Born in the early days of the Sydney colony, this deerhound-greyhound cross was bred to hunt and kill kangaroos.
The ‘kangaroo dog’ was there at key moments in Australia’s colonial past.
From a hunting dog that fed the early colony, to a bushranger’s best mate.
From ‘battle dog’ in the Australian Wars, to being a loved member of Indigenous and non-Indigenous families alike.
The kangaroo dog has seen a lot.
What happens when we see history through a dog’s eyes?
Kangaroo Dog is a radio documentary commissioned by ABC Radio National’s The History Listen, broadcast on 24 August 2024.
Awards
🏆 Winner: Public History Award 2025 New South Wales Council of History
🏆 Shortlist: Premier’s History Award 2025 Digital History Prize
Listen and see the dog!
Listen to Kangaroo Dog (36 minutes).
See a gallery of photos, illustrations and historical paintings; an annotated transcript; and meet the guests, on my Kangaroo Dog website.
Credits
Guests: Julie Dowling, Carol Dowling, Guy Hull, James Boyce, Julie Gough, Lex Rayment, Brooklyn.
Producer and research: Jane Curtis
Supervising Producer: Ros Bluett, ABC
Story Editor: Jenny Arsanow
Sound: John Jacobs, ABC
With special thanks to Sienna Brown, Kate Lawrence, Anna Clark, Ray Kerkhove, Elaine Rabbitt, and Oral History Australia SA/NT.
