Australian halfpenny Kangaroo.

Seek any info on the F.D.Manley designed 1938 orange halfpenny Kangaroo
(SG164)
I am curious as to why SG refers to it as a Wallaroo
The terrain and size of the animal does not really suit.

On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 06:39:45 +0800, "Rodney"
wrote:

Seek any info on the F.D.Manley designed 1938 orange halfpenny Kangaroo
(SG164)
I am curious as to why SG refers to it as a Wallaroo
The terrain and size of the animal does not really suit.



Rodney:

Could it be SG was confused?
or is it really a wallaroo?
It would have to be pretty small
to fit on a stamp. 8*)

For the benefit of non-Australians, the question may be:
"Is a Wallaroo a Kangaroo ? "The answer is: NO

The Wallaroo ===
http://home.mira.net/~areadman/Euro1%20Milbank.jpg
http://www.virtualdesert.com/oztour/...s/wallaroo.jpg

There are 4 main types of "Kangaroo like" animals
1) Red Kangaroo
2) Grey Kangaroo
3) Wallaby
4) Wallaroo (Euro)

These are all mammals, and are termed marsupials
because they keep their young in a pouch
They are the only vertrabrate animal over 5 kg to HOP

Common Wallaroo or Euro

In eastern Australia it is a grey animal and is called
the Common Wallaroo, (1/2 way between a WALLaby and
a kangAROO in size)

In central and western Australia it is reddish,
lives in hot, arid regions and is known as the Euro.

But essentially they are the same animal. The above
statement is a non-scientific generalisation as there
are many species & sub species of Wallaroos


Description

Wallaroos have bare muzzles and relatively large ears
Head and body: 55-110cm (1.5-3.5 feet)
Tail: 53-90cm (1.5-3.0 feet)
Male Wallaroos are as much as twice the weight
of females (Males up to 40 -50 Kilograms).
the Infant born to a Wallaroo is called a Joey
Wallaroos are quiet animals using foot thumping
to warn each other of danger, though when annoyed
they may "hiss or cough".



Habits

The Wallaroo is a solitary animal, preferring
its own company. During the day the Wallaroo
sleeps a in shelter, usually under a rock
overhang on a rock strewn slope or in a cave
on the upper parts of an escarpment.

At night the Wallaroo descends to graze on
more level ground, such diverse areas from
forest to arid tussock grassland, to
the edge of plains.

Because of this habit, the damage it sometimes
causes to crops or pastures is often blamed
on plains-dwelling kangaroos.)

The Wallaroo will stay in its own home range
which is fairly small (usually 2-3 km radius)
Wallaroos have bare muzzles and relatively large ears


Dry Spell Habits

In dry spells,the Wallaroo can survive
obtaining all necessary water from its food,
so long as moisture bearing food is available.

By staying in caves during the day energy
is conserved. Their loss of water is similar
to a camel only 2-4 % of their body weight per day.

Wallaroos also breed less when conditions
are harsh, and unlike the Kangaroo will stay put
and "tough it out" in severe droughts


Breeding

Sexual maturity is reached between 18 and 24 months.
Wallaroos breed through out the year.

A single young Wallaroo is born, a hairless creature the size of a
peanut which crawls up to the mothers pouch, burrows inside and
attaches itself to a teat.

The infant Wallaroo can stay up to a year in its mothers pouch

Blair



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Geepers Blair,
you outdid yourself this time! :0)

I have a thing with the descriptors from Gibbons,
with Australian stamps, they continue to ignore the obvious
on occaisions, and use completely unconnected phrases
to describe some issues, but I am not sure why.
The wallaroo is just one case in point.
I'll use your post as my write up alonside this issue.
Thankyou.

|
| Could it be SG was confused?
| or is it really a wallaroo?

...................perspective suggests Not.

Cute Blair :0)

However, I am closing in............

http://predecimal.nf/kg6/zoo/halfroo.htm

All I need to establish is, that "Duke" at the Melbourne Zoo
was a Kangaroo, and I reckon it might have been.
I'd bet London to a brick.

will keep you posted

(My 1993 SG Brit Comm lists as a Wallaroo)


|
| Rodney:
| If it was indeed a wallaroo on the stamp,
| then Australia can truly claim to have
| issued the first (1938) "Euro" stamp. 8*)
| By the way, my old Stanley Gibbons -
| British Commonwealth lists the design
| of the 1938 half-penny as a kangaroo.
|
| Cheers
|
| Blair
|
|
|
|
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On Thu, 18 Sep 2003 15:08:50 +0800, "Rodney"
wrote:

Cute Blair :0)

However, I am closing in............

http://predecimal.nf/kg6/zoo/halfroo.htm

All I need to establish is, that "Duke" at the Melbourne Zoo
was a Kangaroo, and I reckon it might have been.
I'd bet London to a brick.

will keep you posted

(My 1993 SG Brit Comm lists as a Wallaroo)


|


Rodney:

Maybe an email to SG editor will get the answer.
My SG - Brit Comm. is 1977.

I suspect the artist used the photo for
the roo part of the design and added the
trees and perspective himself.

The perspective shown would seem to
indicate a kangaroo to me, as a wallaroo
is much smaller. It could just be
an artist error, however.

Good Luck

Cheers

Blair



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On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 06:39:45 +0800, "Rodney"
found these unused words floating about:

Seek any info on the F.D.Manley designed 1938 orange halfpenny Kangaroo
(SG164)
I am curious as to why SG refers to it as a Wallaroo
The terrain and size of the animal does not really suit.


From the "Lower Values of the Firt King George VI Series" Australian
Post Office Booklet.

"The 1/2d Kangaroo: The earlier design concepts for the 1/2d stamps
envisiaged the depiction of two kangaroos, rather than a single
animal, and designs had been submitted on that basis in September
1936. Various other designs showing one or more kangaroos were
considered at intervals during 1937 but none of those had found
acceptance. Two such designs are shown (in the booklet).

Finally a new design based on photographs of "Duke", a favourite
kangaroo at Melbourne's Zoological Gardens, was accepted in March
1938. The stamp appeared on 3 October 1938 in a colour officially
described as mid-chrome.

This was to prove a long-lived design which survived more than 27
years, disappearing only at the end of the £sd. currency period."

Who knows why SG (and Scotts) does what it does ... G!

Thank you very much J.A.

| From the "Lower Values of the First King George VI Series" Australian
| Post Office Booklet.

These booklets are invaluable, I have 3, but am missing the
issue you have quoted from.