In this TV advertisement for the Skippy Club, Ed Devereaux is in character as Head Ranger Matt Hammond, standing in front of the fictitious 'Ranger Headquarters, Waratah National Park'.

At its peak, the Skippy Club boasted nearly 70,000 members. Long before the internet, the club allowed Skippy fans to learn more about the show, order merchandise and be kept updated by the production company that made the program.

This 30-second advertisement consists of a simple, one-camera shot with Ed Devereaux speaking directly to the audience. The only allowance for post production is a cutaway to a close-up of the Skippy badge.

Nevertheless it achieves its intentions – Devereaux's authoritative delivery would make any child want to immediately join the club – and reminds us today what a popular phenomenon Skippy was in the late 1960s.

Notes by Stephen Groenewegen and Adam Blackshaw