Erie Railroad and Victorian Railways, Australia - who copied who?

Erie Railroad F units at Maybrook (New York), and a Victorian Railways diesel, double-cabbed B 60, at Enfield NSW being delivered from the Clyde Engineering builder to VR on 10 July 1952 (wagons for VR also are behind on flat transporter wagons because of the different gauges).

There is more than a little resemblance in the liveries, so which came first?  Actually the copier was VR, although the question is why?

As can be seen in the ad below from 1955, Erie didn't stick with that livery for everything.