American Influence on The Australian Culture

The influence of American culture and practices in Australia was widely displayed through music/radio, cinemas and the television throughout the 20th century.

As WW2 ended, America emerged as a global economic power and was an inspiration for countries such as Australia where the war had affected negatively. Australia was more than welcome to the American culture and adapted many beliefs and practices throughout the century. Popular music and radios in Australia were heavily based from American sources as Australians were drawn into the style of rock-n-roll. American performers such as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley and Bill Haley who popularized the style of rock ‘n’ roll were widely recognized throughout Australia and started in 1955, where Bill Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” became a major hit and established an era for rock-music. Following the introduction of television in 1956, radio stations increasingly depended on the new 'teenage' thirst for American music. Radio announcers would often use American accents on stations such as the ABC to make products seem modern and exciting which clearly shows the high-status Americans had over our society. Teenagers in Australia were addicted to American themed songs and hence the radios adapted them onto their everyday songs through the American Youth Model. The entertainment technology of car radios and others were followed by their American counterparts. The 1950’s was an evolution of Australian music from British to American.

Australian cinemas were rarely produced during the 1950’s with barely any Australian stars and ideas. In 1952, approximately 75% of movies that were screened in Australia were American and the rest were British. Many of these were targeted towards teenagers who were going through the rock ‘n’ roll era with films such as ‘Rebel without a cause’ and ‘Blackboard jungle’. Australia's well-known exposure to the American way of life depicted in 1950s movies corresponded with the rock 'n' roll era and a turn into the teenage fashion industry. Despite the growing success of local films, American blockbusters continued to prosper in popularity. By the 1990’s, cinema remained a vital aspect to the entertainment industry and Australians, regardless of newer technologies. A research conducted by University of Technology Sydney, analyzed the results and found that American films were always at the top of Australian films and dramas in the top 8 whilst films and drams produced in Australia themselves weren’t very popular. The technology of American filmmaking was also very advanced and American filmmakers had an abundance of budget and technology making Britain and Australia not easy competitors in the field of cinemas. In many cases, this meant that the American creative output was of a higher standard than that of other countries.

Between 1956 and 1963, almost all content screened on Australian television was overseas sourced. Of this, 83 percent was American, with the remainder from Britain. Many local programs produced during this period were also based on formulas set by American programs and were not distinctively Australian. The top ten most popular programs, in 1959, on Australian commercial television were all American. These comprised of shows like Perry Mason, The Flintstones and I Love Lucy. British programs dominated schedules on the ABC throughout the 1950s. The ABC modelled itself on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Britain's public broadcaster and aimed to provide programs that enriched the culture of the nation and remained free from commercial interests. The dominance of American content on Australian television in the 1950s meant that the representation of Australian characters and issues was far outweighed by representations of the American way of life. Most programs depicted American families in American settings and dealt with American concerns and themes. While some television stations, like the ABC, made concerted attempts to broadcast Australian programs, concerns were voiced during this time about the lack of local content on Australian commercial television.

One of the most significant changes to have taken place in Australian society since the end of WWII, has been its drift towards American culture. America has always provided a large influence on Australian culture in various aspects throughout history. Although they have heavily influenced out culture, Australia continues to withhold its own culture and traditions even today.