Yowie

Lore & Background

The exact origin of the name 'Yowie' is uncertain. The term was documented in 1875 among the Gamilaraay people by Rev. William Ridley, where 'Yō-wī' was described as a spirit that roams the earth at night. Some researchers suggest the term arose through Aboriginal legends of the 'Yahoo', and nineteenth-century European accounts describe the creature as the Yahoo, including an entry by Robert Holden. Another account from Old Bungaree, a Gunedah elder, stated that the Yahoo was an ancient race that once inhabited Australia, describing conflicts between Yahoos and Aboriginal people in an event called Dreamtime. Some scholars propose the legend may have been influenced by European folklore, including Jonathan Swift's yahoos from Gulliver's Travels, European myths of hairy wild men, and early 19th century public excitement with captive orangutans.

Reader's Guide

The Yowie holds significance as a persistent figure in Australian folklore, blending Aboriginal oral history with colonial-era reports and modern cryptozoology. Early reported sightings date to the 19th century, including an 1882 claim by amateur naturalist Henry James McCooey of an 'indigenous ape' on the New South Wales south coast. The creature appears in Australian tall stories and literature, such as Donald Friend's Hillendiana. Modern reports continue, often investigated by cryptozoologists like Rex Gilroy, who claimed over 3,000 reports and theorized a link to the North American Bigfoot, and Tim the Yowie Man, who won a 2004 legal case against Cadbury over the name. Regional sightings span New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory, with the Springbrook region in Queensland having the most reports. Skepticism exists, as historian Graham Joyner researched the 'yahoo' as a subject of 19th-century reports, and the Queanbeyan Festival Board's AU$200,000 reward for a Yowie capture remains unclaimed.

Did You Know?

• In 1882, amateur naturalist Henry James McCooey claimed to have seen an 'indigenous ape' on the New South Wales south coast, and the Australian Museum offered a £40 reward for its capture.
• The Springbrook region in south-east Queensland has had more Yowie reports than anywhere else in Australia.
• In 2004, Tim the Yowie Man settled a legal case out of court against Cadbury, which claimed his moniker was too similar to their range of Yowie confectionery.