Is Erinsborough an anagram of Neighbours?

Fans of the Australian soap will be devastated to learn that Erinsborough is not an anagram of Neighbours. They can visit the real-life Ramsay Street in Pin Oak Court, Melbourne, however.

Neighbours, the Australian soap opera, has recently been axed after nearly 40 years on TV. Stars such as Russell Crowe, Kylie Minogue, Guy Pearce and Natalie Imbruglia all made early steps on the career ladder in Neighbours.

Get the best deals by advance-booking your Melbourne tours and hotels.

The most famous Australian soap is set in a fictional Melbourne suburb called Erinsborough. Apparently the suburban setting was originally going to be called Erinsfield, but Erinsborough won out in the end.

Is Erinsborough an anagram?

A popular urban myth is that Erinsborough is an anagram of Neighbours, hence the name. This isn’t true. Erinsborough is reasonably close to being an anagram of Neighbours, but it doesn’t take too much inspection to realise that it clearly isn’t.

On the most obvious level, there are ten letters in the word “Neighbours”, and 12 letters in Erinsborough. There’s an extra R, and an extra O.

So, is Erinsborough an anagram of Neighbours? No, but it’s close enough and that’ll do.

Neighbours filming locations

You’ll not find Erinsborough on any map of Australia. The soap suburb is entirely fictional. The majority of scenes on Neighbours are filmed at the Nunawading Studios in Forest Hill.

Ramsay Street, however, is a real street. Or, rather, a real street doubles as Ramsay Street. This is Pin Oak Court in the otherwise entirely forgettable Vermont South. Pin Oak Court is in the east of Melbourne, between Glen Waverley and Forest Hill. Exterior scenes have been filmed here throughout the life of Neighbours, in agreement with the owners of six specific houses in the cul-de-sac.

More Melbourne suburbs

Bentleigh East | Chirnside Park | Heatherton | Taylors Lakes |