Already a successful pop artist, Olivia Newton-John shot into superstardom after her starring role in the blockbuster musical film Grease in 1978. Five years on, Newton-John appears in the documentary Coming Up from Down Under (1983) to discuss her pride in her Australian identity amid international fame.

After unpacking the creative decision to retain her Australian background for the role of Sandy in Grease, Newton-John spotlights her new LA-based fashion boutique and milk bar Koala Blue, launched in collaboration with singer Pat Farrar (formerly Pat Carroll).

Amongst the colourful Aussie-themed items sold in-store are kangaroo plush toys, boomerang magnets and cork hats. Beyond showing Newton-John’s nostalgia for local staples and iconography, it also offers insight into 1980s retail trends in kitsch design, novelty merchandising and bold patterns.

The sequence also reflects the documentary’s focus on the re-emerging Australian film industry of the time. Concentrated on the period between 1975 and 1983, interviews with major players who have found success in Hollywood show their evolving relationship with Australian identity.