Tony Ayres

Tony Ayres (born 16 July 1961) is an Australian showrunner, screenwriter, director in television and feature film. He is most notable for his films Walking on Water and The Home Song Stories, as well his work in television, including working as the showrunner on The Slap and teen adventure series Nowhere Boys. Early life On 16 July 1961, Ayres was born in Portuguese Macau (now in China). In 1964, Ayres' mother married an Australian sailor and migrated her family to Perth, Western Australia. In 1972, when Ayres was 11 years old, his mother died by suicide. She was a nightclub singer. Ayres' stepfather died of a heart attack four years after the death of his wife, and two days before he was due to remarry. Ayres and his older sister briefly lived with their stepfather's former fiancée, before being placed in the care of Ayres' history teacher. They then moved to Canberra, ACT with their guardian, whom Ayres' sister later married. Ayres' 2007 film The Home Song Stories is loosely based on this early period of his life.