After seeing Australian farmers booing President George H.W. Bush, 61-year-old Lynne Kerby of Wichita, Kansas wrote a damning open letter to the Australian people.

Or as she described them - "the oafs and louts who booed my president". It was as close as you could get to speaking to the manager of Australia.

"You've exhibited some of the most gracious behaviour since Attila the Hun," she wrote.

"Thirty seconds of CNN News, featuring your great hospitality, managed to wipe away any good feelings I've had toward Australia, dating back to World War II.

"With friends like you, who needs enemies?

"Hope all of you sink in Sydney Harbour - preferably under a barge load of Kansas wheat!"

She signed it Lynne Kerby of "Wichita, Thank God, America".

A TV producer told Ms Kerby the letter caused an enormous hoot in Australia. "They acknowledge Mr Bush was treated rudely, and I have called them on it," Ms Kerby said. "I certainly intended to."

Australian farmers were protesting against US tariffs affecting their trade. Ms Kerby had no patience it. "I don't think they have much of a concept of what's happening to farmers in our country," she said.

Ms Kerby said she was proud of the way Mr Bush handled the protests. "If it were up to me, I'd come back to the Oval Office and order my people to take all of the problems regarding Australia, put them on the back burner and take that burner down to the sub-basement," she said.

"I don't want to hear those problems anytime soon."

See https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/page/13015207