What was Skippy the Bush Kangaroo?
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo was an Australian children's television series about a clever kangaroo and the family of a park ranger in Waratah National Park, near Sydney. It aired from 1968 to 1970.
The show followed Sonny Hammond, the younger son of the head ranger, and his pet kangaroo Skippy, who helped solve problems, rescue people and catch criminals. Skippy seemed to understand everything people said and communicated with clicking sounds.
Ninety-one episodes were made and sold to more than 80 countries, making Skippy one of the most successful Australian television exports of its time.
Filming
The series was filmed at Waratah Park in Duffys Forest, on the edge of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in northern Sydney. Several different kangaroos played Skippy, as wild kangaroos are hard to train and the crew used clever editing to create her famous tricks.
Its catchy theme song, Skippy, Skippy, Skippy the bush kangaroo, is remembered by generations of Australians and viewers around the world.
A spin-off film, Skippy and the Intruders, was released in 1969, and a later series, The Adventures of Skippy, was made in the early 1990s. The show helped shape international images of Australian wildlife and the bush.
Did You Know?
Waratah Park, where Skippy was filmed, later became an earth sanctuary in Duffys Forest.