Hello Cheryl and others,
I used to live out at Griffith and am reasonably familiar with the
Carrathool Shire although I have to admit that I hadn't looked twice at
the logo.
David Egan, National Parks ranger from the Griffith office, had a bit of
a look around for me and found the following:
There's a report that was on the Vic DNRE website called: Wesson, S.
(2001) Aboriginal flora and fauna names of Victoria: As extracted from
earlysurveyors' reports. Victorian Aboriginal Corporation for Languages,
Melbourne.
In the end of that report she provides a list of names and their origin.
In that list it refers to Carrathool as an anglicised version of
Cooradook, which is interpreted as the 'native companion' (ie. brolga)
in Wiradjuri. This seems to be a logical explanation for the name of the
shire and the emblem.
This seems logical to me also.
Cheers
Mick
Michael Todd
Wildlifing
Images & Sounds of Nature
Latest Additions: New Caledonia- Kagu, Crow Honeyeater, New Caledonian Grassbird
www.wildlifing.com
Toronto, NSW, Australia
04101 23715
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Subject:
***POTENTIAL SPAM*** [BIRDING-AUS] Mystery of the Kooroodook
From:
"Cheryl" <>
Date:
Tue, 26 Apr 2005 14:49:18 -0600
To:
<>
To:
<>
Dear Birders,
I have a strange question(s) that I hope that someone can answer, or
at least point me in the right direction.
This item that is puzzling me is the Carrathool Shire emblem that has
a picture of a waterbird standing on one leg.
http://www.carrathool.nsw.gov.au/
While traveling in Australia last winter I was in the Carathool Shire
area and saw their emblem. I looked in my bird book and could not
find a bird called a "*Kooroodook*." Before I could investigate
further, I had to fly back to Canada, which is where I am now.
I have written the Carrathool Shire (Hillston, Merriwagga) for
information about this bird and the general belief is that the
Kooroodook is an extinct water bird. When I was in Merriwagga, I
talked to a retired councillor and he stated that it was an extinct
Stork. I've looked up a number of extinct water birds in Australia,
and cannot find one that looks like the emblem.
However, I have found another piece that may fit the puzzle. As you
probably already know, there is only one type of Stork in Australia --
the Black-necked Stork. I didn't think it was reasonable that the
Carrathool Shire would have the Black-necked Stork as their emblem. My
bird book did not indicate that its habitat was in the Shire's area.
However, according to the Australian Museum
(http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/jabiru.htm), it used to
inhabit much of NSW. Kooroodook may be the Waradjuri peoples (who is
the aboriginal clan in that area) name for the Black-necked Stork.
I recently contacted Dr. John Rudder, who is in the process of
researching and reclaiming the Waradjuri language. Their language is
very fragmented and I hope that the word has not been lost. However,
with a few more pieces to the puzzle, we may have enough evidence
to add another word to the Waradjuri Dictionary!
At present, I have been trying to find out when the Black-necked
Stork's population began declining in NSW. Also, I know that the
Black-necked Stork was in NSW, but was the Black-necked Stork in
the Carrathool Shire area? This is where I was hoping that some of you
might be able to help. I can't find any records or maps of the
Black-necked Stork's habitat history. I would really like to find
records of their extinction to certain areas -- especially around
1906, which is when the emblem is dated. Do you know where I would
find this type of information? I have been able to piece most of this
together from my location in Canada. I am amazed I have gotten this
far. Any information that you can provide would be very much appreciated.
Thank you so much for your time.
Sincerely,
Cheryl Dowler
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