| Australia is Like This | |
| Producer: | Jack S Allan |
| Starring: | Grant Taylor |
| Studio: | Commonwealth Department of Information US Signal Corps Motion Picture Unit[1] |
| Runtime: | 18 minutes |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
Australia is Like This is a 1945 documentary about the experiences of two American soldiers in Australia during World War II until they leave for battle. It takes the form of a letter written by one of the soldiers to his family in America describing Australia.
It was also known as A Letter from Australia.[2]
The film was made for Australia and the United States, but was not released in Australia.[3]
The film is told in the form of a letter written by an American soldier and his friend on leave in Sydney. They leave a troopship and see the sights, encounter 'wrong side' traffic, and meet two Australian soldiers on leave who abandon their girlfriends to buy the Americans a beer. The Americans go to a Red Cross canteen and meet a waitress whose brother is in New Guinea. They take her to the zoo and accept a dinner invitation to her house. The troops then head north.
The film was one of a series of shorts made by Australia's Department of the Interior, others including Island Target.
Filming began late September 1944, using a predominantly American crew.[4]
The film was completed by January 1945.[5]