Waratah
Waratah is a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, and – perhaps more importantly, the native name of a genus of large shrubs (or small trees) endemic to Australia (
Telopea sp.
). It includes five species, of which
Telopea speciosissima
is the most well-known; it has red flowers and serves as the official flower of the Australian federal state of New South Wales.
The more mature among us may also remember the fictional Waratah National Park, home to
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
– besides
Flipper
or
Lassie
one of the most popular classic kids’ television series with animal protagonists. There were 91 episodes altogether, which aired from 1968 to 1970. Filming involved between nine and fifteen kangaroos per episode (“like people, some kangaroos are brighter than others”, said producer Dennis Hill), including a stuffed one for scenes that no real kangaroo could be subjected to, plus a large menagerie of other animals such as dingos, emus, opossums, or koalas. There was also a feature film called
Skippy and the Intruders
.
From “Anselm's Notes on Dances”, by Anselm Lingnau
(Used by permission.)