R is for Red Dog

Louis de Bernières is an English novelist, best known for his 1994 historical war novel, “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” I’ve mentioned previously that I would have enjoyed the movie of the same name about Italian soldiers who occupy the Greek Island of Cephalonia during World War 2 except for three things:

1. Nicholas Cage
2. Nicholas Cage
3. Nicholas Cage

The writer holidayed in Australia at one stage where he came upon a statue of a dog during a visit to the Pilbara region of Western Australia. What can I tell you about the Pilbara? It’s remote mining country, wickedly hot and with nothing but red dust for miles.

But I digress. Back to the statue …….

The dog’s name on the statue was “Red Dog” ( 1971 – 1979), a kelpie/cattle dog cross.

He had a series of owners and lengthy periods travelling on his own, essentially becoming a beloved friend and mascot of the greater Pilbara community. “Red Dog” was made a member of the Dampier Salts Sport and Social Club and the Transport Workers Union and was also given a bank account with the Bank of New South Wales which was said to have used him as a mascot, with the slogan. “If Red banks at the Wales, then you can too.“

When “Red Dog” died, presumed poisoned, a local vet had him buried in a secret unmarked grave. There is a plaque, fixed to a boulder, very close to this site, just outside of the town of Cossack WA. The plaque states: 

                                   ” Red Dog

                                     The Pilbara Wanderer

                                      Erected by the many friends

                                      Made during his travels.”

This story so inspired de Bernieres that he wrote the novella, “Red Dog”, published in 2001, which was adapted to a film of the same name in 2011.

As of 17 November 2011, the film made more than A$21 million at the Australian box office since opening in August 2011.  Red Dog is ranked eighth in the list of (Cinema of Australia) highest-grossing Australian films of all time. Eleven days after opening, Red Dog became the highest-grossing Australian film of 2011. Much of this success is because Nicholas Cage was not involved.

*For bonus trivia, the soundtrack to the movie features some truly great Aussie  pop music.  Grab a glass of plonk and prepare to flit across the lounge room floor.

*I remember seeing this movie with Cat Balou. There was laughter, tears, and bopping to the music in our seats. It was my last time being in a cinema where everyone clapped at the end of the movie.

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Australian Trivia

Q is for Quokkas and Quolls

The quokka is a small marsupial the size of a domestic cat. The quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal.

The quoll is a carnivorous marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea. They are primarily nocturnal and spend most of the day in a den. Of the six species of quoll, four are found in Australia and two in New Guinea. 

Unfortunately, I have never spied either of these creatures in the wild. Add to Must Do List.

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Australian Trivia

P is for Platypus

Australia has around 140 species of land snake, and 32 recorded species of sea snakes. Some 100 Australian snakes are venomous, although only 12 are likely to inflict a wound that could kill you.

Our spiders too have a bad reputation. We have some of the most venomous spiders in the world. Some spider bites can be harmful and need emergency medical treatment. Some too can kill you.

But we’re going to leave those alone and look at the Platypus. These solitary, secretive creatures are nearly extinct and there is a huge push to remedy that situation.

Although not cute and cuddley like the Koala here are my Top Ten Platypus facts :

• The platypus is a mammal. 
• The platypus and the echidna are the only mammals that lay eggs.
• A baby platypus is called a puggle.
• They don’t have stomachs.
• They are carnivores.
• They don’t have teeth.
• They knuckle-walk like gorillas and anteaters
• Female platypuses don’t have nipples. Instead, they release milk from pores in their mammary glands.
• Male platypuses have venomous spurs.
• Platypuses swim with their front feet and steer with their back feet.

Have I seen a platypus in the wild?

Certainly. In the Royal National Park south of Sydney whilst picnicing, and in a stream on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland. On both occasions I held my breath in excitement.

Lastly, some truly weird information. Did you know that in March 1943 the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, telegrammed Australian Prime Minister, John Curtin, requesting six platypuses be sent to Britain forthwith. There was a strict law in place preventing the removal of platypuses from Australia, but given who was asking, Curtin decided to make an exception, just this once.

The story goes that Churchill kept a colourful menagerie containing black swans, a lion called Rota, white kangaroos and other creatures. Many of these were gifts from individuals or organisations hoping to gain favour or publicity.

Australia sent a sole platypus to England though sadly, Winston the platypus never made it to the platypussary that had been so carefully constructed for him. Though the journey through the Panama Canal and across the Atlantic was risky, the voyage proved uneventful. Winston was always “lively and ready for his food”. But on 6 November, just four days from Liverpool, the Port Phillip suffered a submarine attack. Winston was found dead in his tank immediately afterwards.

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Australian Trivia

N is for Australia’s National Symbols.

Australia’s national symbols that have been officially chosen , either by vote, legislation or proclamation, to represent Australia and its states and territories include: 

• the Australian National Flag. 
• the Commonwealth Coat of Arms. 
• our floral emblem, the golden wattle.

We’ve previously covered the Flag. Boy, was that a dry topic……

Let’s tackle the Commonwealth Coat of Arms next.

The Commonwealth Coat of Arms is a formal symbol of the Commonwealth of Australia. It depicts a shield, containing symbols of Australia’s six states, and is held up by native Australian animals, the kangaroo and the emu. The seven-pointed Commonwealth Stars surrounding the crest also represents the states and territories, while golden wattle appears below the shield.

Although the kangaroo and emu have never been designated as official animal emblems of Australia, they were chosen to symbolise a nation moving forward based on the fact that neither animal can move backwards i.e. symbolising progress.

I just adore the Golden Wattle, deemed our floral emblem. Growing up in a little bush suburb in the outer suburbs of Sydney, now considered suburban sprawl, the wattle was ever present. Celebrating Wattle Day whilst in Primary School holds special memories.

Writer May Gibbs (1877- 1969) in her children’s books about nature ( Snugglepot and Cuddlepie) featured the cheerful Wattle Babies, “the most good-natured of all the Bush Babies. Their bright yellow clothes brighten the bush on a Winter’s day. In Spring they love to go boating and swimming with their frog friends and have fun playing hide and seek with the baby birds.”

As one species of a large genus of flora growing across Australia, the golden wattle is a symbol of unity. Wattle is ideally suited to withstand Australia’s droughts, winds and bushfires. The resilience of wattle represents the spirit of the Australian people.

The green and gold of the wattle is the basis of our national uniform in sporting competitions.

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Australian Trivia

I is for Ibis

For some reason the Aussie psyche means that we have a tendency to support the “under dog”, a “person or group in a competition who is expected to lose.” Bushranger Ned Kelly was an “under dog”. Speed skater Steven Bradbury who won a gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics when everyone skating in front of him fell over was an “under dog”. British singer Susan Boyle was another.

The native Ibis, affectionately known as the Bin Chicken or Tip Turkey because it scavenges for food in rubbish bins, is another “under dog.”

Oddly, the Ibis has become a cultural icon, often seen as the subject of children’s story books, tattoos and on tee shirts. There is even talk of this bird being the mascot for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games. Not one of our iconic birds like the Kookaburra, the Galah, or the flightless (and my favourite) the Emu – but the Ibis.

Did you know that the Australian white Ibis has an average life span of 28 years? 

“It migrated from interior wetlands to urban areas when its habitat began to diminish in the 1970s. Since then, its populations have continued to grow in city areas where there’s enough food. In some cities, their numbers have grown to the point of culls being ordered, like when authorities ordered a cull of 100 ibis they said posed a bird strike risk to flights at Perth Airport in 2018.” – wiki.

There was also a recent cull in my area when Ibis eggs were removed from nests at the Black Swamp, although thats secret Council Business and the ratepayer is not supposed to know. Sssssshhhhh.

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Australian Trivia

(The) Emu War

– or How Flightless Birds Defeated The Australian Army

The Emu War was a wildlife management operation undertaken as a military exercise in 1932.

Emus were destroying the crops in the Wheatbelt of Western Australia and left large gaps in fences where rabbits could enter and cause further problems for farmers.

The operation, led by Major Gwynydd Purves Wynne-Aubrey Meredith of the Royal Australian Artillery, saw soldiers armed with Lewis guns exterminating emus from 2 November to 10 December. The group had two Lewis automatic machine guns and 10,000 rounds of ammunition. They were accompanied by a cinematographer.

“On November 2 the three team members employed formation tactics against a group of roughly 50 emus. When the soldiers opened fire, the birds scattered in all directions, making them extremely difficult targets. On November 4 the soldiers laid an ambush for the emus at a water source. The gunners waited to open fire until thousands of emus were in range. However, one of the guns jammed after just a few rounds, and the emus escaped.” – from Britannica.com

After two months, fewer than 1,000 emus were reported killed. This failure was the subject of national and international ridicule as it was said that the emus won the war as their numbers continued to increase.

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Australian Trivia

D is for Dingo Fence

The Dingo Fence was erected during the 1880’s to keep dingos out of the relatively fertile south-east part of the continent, and to protect the sheep flocks of southern Queensland. 

The Dingo Fence stretches 5,614km, across three states – Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia – and is the world’s longest fence. It is three times the length of the Great Wall of China!

The fence line is cleared on both sides to a width of 5 metres. It has been constructed using wooden posts, strainers, star pickets, wire and different types and sizes of netting. The fence is nearly 2 metres (6ft) high and extends approximately 30cm underground to prevent dingoes and wild dogs digging under it. The fence is maintained by eight teams of men who patrol their section of the fence each week and is funded by Local and State Governments.

I have a short road trip planned in coming days to visit the Western Downs of Queensland where the start of the northern end of the Dingo Fence, located between Jandowae and Jimbour, can be found.

Not sure what a dingo looks like?

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Australian Trivia

Welcome To Spring

The stench of decomposing possum is unforgettable. I share this with you because my garage, attached to the house, reeks with an odor that burns the nose hairs. The possibility that a possum or bush rat has crawled in to the garage to die is a strong one. It’s happened before. With the garage still housing 17 boxes of books, toys, games, photos and other childhood paraphernalia belonging to Pocahontas and Cat Balou, as well as garden tools and accessories there are numerous places where a critter can curl up and not be disturbed.

I have set the alarm early for tomorrow morning determined to resolve the issue. Having my eyes water every time I jump into the car is unsatisfactory and the days are getting longer and warmer.

There have always been possums in this neck of the woods, both Ring Tailed and the Bush Tailed variety, and I admit to encouraging them with sliced pears and apples – and sometimes their favourite, corn on the cob – feeding them each night in the koala corridor at the back of my property. 

It’s baby season at the moment and the little ones are just adorable riding on their mother’s backs. 

Welcome to Spring.

CRIKEY!

Crikey is not just an Australian exclamation of surprise or bewilderment,  similar to blimey or struth. It is the catch phrase of the late Steve Irwin, known as “The Crocodile Hunter“, an Australian zookeeper, conservationist, media personality, wildlife educator and environmentalist, or more commonly known as a “Wildlife Warrior.”

So when the interstate tourists visited where did they want to go? Crikey’s, of course – Australia Zoo. 

Located an hour north of Brisbane, Australia Zoo is a 700-acre (280 ha) zoo that houses an assortment of animals, particularly those species which are endangered because of human intervention. Conservation and education are major features of the park with programs to assist the Sumatra Tigers and White Rhinos amongst others.

Opened as the Beerwah Reptile and Fauna Park by Steve’s parents Bob and Lyn Irwin in 1970, it wasn’t until 1997 that the park focused on the protection of salt water crocodiles by housing crocs that needed to be rehomed. The feeding of crocs and their behaviours quickly became popular with visitors.

In the 1990’s Steve and his wife Terri took over the running of the zoo, changing its name to Australia Zoo, and utilising the media to push the environmentalism theme as well as to finance the park expansion and upgrades. In 2008, a $5 million animal hospital, claimed to be the largest wildlife hospital in the world, opened. The 1,300-square-metre (14,000 sq ft) facility is built of mud brick and hay. It contains two operating theaters with viewing areas for student veterinarians, two treatment rooms, intensive care units for mammals, birds, and reptiles, a X-ray room, and public areas including a drop-off area, pharmacy, nursery, and waiting room. During the 2019-2020 Bushfire season the Wildlife Hospital treated its 90,000th injured animal. 

Steve Irwin died in 2006, aged 44, as a result of a stingray injury to the heart. Terri remains in charge of zoo operations ably assisted by offspring, Bindi and Robert.

Highlights of a day at Australia Zoo?

– The Crocodile and Bird Show at the Crocoseum.

( Photo of Robert and Bindi’s husband Chandler managing Murray the crocodile)

   – Watching a tiger leap into the water for food

   – The tropical gardens are spectacular. I’de visit just for the plants but watch out for snakes in summer.

    – Wombats. Just look at this little sweetheart.

Is a visit to Australia Zoo worth the entrance fee?

Absolutely. And if you have Little People pack their cossies/ togs/ swimsuits. The water play area is wonderful.

Incidentally, Steve has been laid to rest in an unidentified area of the zoo. His memorial service was held in the Crocoseum during which there was not a dry eye in the house.

You know, it doesn’t hurt to play tourist in your own town occasionally. Crikey!

K is for Kangaroo: Australian Lingo

A recent post recently stated that the Australian language or lingo has evolved from a mixing pot of cultures over the past 230 years. It began on the ships of the First Fleet with a mix of convicts, soldiers, settlers and sailors who spoke a variety of differing dialects and versions of British working-class slang. More recently the Chinese, Pacific Islanders and Americans who come to our shores have contributed to the new and colourful expressions in our language.

We mustn’t forget, however, that many of our words derive from Indigenous languages, particularly the names of animals and places. 

Aboriginal Australians, more commonly referred to as First Nation people,  comprise many distinct peoples who developed across Australia for over 50,000 years. These peoples have a broadly shared, though complex, genetic history, but only in the last 230 years have they been defined as a single group.

The word kangaroo derives from the Guugu Yimithirr word gangurru, referring to eastern grey kangaroos. The name was first recorded as “kanguru” on 12 July 1770 in an entry in the diary of botanist, Sir Joseph Banks during a sea journey in the HMS Endeavour under the command of Lieutenant James Cook. Guugu Yimithirr is the language of the First Nations people of Cooktown where the “roos” were spotted during a time when Cook’s ship was undertaking several weeks of repairs.

The kangaroo is a recognisable symbol of Australia. Most notably, both the kangaroo and emu feature on the Australian Coat of Arms. Why? Because neither the kangaroo nor emu can walk backwards.

Demystifying Australian Language