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Kangaroo emblems and popular culture deals with the uses which have been made of the image of the kangaroo.

The kangaroo has appeared in such things as coins, emblems, logos, architectural decoration, mascots and in the naming of sports teams.

Contents 1 Kangaroo emblems and logos 2 Kangaroos and coins 3 Kangaroo mascots and sculptures 3.1 Kangaroo mascots in Australia 3.2 Kangaroo mascots in the United States 4 Architectural References 5 Public Art and Sculpture 6 Cultural references 6.1 Television and films 6.2 Songs 6.3 Books 6.4 Cartoons 6.5 Advertisements 6.6 Video games and other games 6.7 Others 7 Kangaroos and sports teams 7.1 National teams 7.2 Major domestic teams 7.3 Other teams 8 Place Names 9 References

[edit] Kangaroo emblems and logos

• The Kangaroo and Emu are bearers on the Australian Coat of Arms, this is because neither animal is capable of walking backwards

• Australia's national airliner, Qantas, uses a bounding kangaroo for its logo. The "Company Logos" section on the Qantas article shows that the Kangaroo has always been part of the Qantas logo

• The Royal Australian Air Force roundel features a bounding red kangaroo.

[edit] Kangaroos and coins

The kangaroo has been featured on pre-decimal coins, and on decimal coins.

• The Kangaroo was featured on the Australian pre-decimal penny coin.
• The Kangaroo was also featured on the Australian pre-decimal half-penny coin.
• Five Kangaroos are featured on the Australian one dollar coin

[edit] Kangaroo mascots and sculptures

[edit] Kangaroo mascots in Australia

• The Boxing Kangaroo – mascot for the Australia II team in the 1983 America's Cup. This rendition of the kangaroo has become a sporting icon, known informally as the green and gold "Sporting Kangaroo", and is highly popular with cricket crowds and international sporting events which feature Australian participation

• Matilda, the mascot at the 1982 Commonwealth Games held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, was represented by both a cartoon kangaroo and a 13-metre high (42 feet 8 inches) mechanical kangaroo (which winked at the spectators during the opening and closing ceremonies). The 'medal', which was worn by both the cartoon and mechanical versions of Matilda, features the 1982 Commonwealth Games logo — a stylised representation of a kangaroo bounding (in "flight") – similar to the pose of the kangaroo featured on the pre-decimal half-penny coin. ^[1]

[edit] Kangaroo mascots in the United States

• Kasey Kangaroo is the mascot for the University of Missouri–Kansas City
• Zippy the kangaroo is the mascot for The University of Akron
• The kangaroo is the mascot for Austin College in Sherman, Texas
• The kangaroo is the mascot for Terryville High School in Terryville, Connecticut
• Lizzie (a purple and white kangaroo) is the mascot of Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington
• Stomper is the new mascot for the TNA wrestling company.
• The kangaroo is the mascot for State University of New York at Canton in Canton (town), New York
• The kangaroo is the mascot for Wilmington Friends School in Wilmington, Delaware

[edit] Architectural References

The first uses of Kangaroo ornaments as architectural expression appeared during the Victorian era. This was first limited to use of the coat of arms on buildings, however kangaroos soon became used as decorative motifs on their own in some commercial buildings, particularly in Melbourne.

It was the Federation architecture however which brought native ornamentation to the mainstream and kangaroos began to be mass produced as ornamentation on domestic houses in the large cities as part of an Australiana movement and effort to create a uniquely Australian style. Examples of this decoration includes the ornamental terracotta tile capping on residential roofs. Reproduction products using Kangaroos are still used today.

[edit] Public Art and Sculpture

Kangaroos motifs have been used as a form of public art.

Notable examples include:

• Victorian lamp post (1880) in front of the Royal Exhibition Building at the Carlton Gardens in Carlton, Victoria
• Petrie Tableaux sculpture (1989). In front of Brisbane City Hall at King George Square by Stephen Walker
• Perth Kangaroo sculptures (1996, 1997 & 2000). St George's Terrace in several locations, Perth, Western Australia by Anne Neil, Joan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith
• City Roo sculptures (1999). George Street, Brisbane, Queensland - made from scrapmetal by Christopher Trotter
• Eastern Grey kangaroo sculpture in the Brisbane Botanic Gardens

Kangaroo ornaments on a Victorian lamp post at the Royal Exhibition Building

Petrie Tableaux sculpture in front of Brisbane City Hall

One of the City Roo sculptures in George Street, Brisbane

Perth Council house kangaroo sculptures

[edit] Cultural references

Kangaroos are extremely well-represented in films, television, songs, toys and souvenirs around the world.

[edit] Television and films

• Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, star of the 1960s Australian children's television series.
• Kangaroo Jack, the title character of an American film of the same name.
• A giant kangaroo is featured in the movie Welcome to Woop Woop.
• The Hallmark Properties television series Zoobilee Zoo has a character named Whazzat Kangaroo.

[edit] Songs

• Kangaroos are mentioned, or featured, in the songs Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport and Six White Boomers, by Rolf Harris.

[edit] Books

• There is a "Sour Kangaroo" in the Dr. Seuss tale Horton Hears a Who.
• Kanga and Roo are fictional mother and son kangaroos in the popular series of children's books about Winnie-the-Pooh.
• Kidding Kangaroo in the Sweet Pickles book series by Ruth Lerner Perle, Jacquelyn Reinach and Richard Hefter.
• One of the several intelligent races in the fantasy novel Shadowkeep by Alan Dean Foster are high-bounding, fun-loving marsupials, known as "roos" and obviously meant to be intelligent kangaroos.
• A kangaroo is shot and killed by Ernest in The Swiss Family Robinson, a book written by Johann Wyss.

[edit] Cartoons

• Kanga and Roo are fictional mother and son kangaroos in the popular series of cartoons about Winnie-the-Pooh.
• A team of kangaroo basketball players feature in the French cartoon series Kangoo and its spin-off/prequel Kangoo Juniors.
• In several Looney Tunes/Merrie Melodies cartoons, Sylvester the Cat is beaten up by Hippety Hopper the baby kangaroo, who always accomplishes this feat after escaping from the captivity of humans who have attempted to take him to a zoo in assorted American cities and whom Sylvester believes to be an oversized mouse.
• In Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry, the commentators are holding a kangaroo by the leash when the racers reach Australia.
• In British punk style comic strips Tank Girl the protagonist's boyfriend is Booga, the mutant anthro kangaroo. There are some other minor roo characters. In the US movie Tank Girl, slightly based on the strips, protagonist is assisted by Rippers - mutant Kangaroo genetically engineered supersoldiers (and Booga is among them, of course).

[edit] Advertisements

• Aussie hair products from Proctor & Gamble sports a kangaroo hopping on its label, while the magazine and television ads display an animatronic purple kangaroo in them.

[edit] Video games and other games

• Roo is a fighting kangaroo in the Sega Genesis video game Streets of Rage 3.
• Ripper Roo, a crazy kangaroo in a straitjacket villain of the video game series Crash Bandicoot.
• Sheila, a female kangaroo of the video game series Spyro the Dragon.
• Roger the boxing kangaroo from the Tekken series of video games.
• In the Game Boy Color games The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, there is a kangaroo by the name of Ricky which will help you in your quest.
• In Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Johnny Cage turns into a Kangaroo.

[edit] Others

• Austin of The Backyardigans is a young Kangaroo.
• In Warriors of virtue the five main heroes are roos.
• The Pokémon Kangaskhan is based on a kangaroo.
• In the anime and manga series Reborn the character Ryohei Sasagawa has a kangaroo in one of his ring boxes that enables healing and advances abilities of others.
• Chimera Punch, monster kangaroolike Tokyo Mew Mew

[edit] Kangaroos and sports teams

The kangaroo features prominently in sport. Australian sports teams with nicknames derived from the kangaroo (and wallaby) include the following:

[edit] National teams

• The Australian national rugby league team is nicknamed the Kangaroos.
• The Australia national rugby union team is nicknamed the Wallabies.
• The Australia national association football team (men's) is nicknamed the Socceroos.
  • The Australia national under-23 football team plays Football at the Summer Olympics and is nicknamed Olyroos.
  • The Australia national under-20 football team is nicknamed the Young Socceroos
  • The Australia national under-17 football team is the Joeys
• The Australian Women's field hockey team is nicknamed the Hockeyroos.
• The Australian national ice hockey team is nicknamed the Mighty Roos.
• The Australian men's national basketball team is nicknamed the Boomers.
• The Samoa national Australian rules football team is nicknamed the Kangaroos.

[edit] Major domestic teams

• The North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League is nicknamed the Kangaroos.

[edit] Other teams

• The FC Bohemians Praha, a Czech football team is nicknamed the Klokani (Czech for kangaroos) since their tour in Australia in 1927.
• Etobicoke Kangaroos
• Vienna Kangaroos
• Perth Kangaroos IFC
• Nashville Kangaroos
• State University of New York (SUNY) at Canton Kangaroos

[edit] Place Names

The kangaroo has inspired a number of place names in Australia. More prominent examples include:

• Kangaroo Flat
• Kangaroo Island
• Kangaroo Point
• Kangaroo Ground
• Kangaroo River and Kangaroo Valley
• Kangaroo Creek Reservoir

[edit] References

1. ^ "1982 Commonwealth Games Mascot," Australian Commonwealth Games Association