"Skippy the Bush Kangaroo" Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eastern Grey Kangaroo

Skippy was a female Eastern Grey Kangaroo also known as Great Grey or Forester kangaroo. They are found across the mainland of Australia and a male typically weighs 66 kilograms and stands 2 metres tall. Red kangaroos are the largest of all and prefer to live in more arid locations but the Western Grey is found across the entire southern part of Australia. I just made up the name Hopper kangaroo!

Answer: Waratah National Park

Gladioli are the flowers that our iconic comedian Barry Humphries brandishes and throws to the audience during his Dame Edna shows. The Kangaroo paw is the state emblem of Western Australia. The Bottlebrush is a beautiful species found across Australia and the Waratah is the state of New South Wales emblem.
The national floral emblem of Australia is the Golden Wattle which is very beautiful but to be avoided if you suffer from allergies!

Answer: Matt Hammond

Ed played head ranger of Waratah National Park, Matt Hammond. Sonny was his youngest son and Jerry was another ranger and helicopter pilot. Mark was his eldest son played by Ken James. Ed Devereaux also worked behind the scenes of the production. He lived in London for many years and appeared in several television series such as "The Onedin Line" and "Absolutely Fabulous" in which he played Mac.

He died in London, aged 78, in 2003.

Answer: Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is less than 25 klometres from the centre of Sydney and very popular for the variety of activities offered, but it is not a place for the fainthearted! John Forrest National park is in Western Australia only 40 minutes from the state capital, Perth. Royal National Park is in New South Wales and was the first National Park in Australia, dedicated in 1879.

It is also the second oldest NP in the world. Flinders Range National Park is in South Australia and it occupies approximately 92,746 hectares.

Answer: Clarrisa Merrick

Liza Goddard played Clancy, the best friend of Sonny and Mark and always memorable because of her two golden plaits. The other names are made up! Liza has appeared in TV shows such as "Dr Who", "Bergerac" and "Midsomer Murders".

Answer: 1966 - 1968

Ninety one episodes were produced between 1966 and 1968. The series was aired in the USA and Canada between 1969 and 1972. Eventually the series was sold to over one hundred countries around the world. The series was filmed on 16 millimetre colour film but aired in black and white in Australia until the arrival of colour TV in 1975.

Answer: School of the Air

Like most other children living in remote outback areas, Sonny was enrolled with School of the Air. The Vice President of the South Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service, Adelaide Miethke, had noticed that outback children were taught and successfully used the Royal Flying Doctor Service radio and decided that the same technology could be used as an education tool. By 1956 School of the Air was established in New South Wales, the state where "Skippy" was set.

Answer: Garry Pankhurst

Garry Pankhurst played Sonny, best friend of Skippy, and his cute freckle faced, wide grin smile made him a hit with children and parents around the world. He left show business and is now involved in managing restaurants. Tony Bonner played Jerry King the helicopter pilot and park ranger. The other two names are just made up!

Answer: Channel Nine

Channel Nine aired the first episode in 1967. It was a Crawford Production and was an immediate hit! Why wouldn't it be? A kangaroo that could undo knots, play the drums and a hundred other things to boot! I was in the United Kingdom at the time and was mesmerised by it!

Answer: 30 minutes

Each of the ninety one episodes was thirty minutes long. If you factor in the commercials it probably went was on air for nearly an hour! Filming for each half hour episode took approximately a week.