Boxing Kangaroo

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Boxing Kangaroo flag, design used in 1983

Agra, India, c. 1943-04. A sign featuring a boxing kangaroo wearing a slouch hat is painted on the nose of a RAF Consolidated Liberator B-24 bomber aircraft flown by a RAAF crew.

The boxing kangaroo was the symbol for the successful 1983 Australian challenge for the America's Cup. The Boxing Kangaroo flag, a red-gloved golden kangaroo on a green background, was flown from Australia II. Alan Bond (owner of the Australia II yacht) owned the image and licensed it for mass production.

The image was bought by the Australian Olympic Committee and the Australian Olympic Team carried a boxing kangaroo toy at the Opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The mascot was also used by the 2004 Australian Olympic team.

The boxing kangaroo symbol was first used in the Royal Australian Air Force. The design was inspired by a travelling boxing show which had kangaroos boxing with men. During 1941 boxing kangaroos were stencilled on Australian fighter aeroplanes of the 21st squadron based in Singapore and Malaya.

The symbol is often displayed prominently at Australian sporting matches, for example soccer.

[edit] Boxing Kangaroos in Pop Culture

• Roger and Roger Jr. are boxing kangaroos in the Tekken series of video games.
• The Mighty Boosh, a British television program, aired an episode entitled Killaroo, in which Howard, a main character, was forced to fight a talented boxing kangaroo.
• Kao is an Australian kangaroo battling for the freedom of wild animals, as seen in a few action games, like Kao Challengers.
• Chipple is a character in the Klonoa series, as his friend that admires him much.
• Vanishing Galgaroon (or Gungaroo) is a boss from Mega Man X7, where he unleashes boxing skills after his Ride Armor he rides, as if on a pouch, is destroyed.
• Roo, from Streets of Rage 3 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, is a kangaroo who is fought as a boss character along with his handler. If the handler is defeated and Roo is spared, he then becomes playable.
• A Boxing Kangaroo was featured often in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons starring Sylvester the Cat where he mistook the kangaroo as a mouse.

[edit] More Boxing Kangaroos

• Jack, the fighting Kangaroo with Professor Lendermann [1](1891).
• Silent movie: Das boxende Känguruh (first movie presentation world wide, Berlin, November 1st 1895), directed by Max Skladanowsky, Germany.[2]
• Silent movie:The Boxing Kangaroo (1920), directed by Dave Fleischer, animation: Max Fleischer and Roland Crandall, U.S.A.

[edit] External links

• Australia Post: stamp history of Boxing Kangaroo character
• July 2004 article in The Age on the use of the symbol for 2004 Australian Olympic Team
• article stating the flag's designer was an airman
• Australian airforce - history of no. 21 squadron
• Pennant House (official suppliers of Boxing Kangaroo flags)
• DiggerHistory.info - Australian military history

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