Baz the Great! - A Baz Luhrmann Fansite

While most of the Australia shoot was shot on location, some filming took place at Sydney's Fox Studios. In January 2007, CNN did a 'Baz Luhrmann's Sydney' special as part of its The Scene travel series. In a video, Luhrmann was seen walking inside a soundstage at Fox Studios (pictured above), where he announced, "it is in these soundstages that we are about to begin construction of the sets of my forthcoming movie called Australia".

Fox Studios was presumably used for any footage that was unable to be captured on location, including complex scenes such as the bombing of Darwin. In October 2007, it was also revealed that the set of Faraway Downs had been reconstructed within the studios, presumably for interior footage within the homestead.

House of Iona (Sydney, Australia)

The House of Iona in Sydney is the production base for Bazmark Productions, and presumably production work took place here throughout the making of the movie.

Strickland House (Sydney, Australia)

Strickland House is a heritage listed property located in Vaucluse, near Sydney. Strickland House doubled as Darwin's Government House in the film. On 13 April 2007, it was reported that filming would take place there over two weeks starting from the end of April 2007, and the shoot would be mostly exterior shots. On 26 April 2007, the very first images from the Australia shoot were taken at Strickland House on a balcony. Filming also took place in the grounds of Strickland House, with the ball scene being filmed there in early May 2007.

Camelot (Sydney, Australia)

Camelot is a grand house at Camden on Kirkham Lane in Elderslie, on the outskirts of Sydney. On 23 December 2006, it was reported that the house and surrounding property was used for rehearsals for early scenes in the movie. Kidman and Jackman were seen at Camelot for rehearsals of interior and exterior scenes on 20 and 21 December 2006. This was during a period when rehearsal workshops took place for the film in Sydney. It had been thought that Camelot had later been replaced by Strickland House (above) However, on 9 May 2007, the Camden Advertiser reported that filming had taken place there at the stables, presumably doubling as Lady Ashley's home in England.

Bowen (Queensland, Australia)

Bowen is a seaside town in the Australian state of Queensland which was chosen by Luhrmann to double as Darwin in the movie. On 12 December 2006, Luhrmann announced that filming would take place in Bowen from April 2007 onwards. At the time, it was announced that the shoot there was expected to last around 10 weeks, with the footage expected to make up around a third of Australia's total screen time. Then, on 11 January 2007, the starting date for filming in Bowen was announced as 29 April 2007, with filming expected to last for six weeks. However, the shoot was then pushed back a couple of weeks as, in April 2007, it was announced that the shoot would now begin on 14 May 2007. The Bowen movie shoot took place from 14 May 2007 to 30 June 2007.

Luhrmann had been scouting coastal locations all over Australia during the two years leading up to production of the film, including Wyndham in Victoria and Port Headland in Western Australia, but it was Bowen that ultimately won him over. Luhrmann said, "Bowen has a deep water port, gorgeous water and it also has a lot of great historical buildings." It was originally reported that there would be a cast and crew of around 280, and that some crew began arriving in Bowen in January 2007, but the main stars, including Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman and Baz Luhrmann, did not arrive until early May 2007. Luhrmann also advised that hundreds of locals would play roles such as Japanese pearlers and cattlemen, and students were also encouraged to take part in a bid to encourage young talent to stay in Australia. Luhrmann said, "That is part of what I think Hugh, Nicole and I really share. We've been very fortunate. This country gave us an opportunity to play around the world. And now at the point in our careers we are, we feel naturally like you want to give something back."

Extras casting for the Bowen shoot took place on 30 and 31 March 2007, and 2 April 2007. Another casting session was held in the nearby town of Ayr on 14 April 2007. There were many reports that the shoot in Bowen was a great success, with locals enjoying the atmosphere filming created in the town.

Well done to Merle Jochheim!
Merle Jochheim, a descendent of Bowen's founding father and the owner of Jochheim's Pies, played a pivotal role in Baz Luhrmann's decision to film Australia in the town. Her pie shop also helped promote the movie, with a sign in the window welcoming the cast and crew, and previously another sign counting down the 'sleeps to go' before filming began in the town. She also created several special items during the shoot, including the Jackman Special Pie and the Crunchy Baz Baguette!

Darwin (Northern Territory, Queensland)

A stunning shot of Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin.

In May 2007, the Northern Territory Government confirmed, "Filming of Baz Luhrmann's Australia will take place on Darwin's Stokes Hill Wharf from Monday 2 July to Thursday 5 July and on Tuesday 10 July and Wednesday 11 July. Filming will also take place in a Darwin warehouse on Friday 6 July and Monday 9 July. Stokes Hill Wharf will remain open for business throughout filming, however as the film will require full use of the car parking on the wharf, alternative car parking and a shuttle bus service will be in place. It is the most ambitious film ever produced in Australia."

Around June 2007, a sign that was put up in Darwin to promote the shooting of the film there. It looks to have been organised by the Northern Territory Government, whose symbol appears in the bottom left hand corner. There were also shuttle buses that ran to the Wharf so that spectators could get up close to the movie action.

The Kimberleys (Western Australia)

The Kimberley region in Western Australia played a large part in the filming of the movie. On 23 November 2006, it was confirmed that at least four weeks of the five month movie shoot would happen near Kununurra in northern Western Australia. Filming was originally expected to begin there around 13 July 2007 until late August 2007. However, in late June 2007, the shooting schedule had to be rearranged due "record-breaking unseasonably wet" weather. Therefore, after filming wrapped in Darwin in July 2007, the shoot moved back to Fox Studios in Sydney before moving onto Kununurra when the weather had improved. Filming also took place at Carlton Hill Station (below) and Digger's Rest.

Carlton Hill Station (Western Australia)

Click here to visit the website for Carlton Hill Station.

The flooded Faraway Downs set. Filming had to be
rearranged due to the unseasonably wet weather.

On 31 March 2007, it was confirmed that Carlton Hill station in Kununurra in northern Western Australia would be the location where Lady Ashley's homestead, Faraway Downs, would be constructed. Faraway Downs is the cattle station that Lady Ashley inherits in the movie after the death of her husband, shortly after she arrives in Australia.