The series, created by the team behind the Network Ten drama Secrets & Lies, will follow an ex-criminal who returns to her hometown to investigate its mysterious local inhabitants, "a group of dangerous half-Sirens, half-humans called 'Tidelanders'," an official synopsis said.

The ten-episode series will begin production in Queensland in 2018.

"We are excited to be partnering with Netflix on Tidelands - this story is one that has been itching to be told and we are thrilled to be making it on our home soil in Australia with fantastic creatives and highly skilled crews," Tracey Robertson, the show's co-creator and co-executive producer, said in a press release.

"The primeval landscapes of Queensland are a perfect setting to tell the story of betrayal, small town secrets, ancient mythology and, when it comes to family, explore whether blood really is thicker than water."

Tidelands will be Netflix's first official Australian series, following co-productions on titles including Glitch, Beat Bugs and the upcoming Legend of Monkey.

The streaming giant has faced criticism from the local industry since its Australian entry in 2015, for bypassing the domestic production quotas free-to-air networks must comply with.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, last year hinted that the service would invest in local productions.

"Australia has such a rich production infrastructure and great talent, both in front of and behind the camera. There's no reason we should not [commission] original shows for Australia," he told Fairfax in June.