One of Australia's most popular primetime television programmes, A Country Practice is a drama series about the residents of the small country town of Wandin Valley, New South Wales. The storyline focused on the town's medical clinic, hospital, veterinary practice and pub in NSW.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS
A group of shearers arrive in town. One of them, Ernie Cullen, is an old school friend of Shirley's and Frank is not pleased by their close relationship. Less than ideal working conditions keep the shearers at the club where Cookie, well known for being a former shearers' cook, caters to their needs. Terence recommends Ernie give up shearing when he diagnoses him with osteoarthritis, but Ernie has no intention of retiring until he can teach the trade to his son. The shearers refuse to work at Richard Page's property when they discover some of his sheep are diseased.

Despite Vicky's treatment of Richard Page's sheep and her assurances that they will soon be healthy, the shearers black ban Page's shed, refusing to work there. Their leader, Ernie Cullen, is willing to do the work but Billy Webb (Philip Quast) rallies the other shearers and refuses any involvement with Page. Ernie's son comes up with the idea of moving Page's sheep to the Bartlett farm and shearing them there (on the basis that it's Page's shed that is banned, not the sheep) and after a short standoff with Billy, the job gets done.

(Source: Australian TV Information Archive)