Australie Aborigene ancetre totemique kangourou

Kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...

Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and so ...

and other

Macropodidae Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and ar ...

have become emblems and symbols of Australia, as well as appearing in popular culture both internationally and within Australia itself. Kangaroos are part of cultural and spiritual significance for many

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

. Since its European discovery, Kangaroos have since become an emblem of Australia, appearing in their coat of arms and in many state and city coat of arms, Australian logos such as the

Qantas Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded ...

logo, names of Australian sport teams, mascots such as the ''

Boxing Kangaroo The boxing kangaroo is a national symbol of Australia, frequently seen in pop culture. The symbol is often displayed prominently by Australian spectators at sporting events, such as at cricket, tennis, basketball and football matches, and at t ...

'' and in public art. Kangaroos are also well represented in film, television, songs, toys and souvenirs around the world.

European first encounters

The kangaroo was considered a unique oddity when

Captain Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...

's HMB ''Endeavour'' arrived back in England in 1771 with a specimen on board. Over time it has come to symbolise Australia and Australian values.

Joseph Banks Sir Joseph Banks, 1st Baronet, (19 June 1820) was an English naturalist, botanist, and patron of the natural sciences. Banks made his name on the 1766 natural-history expedition to Newfoundland and Labrador. He took part in Captain James ...

, the naturalist on the ''Endeavour'' voyage, commissioned

George Stubbs George Stubbs (25 August 1724 – 10 July 1806) was an English painter, best known for his paintings of horses. Self-trained, Stubbs learnt his skills independently from other great artists of the 18th century such as Reynolds or Gainsborough ...

to paint a portrait of the kangaroo specimen. When the official account of the voyage was published in 1773, it was illustrated with an engraving of Stubbs' kangaroo. From that time on, the kangaroo quickly came to symbolise the Australian continent, appearing in exhibitions, collections, art and printed works across Europe.Symbols of Australia: Kangaroo, National Museum of Australia
/ref>

Kangaroo status

It took a long time for the kangaroo to achieve official recognition in Australia. Despite being a "declared noxious animal" because of its reputation for damaging crops and fences and competing with domestic animals for resources, the kangaroo finally achieved official recognition with its inclusion on Australia's coat of arms in 1908. The kangaroo is now popularly regarded as Australia's unofficial animal emblem.

Kangaroo emblems and logos

The kangaroo and

emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus ''Dromaius''. The emu' ...

are bearers on the Australian Coat of Arms. It has been claimed these animals were chosen to signify a country moving 'forward' because of a common belief that neither can move backward. Two red kangaroos serve as bearers to the

Coat of Arms of Western Australia The coat of arms of Western Australia is the official coat of arms of the Australian state of Western Australia. It was granted by a royal warrant of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia dated 17 March 1969. Description The shield has a silver (arg ...

. Australia's national airline,

, uses a bounding kangaroo for its logo. The kangaroo has always been part of the Qantas logo, and the airline has previously been known informally as "The Flying Kangaroo". Tourism Australia makes use of the kangaroo in its logo to "help ensure instant recognition for Australia around the world". The Australian Grown logo uses a golden kangaroo in a green triangle to show that a product is made or grown in Australia. The

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

roundel features a bounding red kangaroo. Warships of the Royal Australian Navy have red kangaroo symbols (based on the kangaroo on the reverse of the Australian penny) fixed to either side of their superstructure or funnel. This originated during the Korean War: as the destroyer was repeatedly mistaken for a British warship, her executive officer had a brass 'weathervane' in the shape of a kangaroo made and mounted to the ship's mainmast. The kangaroo is part of the official emblem of the Royal Australian Regiment with a kangaroo in between two Lee–Enfield bolt-action rifles. The Victorian Coat of Arms includes the upper portion of a kangaroo holding an Imperial Crown in its paws. The red kangaroo is the animal emblem of the Northern Territory. The kangaroo is the official emblem of Northern Territory Police. British clothing and headwear company

Kangol Kangol is a British clothing company famous for its headwear. The name Kangol reflects the original materials for production, the K coming from the word 'silK' (a recent attribution to 'Knitting' is incorrect), the ANG from 'ANGora', and the ...

, known for its berets, features a kangaroo in its logo. Penny hapenny

Kangaroos and coins

The kangaroo has been featured on coins on the pre-decimal

Australian pound The pound ( Sign: £, £A for distinction) was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 14 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. As with other £sd currencies, it was subdivided into 20 shillings (denoted by the symbol ...

and decimal coins of the Australian dollar. The kangaroo appears on the pre-decimal

penny A penny is a coin ( pennies) or a unit of currency (pl. pence) in various countries. Borrowed from the Carolingian denarius (hence its former abbreviation d.), it is usually the smallest denomination within a currency system. Presently, it is t ...

and half-penny coins. Five kangaroos are featured on the one dollar coin.

Kangaroo mascots in Australia

The ''boxing kangaroo'' – mascot for the

Australia II ''Australia II'' (KA 6) is an Australian 12-metre-class America's Cup challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 and won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club. Skippered by John Bertrand, she was the first successful ...

team in the 1983

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

. 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 The 1982 Commonwealth Games were held in Brisbane, Australia, from 30 September to 9 October 1982. The Opening Ceremony was held at the QEII Stadium (named after Elizabeth II), in the Brisbane suburb of Nathan. The QEII Stadium was also the a ...

held in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, was represented by both
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 th
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. During the First World War, pet kangaroos and toy kangaroos were a popular choice of mascot for Australian servicemen. Carlton club

Architectural references

The first uses of Kangaroo ornaments as architectural expression appeared during the Victorian era. This was at first limited to the 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 into the mainstream, so that 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 include the ornamental terracotta tile capping on residential roofs. Reproduction products using Kangaroos are still used today.

Public art and sculpture

Kangaroo 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 Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entranc ...

at King George Square by Stephen Walker *Perth kangaroo sculptures (1996, 1997 & 2000).

St Georges Terrace St Georges Terrace (colloquially known as "The Terrace") is the main street in the city of Perth, Western Australia. It runs parallel to the Swan River and forms the major arterial road through the central business district. Its western e ...

, in several locations, Perth, Western Australia, by Anne Neil, Joan Walsh-Smith, Charles Smith *City Roo sculptures (1999). George Street, Brisbane, Queensland – made from scrap metal by

Christopher Trotter Christopher Trotter (born August 1967, in Brisbane, Queensland), is an Australian sculptor who makes sculptures from discarded scrap material. Trotter, who attends the Queensland University of Technology, has been creating artworks for gover ...

*Eastern grey kangaroo sculpture in the City Botanic Gardens *Kangaroo and joey sculpture at Queens Park in Ipswich, Queensland File:Melbourne Royal Exhibition - East Buildings.jpg, Kangaroo ornaments on a Victorian lamp post at the Royal Exhibition Building File:City_Hall_sculpture.jpg, Petrie Tableaux sculpture in front of

File:CityRoos_kangaroo_sculpture_1.jpg, One of the ''City Roo'' sculptures in George Street, Brisbane File:Kangaroo sculpture at Brisbane City Botanic Gardens.jpg, Eastern Grey kangaroo sculpture in the City Botanic Gardens File:Kangaroo-and-joey-sculpture_at_Queens_Park_in_Ipswich.jpg, Kangaroo and joey sculpture at Queens Park in Ipswich, Queensland

Decorative arts and design

An early depiction of a kangaroo on an item of decorative art is the Macintosh & Degraves

Token Token may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Token, a game piece or counter, used in some games * The Tokens, a vocal music group * Tolkien Black, a recurring character on the animated television series ''South Park,'' formerly known as ...

Shilling 1823. Another early example is the Garret salver. This item of Tasmanian colonial silver incorporates a kangaroo, an emu and wattle branches in its design. The kangaroo has continued to be incorporated into decorative designs by craftspeople and designers in Australia and elsewhere in the world. The Terence Lane kangaroo collection at the National Museum of Australia consists of more than 150 objects and ephemera in a wide range of styles produced over a period of 150 years. The collection ranges from a one-metre-high Doulton ceramic kangaroo umbrella stand to small items of jewellery.

Cultural references

Kangaroos are extremely well represented in

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

s, television, songs, toys and souvenirs around the world.

Television and films

Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, star of the 1960s Australian children's television series. '' Wake in Fright'' is a 1971 movie which includes a controversial kangaroo hunting scene containing graphic footage of kangaroos actually being shot. In a more comical vein, the 1986 film '' Crocodile Dundee'' features a scene in which the title character frightens away kangaroo hunters by making them think that a kangaroo is shooting back at them. ''

Matilda Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

'' is a 1978 movie starring

Elliott Gould Elliott Gould (; né Goldstein; born August 29, 1938) is an American actor. He began acting in Hollywood films during the 1960s. Elliott's breakthrough role was in the ''Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice'' (1969), for which he received a nomination f ...

about a promoter working with a kangaroo. Kangaroo Jack is 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 ''Zoobilee Zoo'' is a children's television series featuring actors dressed as animal characters that originally aired from 1986 to 1987. It continued to run in syndication until 2000 on several television channels including commercial network ...

'' has a character named Whazzat Kangaroo (the Canadian actress and singer Stephanie Louise "Stevie" Vallance plays this role).

Songs

Kangaroos are mentioned, or featured, in the Rolf Harris songs " Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport" and "Six White Boomers". Kangaroos are also mentioned in the Peter Allen song "Tenterfield Saddler". Kangaroos are also mentioned in

Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...

jingle "Football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars". Kangaroos are also mentioned in the songs "Christmas Where The Gum Trees Grow", "Christmas in the Scrub" and "The Five Days of Christmas".

Books

There is a "Sour Kangaroo" in the Dr. Seuss tale '' Horton Hears A Who!''. Kanga and

Roo Roo is a fictional character created in 1926 by A. A. Milne and first featured in the book ''Winnie-the-Pooh''. He is a young kangaroo (known as a joey) and his mother is Kanga. Like most other Pooh characters, Roo is based on a stuffed toy an ...

are

fictional Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places Place may refer to: Geography * Place (United States Census Bureau), defined as any concentration of population ** Census-designated place, ...

mother and son kangaroos in the popular series of children's books about Winnie-the-Pooh. Kidding Kangaroo in the ''

Sweet Pickles ''Sweet Pickles'' is a series of 40 children's books by Ruth Lerner Perle, Jacquelyn Reinach, and Richard Hefter and published by Holt, Rinehart & Winston, having sold over 50 million copies. The books are set in the fictional town of Sweet Pickl ...

'' book series by Ruth Lerner Perle, Jacquelyn Reinach and Richard Hefter. One of the several intelligent races described in the fantasy novel ''

Shadowkeep Shadowkeep are an English heavy metal band formed in Guildford in 1999 by guitarists Chris Allen (ex-Intense and Sire) and Nikki Robson (also formerly of Sire). History Early recordings In October 1999, Shadowkeep recorded their debut ...

,'' written 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.

Cartoons

Kiko the Kangaroo Kiko the Kangaroo is a fictional kangaroo appearing in theatrical cartoons produced by Terrytoons. He is featured in ten cartoons made between 1936 and 1937. Fictional biography As with various anthropomorphic animals at the time, Kiko wears short ...

is a recurring character in the '' Terrytoons'' cartoons. Kanga and

are

mother and son kangaroos in the popular series of cartoons about Winnie-the-Pooh. A team of kangaroo basketball players feature in the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

cartoon series ''

Kangoo The Renault Kangoo is a family of multi purpose vehicles manufactured and marketed by Renault since 1997, in commercial as well as passenger variants, across three generations. For the European market, the Kangoo is manufactured at the MCA plan ...

'' and its

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gove ...

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...

'' Kangoo Juniors''. In several ''

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated comedy short film series produced by Warner Bros. starting from 1930 to 1969, concurrently with its partner series ''Merrie Melodies'', during the golden age of American animation.

''/''

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animation, animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. starting in 1931, during the golden age of American animation, and ending in 1969. Then some new cartoons were produced from the late 197 ...

'' cartoons,

Sylvester the Cat Sylvester Pussycat, Sr. is a fictional character, an anthropomorphic tuxedo cat in the ''Looney Tunes'' and ''Merrie Melodies'' series of cartoons. Most of his appearances have him often chasing Tweety, Speedy Gonzales, or Hippety Hopper. He appea ...

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 a giant

mouse A mouse ( : mice) is a small rodent. Characteristically, mice are known to have a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (''Mus musculus' ...

. In '' Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry'', the commentators are holding a kangaroo by the leash when the racers reach

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. In the British punk style comic strips ''

Tank Girl ''Tank Girl'' is a British comic book character created by Alan Martin and Jamie Hewlett, and first appeared in print in 1988 in the British comics magazine ''Deadline''. After a period of intense popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s, ...

'', the protagonist's boyfriend is Booga, the mutant anthro-kangaroo. There are some other minor kangaroo characters. In the U.S. movie ''

'', slightly based on the comic strips, the protagonist is assisted by Rippers – mutant kangaroo genetically engineered supersoldiers (and Booga is among them, of course). Rocko the wallaby in '' Rocko's Modern Life'' ''

Dot and the Kangaroo ''Dot and the Kangaroo'' is an 1899 Australian children's book written by Ethel C. Pedley about a little girl named Dot who gets lost in the Australian outback and is eventually befriended by a kangaroo and several other marsupials. The book wa ...

'' was a cartoon juxtaposed on a film of the Australian bush. In '' The Simpsons'' episode "

Bart vs. Australia "Bart vs. Australia" is the sixteenth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 19, 1995. In the episode, Bart is indicted fo ...

", Homer and Bart try to escape from a crowd in the pouches of two kangaroos, which they ultimately cannot because of the kangaroos' pouches being filled with mucus. In '' Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog'', there is a kangaroo named MacHopper, who is also a parody of Crocodile Dundee, another Australian icon. In the '' Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil'' episode "Bwar and Peace", Brad talks about his Australian self, who afterward was punched, and the kangaroo appears before and during his wedding with the girl he is with. Kick also interacted with the kangaroo. In the fifth season of '' The Flintstones'', the Rubbles adopt Hoppy, a pet hoparoo (a Stone Age version of a kangaroo) from Down Under, for Bamm-Bamm.

Aussie Aussie is Australian slang for ''Australian'', both the adjective and the noun, and less commonly, Australia. Pronunciation In Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, the word is pronounced , hence the alternati ...

hair products from Procter & Gamble sports a kangaroo hopping on its label, while the magazine and television ads display an animatronic purple kangaroo in them. Dunkaroos are a snack in the U.S. which used to feature a talking kangaroo in commercials and on product containers.

Video games and other games

Roo is a fighting kangaroo in the

Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...

video game ''

Streets of Rage 3 ''Streets of Rage 3'' is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed and published by Sega in 1994 for the Genesis. It is the third installment of the '' Streets of Rage'' series and the last game in the original trilogy. The game includes several ...

''.

Ripper Roo ''Crash Bandicoot'' is a series of platform video games created by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin. Formerly developed by Naughty Dog from 1996 to 1999, by Traveller's Tales, Eurocom and Vicarious Visions from 2000 to 2004, and by Radical Entertainme ...

, a crazy kangaroo in a straitjacket, is a boss character and antagonist of the video game series '' Crash Bandicoot''. Kao the Kangaroo and its sequels are a Polish video game series involving a yellow/orange kangaroo in a boxing uniform as its protagonist. Sheila, a female kangaroo of the video game series ''

Spyro the Dragon ''Spyro the Dragon'' is a platform game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation on September 9, 1998. The first game in the ''Spyro'' series, it stars the title character, a young purple dr ...

''. Roger the boxing kangaroo from the ''

Tekken is a Japanese Media mix, media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations. The ...

'' 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 ''Mortal Kombat Trilogy'' is a fighting game released by Midway in 1996 as the second and final update to ''Mortal Kombat 3'' (the first being ''Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3'') for the PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Sega Saturn and PCs. Further versio ...

'', Johnny Cage turns into a kangaroo. In '' Bomberman'' 3 and 5 on SNES, the animals which hatch from eggs are called rooeys and they are based on kangaroos. The '' Animal Crossing'' series features kangaroos as possible neighbours. There are at least three homonymous

fairy chess pieces A fairy chess piece, variant chess piece, unorthodox chess piece, or heterodox chess piece is a chess piece not used in conventional chess but incorporated into certain chess variants and some chess problems. Compared to conventional pieces, fair ...

called kangaroo.

Others

Austin of '' The Backyardigans'' is a young kangaroo. In ''

Warriors of Virtue ''Warriors of Virtue'' is a 1997 martial arts fantasy film directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Ronny Yu in his American English-language directorial debut, written by Michael Vickerman and Hugh Kelley, and starring Angus Macfadyen, Mario Yedidia, and ...

'', the five main heroes are kangaroos. In the ''

Pokémon (an abbreviation for in Japan) is a Japanese media franchise managed by The Pokémon Company, founded by Nintendo, Game Freak, and Creatures (company), Creatures, the owners of the trademark and copyright of the franchise. In terms of ...

'' franchise, '' Kangaskhan'' is a Normal type based on a kangaroo with reptilian features. ''Breloom'', a Grass and Fighting type, is also partly based on a kangaroo with mushroom and boxing features. In the anime and manga series '' Reborn!'' the character

Ryohei Sasagawa is a fictional character in the anime and manga series ''Reborn!'' created by Akira Amano. He has also appeared in other media from the ''Reborn!'' franchise including video games and light novels. Ryohei is portrayed as one of the series' prot ...

has a kangaroo in one of his ring boxes that enables healing and advances abilities of others. Chimera Punch, a kangaroolike monster in '' Tokyo Mew Mew''.

Kangaroos and sports teams

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

Australia

Australian 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''.

Australian domestic teams

The

North Melbourne Football Club The North Melbourne Football Club, nicknamed the Kangaroos, is a professional Australian rules football club. The men's team competes in the Australian Football League (AFL), and the women's team in the AFL Women's (AFLW). The Kangaroos also ...

in the

Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Australian rules football. Through the AFL Commission, the AFL also serves as the sport's governing body and is responsible for controlling the laws of the gam ...

is nicknamed the ''Kangaroos''. Perth Kangaroos IFC

United States

''Kasey Kangaroo'' is the mascot for the University of Missouri–Kansas City, whose sports teams were historically known as the UMKC Kangaroos but rebranded as the

Kansas City Roos The Kansas City Roos, known before July 1, 2019, as the UMKC Kangaroos and also sometimes called the Kansas City Kangaroos, are the intercollegiate teams representing the University of Missouri–Kansas City that compete in the National Collegia ...

in 2019. ''Zippy'' the kangaroo is the mascot for

The University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classifie ...

, athletically the Akron Zips. The kangaroo is the mascot for Austin College in Sherman, Texas The kangaroo is the mascot for

Terryville High School Terryville High School is a public high school that serves students living in Plymouth, Terryville, and Pequabuck, Connecticut. It is located at 33 North Harwinton Avenue in Terryville, Connecticut. It is the only school in town to offer grade ...

Terryville, Connecticut Terryville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, and is the largest village within the town of Plymouth. In the 2010 census, Terryville had a population of 5,387, out of 12,243 in the entire town of P ...

''Lizzie'' (a purple and white kangaroo) is the mascot of Lake Washington High School in

Kirkland, Washington Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. A suburb east of Seattle, its population was 92,175 in the 2020 U.S. census which made it the sixth largest city in the county and the twelfth largest in the state. The city's downto ...

''Stomper'' is the mascot for the professional wrestling promotion

Impact Wrestling Impact Wrestling (stylized as ''IMPACT! Wrestling''), is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment. Founded by Jeff and Jerry Jarrett in 2002, the promot ...

. The kangaroo is the mascot for

State University of New York at Canton The State University of New York at Canton (SUNY Canton) is a public college in Canton, New York. It is part of the State University of New York. The college offers 31 bachelor's degrees, 20 associate degrees, three one-year certificate programs ...

in Canton (town), New York The kangaroo is the mascot for

Wilmington Friends School Wilmington Friends School is a private Preschool- 12 school in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, United States, near Wilmington. It is affiliated with the Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers. History The school was founded i ...

in Wilmington, Delaware ''Moe the Kangaroo'' is the mascot for Virginia Military Institute in

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

. However, VMI's sports teams are known as the

VMI Keydets The VMI Keydets are the athletic teams that represent the Virginia Military Institute. All sports participate in the NCAA Division I, and all but three compete in the Southern Conference (the exceptions being men's and women's swimming and diving ...

Nashville Kangaroos The Nashville Kangaroos is a United States Australian Football League, USAFL, team, based in Nashville, United States. It was founded in 1997 and is a Founding Club of the USAFL. The club's mascot is a red kangaroo, a happy coincidence as the Nas ...

The kangaroo is the mascot for Killeen High School in

Killeen, Texas Killeen is a city in Bell County, Texas, United States. According to the 2020 census, its population was 153,095, making it the 19th-most populous city in Texas and the largest of the three principal cities of Bell County. It is the principal city ...

. Weatherford, Texas High School's mascot is the Kangaroos Abington Friends School, in Abington, Pennsylvania, has a kangaroo named Roo as its mascot.

Other countries

The

Samoa national Australian rules football team The Samoan national Australian rules football team, nicknamed the Kangaroos ( sm, Kāgalū), represents Samoa in the team sport of Australian rules football. The team is selected from the best Samoan born players, who are currently mostly pla ...

is nicknamed the ''Kangaroos''. The FC Bohemians Praha, a Czech

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team is nicknamed the ''Klokani'' ( Czech for kangaroos) since their tour in

in 1927.

Etobicoke Kangaroos The Etobicoke Kangaroos is an amateur Australian Football club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the AFL Ontario AFL Ontario is the largest Australian football league in North America. It is currently composed of teams ...

Vienna Kangaroos The Vienna Kangaroos were an Australian Football club located in Vienna, Austria, and are Austria's first Australian Football club. History The club was established by Australian expatriates and began as the "Wiener Dingos" in 2003. The Irish ...

Place names

The kangaroo has inspired a number of place names in Australia. They include: New South Wales * Kangaroo Point * Kangaroo Point – (Brooklyn) * Kangaroo River – (Clarence Valley) * Kangaroo River – (Shoalhaven) *

Kangaroo Valley Kangaroo Valley is a river valley along the Kangaroo River in the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, Australia, located west of the seaside in the City of Shoalhaven. It is also the name of the small suburb within it, formerly known as Osbor ...

Queensland * Kangaroo Island * Kangaroo Point *

Kangaroo Point Cliffs The Kangaroo Point Cliffs are heritage-listed cliffs located at Kangaroo Point just across the Brisbane River from the Brisbane CBD in Queensland, Australia. A popular recreation spot, especially for climbing and running, they are convenientl ...

* Kangaroo River South Australia *

Kangaroo Creek Reservoir Kangaroo Creek Reservoir is a artificial water storage reservoir in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It was built from 1966 to 1969, by damming the River Torrens west of Cudlee Creek. The stored water is used to maintain the Hope Valley Res ...

* Kangaroo Flat * Kangaroo Island Tasmania *

East Kangaroo Island The East Kangaroo Island, part of the Big Green Group within the Furneaux Group, is a unpopulated limestone island with granite outcrops and dolerite dykes, located in the Bass Strait, west of the Flinders Island, in Tasmania, in south-e ...

* Kangaroo Island Victoria * Kangaroo Flat * Kangaroo Ground Western Australia * Kangaroo Island

References

{{Heraldic creatures Australian culture Mammals in popular culture Sports mascots Heraldic beasts Mythological marsupials