Kylie on The Sullivans

This episode of The Sullivans (1976–83) features 8-year-old Kylie Minogue in her first TV acting role. Kylie was in eight episodes of the show as Carla, a young Dutch girl who has lost her family in the war.  

In this scene, Carla has accidentally stumbled across Norm Baker (Norman Yemm) and Tom Sullivan (Steven Tandy), who are hiding from the Germans in a house in Amsterdam. 

The role required Kylie to adopt a Dutch accent and she does an admirable job for a child actor of her age in 1970s Australia.  

The Sullivans was a beloved Australian drama series starring Lorraine Bayly and Paul Cronin that told the story of an Australian family living through the Second World War years. 

Kylie is among many other famous names for whom The Sullivans was a launching pad, including Sam Neill, Sigrid Thornton, Kerry Armstrong and Mel Gibson.  

Interestingly, Kylie’s sister Dannii Minogue also played Carla in a 1980 episode of the series.  

Want more? Explore 9 Australian Hollywood stars who started in Australian soap operas

Notes by Beth Taylor