My understanding is that Jeep has always been on the back foot when it comes to Australia.
It wasn't until the XJ came along that Jeep had a proper dealer network that could compete with more established brands.
The XJ was make or break for Jeep in Oz - despite being outrageously expensive it sold quite well.
We missed out on the YJ, so the first Wrangler to be imported in serious numbers was the TJ and in 1997, this too wasn't a cheap buy but also sold well.
Actually there are a few YJs in Oz (probably less than 20 in the whole country) I've only ever seen one.
When I was very young in the early 60's, sighting a 4wd on the road was a rare sight in the city.
I spent most of my youth growing up in the country where 4wds were less rare but any sightings were almost always Land Rovers - Jeep sightings were a rare experience.
later in the 60's saw the emerging dominance of the Japanese brands - especially Toyota.
Toyota were able to sell their relatively cheap FJ40 series 4wds through established dealerships that sold many other Toyota models which were also starting to dominate the market.
At this time Jeep simply didn't have the infrastructure or dealership saturation to compete.
By the time the 70's came along, 'Made In Japan' was no longer the insult it used to be - in fact it was quite the opposite with people now associating these Japanese cars as a quality product.
I think the introduction of the 4 door Wrangler really got peoples attention in Oz - I know so many people who would never have bought a Jeep if it wasn't for the JKU, this is probably true in many markets, not just Oz and now I see Jeeps every time I leave the house
But Jeep still hasn't caught up with the 'big boys' here in Australia.