex-convict living in Matlock appears to be going straight, but a chain of unfortunate circumstances place him under suspicion for a serious crime.
When the Matlock police investigate a robbery and fatal bashing, they uncover the secret double life of a young businessman who has a mistress.
When a Matlock Justice of the Peace is bashed and robbed, the prime suspect is Constable Gary Hogan.
Norman Miller and his wife open an antique shop, an apparently legitimate business. Because Norman has a police record, Det. Sgt. Maddern suspects that it may be a cover, but even he is surprised by the outcome of the police investigations.
A dangerous gunman steals a car and bashes its owner, takes Constable Hogan as a hostage, and causes terror for Susan, a woman recently blinded in an accident.
Conflicts among fruit pickers become a matter for the police, and Constable Hogan's anticipation of meeting a long-lost uncle turns to acute embarrassment when his ne'er-do-well relative arrives on his doorstep.
Matlock police strike one of their most unusual days which involves them with a gun happy drunk, an escapee from a hospital, a near-fatal shooting, a young nurse in difficulties, and Mrs. Sparrow who blames Jenny Martino for her son's corruption into a peeping tom.
When Athol Hutchins returns to Matlock to help on his uncle's farm, he finds himself the centre of bitter prejudice which threatens to develop into violence.
A petty criminal finds an apprentice accomplice who masters the trade rather too well, and they become involved with a Matlock businessman who doesn't report a burglary because he has something to hide.
21-year-old Roy and 18-year-old Liz leave Melbourne looking for excitement. They find it in Matlock where they are involved in a hit-and-run, murder, robbery and a kidnapping.
Det. Sgt. Maddern is kept busy with a young wayward girl, a series of clever burglaries, and the reappearance of an old friend with a grudge.
An attempt to blow the safe in the sacristy of Matlock's largest Roman Catholic Church backfires with fatal consequences.
A family tragedy brings old tensions to the surface with tragic results.
Family opposition to a teenage couple's relationship erupts into violence.
A road accident leads police to believe that a serious crime is being planned for Matlock.
Tony Angelini's hired help proves to be more trouble than she is worth.
Butcher Green's past catches up with him in Matlock when two old mates pressure him to share a lottery prize, which they feel they have a right to. Const. Hogan is accused of accepting bribes in connection with driver licence tests.
When a prowler terrorises Matlock, police suspect that he could be a seasonal worker, but further events lead them to believe he could be a local. Another complication involves Sen. Const. Hogan when his life is endangered by a frantic woman, Carol Anderson, who hates being left at home alone, and whose husband, Dick, is a commercial traveller.
Anti-police feeling runs high when a local man who has escaped from prison is hunted down by Det. Sgt. Maddern. An old prospector living on the outskirts of Matlock, Delhunty, becomes embroiled in the hunt. The hunted man is a bushman, who escaped from prison mainly because of his pathological fear of enclosed spaces.
Ex-speedway driver Bernie Smith becomes involved with local hot-rodders doing up their cars, and the Matlock police take an interest when they investigate stolen car parts. Bernie's love of his car is straining his marriage, and their neighbour Georgina Cooper is becoming increasingly paranoid about the Smiths. Events reach crisis point when local youths steal Bernie's car, Georgina Cooper tries to electrocute Judy Smith, and Bernie is caught breaking into a garage that he had been sacked from earlier.
Farm labourer Vincente Garelli's wife, Maria, dies because of a hit-and-run accident. Vincente refuses police aid and determines to take personal revenge on the killer.
A chance to make the big time is too much for Ferret Baker to ignore. An all-time loser and petty thief, Ferret unfortunately is out of his depth in this situation.
A parolee gets a chance to win back his wife and son and also his self respect by resisting the efforts of professional criminals who seek to enlist his aid in robbing his employer.
After a party, Det. Alan Curtis is accused of drunkenness and criminal negligence, resulting in the serious injury of a child, when he shifts her at the scene of a car accident.
A burglary investigation causes Det. Curtis to become involved in the strange affair of a blind sharpshooter and his lovely niece, whom he uses as a 'guide dog'. She eventually tries to escape from the situation and forms an attachment to Curtis, but he cannot really help because of her confused nature.
A woman's skeleton is found buried at the bottom of the garden of Dr. Bedi's new house, and a post-mortem examination reveals the woman had been killed over 30 years ago. Sgt. Maddern finds his loyalties tested by an old friend, John Wilson, whom he suspects could be linked with the murder.
When ex-convict Alec McKenzie returns home, the Matlock police look upon him as a possible suspect for a robbery. This is the least of Alec's worries. In the next 36 hours he uncovers jealousy and hate which put pressure on him until he can contain it no longer, resulting in violence.
Fear of the supernatural is exploited when Mrs. Czoska goes to live with her son and daughter-in-law. The situation is made worse by the mutual hatred between the two women.
An aboriginal knackery worker, Humphrey, who is always seen with a bag in his hand is branded as a 'bogey man' by local kids, and parents are alarmed by rumours that he makes children 'disappear'. When a child does go missing, he stands accused of throwing him in the 'crunch-munch' machine at work, and some townspeople reach near hysteria. The Matlock police embark on a search for the missing child in the stormwater drains beneath the local abattoirs.
High school girl Doreen Jackson, who ran away from home in an effort to bring her parents together, is feared murdered or kidnapped when her horse returns riderless. Turmoil and tragedy are created when her brother Noel and friend Eric try to solve the case themselves. Noel and Eric confront an old man, Walter, whom they believe had a part in the girl's disappearance, with tragic results.
When a Matlock man loses his money in a business venture, disaster strikes the whole family - culminating in a police manhunt.
A normally meek farmer runs foul of the law when he tries to use revolutionary tactics to force a fair deal for himself and his fellow farmers.
An unprovoked attack on a young girl, Judy Winter, and her boy friend leads to the Matlock police being involved in a bizarre suicide attempt involving introverted office worker David Thompkin.
Attempted murder, treachery, gunplay and arson interrupt the promise of a quiet weekend for the Matlock police on the Sunday morning.
A chance involvement in a minor crime leads Jimmy Wade, who turned to stealing to support his deserted mother, and his friends into a nightmare situation ending in violence and death.
Three drunken youths force a young girl, Lynda Wilson, into their car at knifepoint and trigger off an explosive situation that involves Det. Curtis personally. Her father, Charles Wilson, talks her out of telling the police about the assault in order to save the embarrassment of appearing in court. He does not realise his information is vital to the police, who believe the same youths are also responsible for bashing Const. Young. Library books found at the scene of the attack provide a vital clue in tracking down the yobbos.
An existing feud between neighbouring farmers is sparked off to the point of murder when a childish prank results in a near fatal accident.
A struggling Matlock farmer is injured by a land mine in his sprout field. Successive explosions have the police puzzled until they start delving into the past.
A group of prisoners escape from jail and hole up in the Matlock area. Unable to lie low, their desperate presence thrusts the Matlock police into a major crime wave, resulting in violence and bloodshed.
Telephone threats confirm that a trotting mishap was no accident. The Matlock police, kept busy with Cup Week criminals, are called in to protect the driver who is up to his neck in personal trouble.
When a top Australian pop group comes to Matlock, the police have their hands full coping with robbery, groupies and drug pushing.
Det. Sgt. Maddern and Const. Hogan are returning from taking a prisoner to Melbourne when they are forced to make an overnight stop at Goanna Bend. ‘Big Jim’ MacBain, the publican, and his semi-alcoholic wife Lucy, claim they can hear the singing of their five-year-old daughter Brandy outside at night. Brandy was lost in the bush without trace, despite a massive search, a year before. Maddern and Hogan are confronted by some odd characters in town as they investigate the phenomenon.
A family holiday does not turn out as planned, and police find a web of intrigue, doublecross and a near tragedy.
Sen. Const. Hogan's protection is not enough to foil the ingenious bandits who rob a payroll on its way to one of Matlock's outlying timber mills.
Matlock police have a problem on their hands when a young boy is struck down by a car driven by a mentally disturbed youth, and the child's mother refuses police access to her house.
The perpetrator of a series of violent knife attacks on soldiers leads police to an ex-soldier, who is motivated by a desire for revenge for what he considers wrongful dismissal from the Army.
When $500,000 is stolen in a commando-like raid on an armoured truck, the Matlock police find themselves up against a hand picked team of experts.
Farmer Ted Woods is driven to take desperate action when he finds everything he loves in jeopardy and the Matlock police apparently unable to help. Det. Curtis is promoted to Sergeant and transferred to Melbourne. Notes: Final episode with Grigor Taylor as Sen. Det. Alan Curtis.
Deacon Gallegar thinks a wild orgy is taking place by the river. Wally Struthers meets Gallegar's daughter Kathy who collapses after having drunk too much home brew - Wally thinks she is dead and puts her in the boot of his car, causing police to suspect a murder. A bandit planning a robbery unknowingly meets up with Sen. Det. York while they are both travelling to Matlock. All this plus a runaway tractor causes bedlam at the Matlock police station. Notes: First episode with Tom Richards as Sen. Det. Steve York. The opening title sequence was edited to omit the credit for Tom Richards due to a fundamental part of the plot being uncertainty about York's identity.
When Big Jacko returns to his wife and family after eight years, he finds the only thing that hasn't changed is his violent temper. Despite help from Maddern, Jacko cannot cope with his tormentors.
The Matlock police find themselves personally involved in a wave of violent robberies when Const. Hogan's younger brother becomes an unwilling disciple of a religious fanatic.
A raid on a two-up school in the bush results in the discovery that someone is making illicit moonshine in Matlock. Investigations lead the police to a payroll robbery and the strange relationships between two fathers and their sons.
A prodigal son returns home to find that his brother has been charged with assaulting a local cattle buyer. Investigations by the Matlock police unearth a nest of local crime.
When two riderless horses return to their stables, the Matlock police start a search for the honeymoon couple who hired them. They uncover more than they expected.
A coffin discovered on a young couple's block of land leads the Matlock police into personal danger and causes the unearthing of a bizarre religious sect.
Mike Miller breaks out of prison, swearing to kill the man who put him there - Sen. Det. Steve York.
An insurance company executive sets out to locate a missing payroll. His misguided inquiries lead to the whole of Matlock being thrown into chaos.
Interstate criminals greet a local boxing champion’s triumphant return to Matlock with threats, beatings and a kidnapping.
A salesman's marital problems and a tragic tractor accident combine to involve the Matlock police in a race against time to save an innocent man from a deranged killer.
When lone prospector Harry Anderson exchanges some old bank notes for their equivalent in decimal currency, he sparks off a manhunt that becomes a race between the Matlock police and a pair of gold-hungry brothers.
Violent criminals go on a rampage of bashing and robbing. The Matlock police are mystified as to their identity and motive.
A crime of passion has repercussions that threaten to get out of control unless Det. Sgt. Maddern can stop them.
A corrupt security complex uses graft, intimidation and violence in an attempt to establish a protection racket in Matlock.
A kidnapped child escapes only to get lost in the bush. Rescue operations are complicated by the child's neurotic mother and her criminal lover.
15-year-old Jill Evans has fallen in love with Det. Snr. Sgt. Maddern because she sees him as a direct contrast to her father. She corners Maddern in the Matlock police station, rips open her blouse and throws her arms around his neck, and at that moment they are discovered. Jill accuses Maddern of seducing her and claims he is the father of her unborn child, but Maddern later manages to clear his name.
A terror campaign against Matlock's 'Citizen Of The Year' has police and the victim baffled. It culminates in violence, rape and attempted murder.
Investigations into the mysterious disappearance of overhead power lines reveals the existence of a well-organised gang and its bizarre leader.
Arnie Colleano, a once famous American comedian, plays at the Matlock RSL club. A violent crime in his hotel involves the police in a showbiz world of alcohol, sex and divided loyalties.
An investigation into a fatal accident at a remote mining camp leads the Matlock police into a double mystery.
Robbo, a charming rogue, succeeds in a series of outlandish schemes only to fail in his final objective. He manages to stay one jump ahead of the Matlock police and a couple of Sydney criminals.
A young widow and her son are held hostage by two extortionists who threaten to blow Matlock sky high with stolen dynamite. The 'Angel Of Mercy' helicopter, which is in Matlock for a demonstration at a charity football match, is called in after one of the criminals crashes his car during a high speed police chase.
Matlock police are called to the Mount Keira ski slopes when a ski instructor, Gunther Strauss, is reported missing and feared murdered. To solve the mystery, the police have to delve into the private lives of the Mount Keira guests.
Cathy Phillips, a 16-year-old schoolgirl, sensitive and highly strung, is fearful of her stepfather who mistreats her both physically and psychologically. A social worker has Cathy placed in her care, much against Maddern's wishes, but the situation backfires on her when Cathy runs away and is revealed as a definite suicide risk.
A man charged with having brutally murdered his de facto wife with an axe was found not guilty and released. He arrives in Matlock with his new de facto to write a book, and the police discover that legal precedents prevent them from laying a hand on him.
A criminal with a history of violence and a long memory returns to Matlock, and starts a wave of terror and death.
The owner of a once prosperous horse stud resorts to buying stolen cattle to make ends meet. Dealing with the cattle duffers leads to attempted rape and death.
Sen. Det. York is accused of being an accomplice in a robbery, and his unorthodox efforts to clear his name get him into even more trouble.
A man's disappearance triggers off a chain of tragedies. No single person is to blame, but all must share a degree of responsibility.
Matlock police are short on leads when a security guard is callously murdered during a $15,000 robbery, until unexpected help comes from a mentally handicapped child.
A young man just released from prison returns to Matlock at the same time as a number of strange attacks on young girls occur. Is Daniel the innocent he claims, or is he responsible?
Two vicious bashers terrorise Matlock, and the police discover they are a couple of girls, Terri Williams and Ruth Church, which brings a few problems to Sen. Det. York. Terri is a tomboy thug who bails up men and kicks the stuffing out of them, a character trait she got after being raped by her stepfather when she was 12.
Investigating a minor assault and robbery, the Matlock police find evidence of a crime of much greater significance.
Three teenagers on a rampage indulge in an orgy of sex, robbery and violence across the Matlock area.
The relationship between a young criminal and a middle-aged widow causes a number of problems for the Matlock police during an investigation into a car yard breaking, and an assault on Constable McKenzie.
Two youths break into Dr. Mitchell's car and steal a metal case containing drugs. The youths believe they have a haul of saleable drugs, as most phials contain morphine, but one phial contains a deadly specimen of meningitis, which could kill within days.
Sly grog and prostitution at an old de-licensed pub cause the Matlock police a number of unexpected headaches.
A prowler terrorises women in a small district outside Matlock, and the police experience difficulty tracking him down.
Sen. Det. York is involved in quick crime, fast cars and a faster woman as he and Det. Sgt. Maddern solve a mystery involving motor racing and a payroll robbery.
Jenny McVernon and Doug Walmseley are babysitting for Sylvia Hammond, but when Jenny checks on the baby she finds it missing. Police can find no evidence of a baby ever having existed, and all their leads take them back to a point in time five years ago. They locate David Hammond, Sylvia's husband, who reported his wife missing in Melbourne four days previously. Meanwhile, a dead baby is discovered near Matlock, and another is reported missing.
Tom Dawson becomes involved in truck hi-jacking to help pay debts on his struggling farm. Robbery ends in murder when Frank West's truck is targeted next.
A nurse stealing morphine for her addicted brother-in-law causes an elderly doctor to be suspected of negligence when his patient dies of an apparent drug overdose. Notes: First major role for Andrew McFarlane (he previously had a one scene bit-part in Homicide). His performance in this episode led to him being cast as Const. Wilson in Division 4.
A sniper is loose in Matlock and he has murder on his mind - or does he? After shooting holes in his neighbour's water tank, a gunman takes to the river in his canoe, pursued by Sen. Det. York and Const. Hogan.
When two likeable rogues visit Matlock, their work takes them into some very rich homes whose owners also flaunt the law. When a Matlock businessman double crosses them, they seek a way of revenge, and they find that the businessman occasionally brings up from Melbourne a gambling set-up to entertain his business friends. The pair set out to disrupt the big night.
Police investigations lead to a backyard abortion racket when a woman is found unconscious in her car. Notes: First television acting role for Adelaide television and radio personality, and Concentration quiz show host, Lionel Williams.
Smugglers who want to cover their operations arrange for Matlock to be visited by a UFO.
Sen. Det. York finds himself in potentially serious trouble when he shoots a young man while off duty.
Harry Martin is back in Matlock after six years in prison. He says he has come back for his family. The police and others have a $30,000 reason to doubt him.
Det. Sgt. Maddern and Sen. Det. York are involved in murder, marijuana and revenge when some city criminals attempt to set up a drug supply from Matlock.
The death of a leading property owner plunges the Matlock police into the middle of a grim dispute over land rights. Notes: This episode features a 'teaser' before the opening titles, which were used from ep. 156 onwards. By production order, it should be numbered after ep. 155.
Three young women fall victim to a sexual pervert and are assaulted. The prime suspect is a 17-year-old boy who has grown up in almost complete isolation in a remote area near Matlock. Notes: Features a ‘teaser’ before the opening titles, which were used from ep. 156 onwards. This episode has number 158 on the tape leader (as does actual ep. 158 'By Gones Be By Gones'). By production order, it should be numbered 157A, and ep. 157A ‘Dancing Class’ (which has ep. 151 on the tape leader) should be numbered 151.
A farm hand goes on a rampage when he acquires a gun and shoots a policeman.
On a routine job, Const. Hogan apparently disappears into thin air.
Sgt. Kennedy reaches a crisis point in his career when a dispute between an old friend and a company seeking mining rights becomes explosive. Notes: During filming Tom Richards aggravated an old injury, and the script was re-written to incorporate Sen. Det. York spraining his ankle.
A man with no identity and no memory wanders into Matlock and the police find themselves involved in a murder case.
Matlock police are called to Arthur's Creek where the residents are worried by unusual activity in the nearby hillbilly settlement, and Const. Hogan finds himself in a precarious situation. Notes: First episode featuring a 'teaser' before the opening titles. Earlier episodes 150 and 151 also featured teasers as they were actually made after ep. 155.
An accident in rugged bushland sees Maddern and York left for dead by vicious crim Max Cooper, who is armed and dangerous.
While investigating the mystery of disappearing girls, the Matlock police discover a white slave trading racket where young girls are spirited away to become prostitutes in the big cities. 14-year-old Jenny Perkins becomes one of their victims, but is protected by Sue Palmer, an unwilling accomplice. The situation becomes dangerous as the police tangle with the small band of slavers who make a living out of selling people. Notes: This episode does not have a ‘teaser’ before the opening titles. By production order it should be numbered 151 as it has this number on the tape leader, and ep. 151 ‘Canungra’, which has ep. 158 on the tape leader (as does actual ep. 158 'By Gones Be By Gones'), should be numbered 157A.
A feud between a share farmer and the land owner ends in tragedy when the land owner pushes the people around him too far.
A misunderstood teenager receives the blame for a rash of shooting incidents in Matlock.
For eight years the town of Ebbalong has made two men's lives a misery. One is the town's policeman, an old friend of Sgt. Kennedy. Notes: Tom Richards and Paul Cronin do not appear in this episode.
A big game hunter comes to Matlock, with a world-wide reputation and a 20 million dollar corporation to back him up. But it's not long before Det. Sgt. Maddern starts to wonder what sort of 'game' he is after.
The Matlock police are kept busy when two rival timber mills are at loggerheads and their ideas of good clean opposition become explosive. Notes: First colour episode.
When a girl is raped on a lonely road late at night, alcoholic Dennis Fletcher, an old friend of Sgt. Maddern, is the most likely suspect.
When a local is shot breaking into the Warner estate at Chinamans Creek, police investigations take them way back into the past.
Dingoes are attacking the flocks of Eagle Run, a sheep station just outside Matlock. But the wild dogs aren't the only killers loose in the ranges.
An old prospector cracks when he comes across a situation he can't handle, and the police find themselves hunting a man whose only friend is his dog.
Floodwaters hit Matlock, and the police are kept busy with an escapee from a prison farm. Notes: The script was altered (and re-titled) to allow filming of floodwaters at Echuca (in Victoria at the New South Wales border).
Detectives from Scotland Yard come to Matlock in search of an international criminal they believe may be hiding in the area.
A couple with marital problems take a holiday in the bush and disaster strikes.
Sen. Det. York embarks on a personal crusade against corruption in the local council.
Edgar becomes involved with an old friend's daughter and her boyfriend, a vicious car thief.
When a slightly retarded youth is electrocuted, his father sets out to avenge his death.
A spate of shootings occur as someone takes pot-shots at pigeons, cars and Const. Hogan, keeping the Matlock police frantically busy searching for the guilty party or parties.
Lack of understanding by the townspeople of Bindi towards a commune leads to a case of arson.
When Const. Hogan is sent to Ringtail on relief, he finds that following the rule book is a long way from keeping law and order in this small town. Notes: The setting of Ringtail and some of the town's characters are featured again in ep. 214 'No Problems'.
When a dead body is found in an old shack it leads to the uncovering of some crooked deals by senior members of the Matlock community.
Investigating a report of a ‘Peeping Tom’ leads police to a family with problems. Notes: Paul Cronin does not appear in this episode due to an injury, and is replaced by Louis Seater as Const. Laurie Woodford.
When two small-time conmen try a little petty thieving in Matlock, they unwittingly become involved in a major payroll robbery.
A tragic accident leaves three children orphaned, and, despite efforts by Sgt. Kennedy and his wife Nell to make arrangements for them, the eldest child develops her own ideas for their future.
A drug addict mother and a father who turns to alcohol for comfort force a 12-year-old boy to make decisions beyond his years.
The alleged appearance of the 'Burribri Bunyip' causes trigger-happy farmers to get out of hand.
An elderly lady is caught in the middle of a police investigation into robbery and embezzlement.
Elusive Billy 'Truckie' Ross, always two steps ahead of the police in his petty criminal dealings, is faced with downfall when his family gets in on the act.
More than tempers flare in Matlock when a stranger with an unusual phobia hits town.
Lack of friends and his father's attitude becomes too much for a shy teenager to take, and he takes off with a gun and shoots up a house where a party is being held.
Const. Hogan's job goes beyond routine police work when he serves an eviction notice on a pregnant girl whose husband is in jail. Notes: This episode won the Australian Film Commission First Prize in the 1975 Penguin Awards. The Prisoners Aid Society assisted with research for the script.
The disappearance of a young girl unearths a long standing feud between her father and a local figurehead.
It's not all fun and games when Galloping Prad Smith - Showman Extraordinaire - and his troupe of performers arrive in Matlock. Trouble seems to follow Smith around, and the Matlock police find a connection between him and some horse thieves. Notes: The role of Prad Smith was especially written for Robert 'Tex' Morton.
A dealer in fake antiques takes the Matlock police to the small town of Welcome, where the aged son of the town's founder chooses to enlist Const. Hogan's aid to do battle with his grandchildren.
The greed of his own family and the perilous dreams of a young boy are exposed by the legacy of ‘Old Stinky’ Bill.
The show is in town and the Matlock police play cat and mouse with two likeable con-men.
Det. Sgt. Maddern is shot and seriously injured after a weekend in the bush on the trail of small-time cattle duffers. Notes: Final episode with Michael Pate as Det. Sgt. Vic Maddern.
The Matlock police have trouble with a reckless hang glider and Const. Hogan's dotty old school teacher. Notes: As Michael Pate declined to sign a contract for three further episodes, the Matlock CIB was without a Detective Sergeant until his replacement became available.
Jill Perry, Sen. Det. York's current girlfriend, pays no heed to the advice of the police in her efforts to convert the Matlock townspeople into accepting an ex-convict.
The Matlock police have trouble when they get caught in the middle of a feud with two neighbouring farmers.
The family of Jack Maloney, the new Detective Sergeant, is placed in danger by a mad Irishman. Notes: First episode with Peter Gwynne as Det. Sgt. Jack Maloney. First appearance by Marie Williams in a support role as Liz Maloney, Jack Maloney's wife.
The dreams of a young arsonist spell destruction for the countryside around Matlock.
After a bad start with the local flying hero, Det. Sgt. Maloney finds himself working hand in hand with him in a life or death crisis.
Sen. Const. Hogan organises a second honeymoon for his parents, which is ruined by a youth with a grudge against him.
A youth from the city becomes involved in the dealings between the police, a farmer and some squatters.
A friend from Const. Hogan's past gets mixed up in some trouble when he sets about proving himself worthy of returning to the rigors of rodeo life.
It's peach picking time in Matlock, and illegal hooch and robbery cause a lot of problems.
A small-time pickpocket kicked out of New South Wales becomes a hero in Matlock for saving a boy's life, and a somewhat maniacal criminal takes an interest.
Police become involved in the welfare of a young crippled girl whose mother's attentions are driving her to the brink of insanity. Notes: Sigrid Thornton won a Sammy Award for Best Performance By A Juvenile (1976) for this episode.
A female detective from the Melbourne drug squad working undercover requests the aid of the Matlock police in apprehending a dangerous young drug pusher who is in Matlock to contact his supplier.
The aspirations of an unsettled young country girl are connected to several incidents of men being 'king hit'.
Unemployment and depression in Burrabri is the precursor to an abduction and threat of rape.
A young girl's love for her thoroughbred horse leads to a baffling case of abduction.
Const. Hogan's Aunty Nan intends turning her tomato farm into a marijuana farm. Notes: Features Aileen Britton as Const. Hogan's Aunty Nan, as later seen in the spin-off series Solo One.
A local legend sparks off gold fever near Chinaman's Creek, while the police investigate horse stealing and assault amidst the chaos and confusion.
A weekend camping trip turns out a bigger adventure than expected for five young boys when they and their adult companion become lost in the bush.
The Matlock police find the job far from pleasant when they investigate the mysterious disappearance of a policeman in an outlying station.
The Matlock police discover that religion can be of great benefit - or a danger if power gets into the wrong hands.
The Matlock police are faced with a number of headaches when the Duke of Edinburgh visits Ringtail. Security is threatened by an old Irish rebel, and Sen. Det. York finds himself in a very difficult situation. Notes: Features the setting of Ringtail and some of the town's characters as previously seen in ep. 175 'Like Fred'.
In attempting to recapture the past rapport of brotherly love, a young boy is instrumental in his own tragic fate.
Money from a robbery changes hands so rapidly and so unexpectedly that the Matlock police and the robbers themselves seem destined never to break through the chaos.
Sustaining heavy injuries after a trail bike accident, Sen. Const. Gary Hogan is held to ransom by an eccentric rabbiter.
In trying to solve the world's problems, an itinerant do-gooder, 'The Mouth', only succeeds in starting World War 3 in Matlock.
The disease Anthrax breaks out in the Matlock district and the police have the difficult task of tracing the source and dealing with a panic-stricken farmer.
Matlock police are faced with the likelihood of a murder case as a result of a young woman's attempt to break away from the confusion of her domestic life.
A driver victimised on the road in a game of chicken reverses the play, and Det. Sgt. Maloney finds himself questioning the sanity of a close friend.
There have been reports of strange sightings in the neighbouring mountains which lead the Matlock police into uncovering a well planned million dollar crime.
After a very tense first meeting, the cries for help from a frightened young mother cause Det. Snr. Sgt. Maloney to work hand-in-glove with Sen. Det. Steve York's current girlfriend. Notes: Wendy Hughes reprises her role of Jill Perry, first seen in ep. 194 ‘A Dangerous Sort Of Man’.
When a group of students decide to register their protest over the construction of a freeway, it is disastrous for the unsuspecting workers on the site.
In the process of stepping into manhood, a young boy's fantasies carry him into hot water.
The Matlock police face the difficult question of whether or not the real mother is always the best mother, as opposed to a foster parent, only to find the solution is far from a simple one.
The Christmas festivities of the police and several families are marred by pranksters, a scrooge, and the violence of a distraught husband.
A Melbourne lawyer goes missing in the bush near Matlock; Sen. Const. Hogan receives news of his transfer to Emerald; and the police station is plagued by astounding bad luck with the arrival of the Aboriginal 'Bangerang Prince'. Notes: Sen. Const. Hogan is transferred to Emerald, as featured in the spin-off series Solo One. This is the only episode where VKC radio operator Shirl is seen.