INTRODUCTION
Up until World War II, Britain remained the predominant cultural influence in Australia. Britons also accounted for the majority of Australian society's make-up - most of Australia's citizens were either born in Britain, or belonged to a British ancestry . In the years following the war, British subjects were encouraged to migrate to Australia under an 'assisted package' scheme, which helped with the cost of migrating to Australia and provided housing and employment options upon arrival. Between 1945 and 1972, over one million British migrants settled in Australia. prior to 1945, many people, including Australians themselves, considered Australia to be nothing more than a British colony; a nation whose national identity was relatively similar to the British. During this period of Australia's history, including modes of entertainment, food, fashion, sporting culture and our social values and attitudes were largely compelled by British culture. American influence on the Australian culture Nevertheless ,one of the most significant changes to have taken place in Australian society since the end of WWII, has been its drift towards American, rather than British culture. As American lifestyle was projected further into Australia via popular culture, it would drastically alter the ways we spent our money, entertained ourselves, dressed and socialised. Ultimately, many of our British cultural legacies would give way to new American ideals. In the decades since World War II, however, the penetration of American popular culture into Australian society has voiced ongoing concerns about Australia's ability to formulate its own national identity. Local cultural products like films and music are an important way for people of a country to explore and share their common culture and heritage. Australian characters, themes and issues, however, are often overshadowed by manifestations of the American way of life. American films and television programs depict American people in American settings and American music deals with American, not Australian issues. Many people have feared that if Australians are starved of distinctly Australian cultural products, the national identity will be at risk. America emerged from World War II as the dominant global economic power and was well-placed to export its cultural products to the world, including Australia.At the same time, Australians in the 1950s were well-placed to receive American cultural influences. People were more affluent than ever before and communications and transport technology was advancing rapidly, enabling a seamless transmission of American products and ideas into Australian society. American concepts like consumerism and material aspirations also suited well with Australia's new pleasure-seeking suburban ideals. These factors enabled American cultural influences to filter rapidly into Australia in the post-war years - primarily via music, cinema, and television. Over the subsequent decades, America would become a dominating cultural influence in Australia. Music and radio Australian popular music during the 1950s soured heavily from American sources, as both British and Australian youth fell under the spell of American-style rock 'n' roll. In 1955, American Bill Haley's hit song Rock Around the Clock swept Australia, and the airwaves were soon full of other American acts like Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly. During this time, Australian performers like Johnny O'Keefe were heavily shaped by these overseas trends, modelling themselves on successful international acts. Large American corporations had developed mass production and marketing plans to tap into the newly-formed teenage market and harness this worldwide craze. They were helped along by technological leaps in radio and television, which made it possible for American music to penetrate foreign cultures like never before. Following the introduction of television in 1956, radio stations increasingly depended on the new 'teenage' thirst for American music. Commercial radio was increasingly aligning its programming with the American youth model, and play lists were still dominated by mostly imported American and British popular music. Radio announcers in the 1950s often used American accents to make their products appear exciting and modern - a clear reflection of the esteem with which American culture was held at the time.Australian teenagers rapidly adopted entertainment technology like car and transistor radios, following the lead set by their American counterparts. Cinema Quality Australian films were seldom produced during the 1950s. While some films were captured in Australia, many were financed by British and American interests and featured foreign stars in the leading roles. It has been estimated that in 1952, almost 75 percent of the films screened in Australian cinemas were American, while 18 percent were British. Australia's widespread exposure to the American way of life depicted in 1950s movies corresponded with the rock 'n' roll explosion and a spin-off into the teenage fashion industry. Australian youth acquired the fashions and hairstyles of their favourite American movie stars like Marlon Brando and James Dean. Reasons for American domination at the cinema American film-making technology was the most advanced in the world, making it possible for them to produce many more high-quality films at a faster rate than their competitors. Local production companies could not compete with the dazzling technicolour and bright, big-budget promotional campaigns of American film companies. The abundant budgets and superior technological resources also attracted the best actors, writers and directors to America. In many cases, this meant that the American creative output was of a higher standard than that of other countries. Television 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. |