The Kangaroo: A Cultural Phenomenon

*Note: This is Raper's original drawing of a kangaroo.

*Note: This is the statue based on the kangaroo in Raper's drawing.

When many of the first settlers made their way to Australia, they found an endless amount of new animals, plants, and sights to discover. The country as a whole was entirely unfamiliar and new, and some people even went as far to say that the land was backwards because of all of the vast differences. These differences, of course, led to very important exploration and discovery. However, since many of these plants, animals, and landmarks had never been discovered before, there were no existent names or words that could accurately define them. In Paul Carter’s essay “Naming Place,” he discusses this idea of disassociation and how so many people had trouble defining the country because there weren’t any words to describe it. Carter says, “There seemed to be nothing that could be accurately named” (Carter 1). Differentiating between the new and the familiar was too difficult to do because there wasn’t enough vocabulary in existence. According to Carter, Australia was simply “indescribable.”

A few days ago, our group visited the Museum of Sydney to learn more about the land of Australia and the first people who came here. During our free time there, I was looking around the exhibits and came across this very strange statue of a kangaroo. Its coloring was off, its body shape looked unfamiliar, and it was way too large.  It almost looked like someone was trying to create a cartoon character that was based off of the animal. I decided to read what the exhibit said about the kangaroo, and apparently the abnormal statue was based off of a painting created by George Raper, a man that was part of the First Fleet. In his original drawing, he had also assumed that the giant emu eggs next to the kangaroo actually belonged to the kangaroo. According to the exhibit, many people, including Raper, had a very difficult time trying to recreate images of these strange new things. The kangaroo was a mystery to Raper, as it was to many individuals coming to Australia for the first time, and he didn’t really know how to describe the strange animal. He created his painting in an attempt to show people what the wildlife was like in the newly discovered land, and clearly his depiction was off in comparison to the real animal.

This exhibit really brought me back to Paul Carter’s article. Raper was having so much trouble trying to recreate this new animal because it was too unfamiliar. There wasn’t anything he could compare it to because the kangaroo was so unique, and his painting ends up depicting it inaccurately. Carter says, “Bearing in mind that the prime responsibility of the early explorers was to describe what they saw, dissonance between language and land presented a considerable challenge” (Carter 2). The same can be said for Raper’s interpretation of the kangaroo and the actual animal itself. There weren’t enough words or ideas that existed for Raper to make his portrait more realistic.

I found this exhibit really funny for multiple reasons. First of all, the kangaroo itself looked a little bit ridiculous. Secondly, the kangaroo has become a huge cultural symbol for Australia, yet in this portrayal, it was completely unknown. It’s so fascinating that the early explorers had so much difficulty trying to define this strange new animal. They didn’t understand what it was or where it came from. However, the kangaroo has become the stereotypical image of Australia. If you ask any foreigner to think of three things that define this country, I can bet that the kangaroo is one of them. In a sense, this exhibit is almost representative of the progression of Australia’s culture. At first, the land was considered indescribable and backwards, and as time moved forward, these strange animals and plants and landmarks suddenly became familiar sights and vital pieces of Australia’s culture.

A few nights ago, after we went out to dinner, I had a really interesting conversation with a native Australian man. I was curious about his perceptions of stereotypical American culture, so we discussed how many foreigners define the “typical American.” (These discussions always fascinate me because I love discussing and learning about cultural differences). The Australian man also asked me what came to mind when thinking about Australia and what images I tend to associate with the country. Immediately, I told him that I always thought of kangaroos when I thought of the culture. He told me that most people who visit Australia tend to associate the kangaroo with the culture here. Clearly, the once strange animal has come full circle and gone from a bizarre stranger to a culturally popular image for the country as a whole.