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1974 Canberra Festival float |
1972 The Monster that ate Canberra, original book |
Bunyip dictionary | 1975 Bunyip Theatre show, Commander Possum |
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| 1974 Mike Walsh TV Show, Sydney | 1987 Canberra Festival Mural | 1988 Canberra Festival, painting the Dinodome | 1988 Canberra Festival, painting the Dinodome |
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| 1984 ABC-TV Studios, Sydney | 1984 ABC-TV Studios, Sydney | 1988 Press | 1988 Press |
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| 1980 Alexander’s Afternoon, ABC-TV with Ron Blanchard | 1982 Merchandise | 1982 Merchandise | 1982 Merchandise |
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| 1982 Merchandise | 1982 Merchandise | 1982 Merchandise | 1982 Merchandise |
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| 1982 Merchandise | 1983 Crockery | Bunyip soft toys | 1981 Board Games |
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| 1982 Merchandise | Bunyip Tattoo! | Board Game | Bunyip eats National Library of Australia |
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| Bunyip eats New Parliament house | Bunyip eats Telstra Tower | Baby and the Bunyip | 1983 Pencil cases |
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| 1983 Pencil cases | 1980 ABC Bunyip book | 1980 ABC Bunyip book | Billabong Puffy Stickers. |
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| 1978 ABC Arvo TV Poster | Bunyip toy Girl | 1987 NSW Fire Brigade | The early days |
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| 1988 Press | 1981 Bunyip merchandise | Bunyip Bub | 1990 New edition |
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| Early Bunyip painting | 1981 Bunyip Bag | 2003 Bunyip photo competition | 2003 Monster Menagerie Poster |
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| 2004 Press, another Bunyip book edition, | 2004 Bunyip book launch, poster | 2004 Bunyip book launch | 2004 Government edition Bunyip book |
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| 2004 Bunyip book launch | 2004 Bunyip book launch | 2004 Bunyip Book Launch, Millie Bunyip | 2004 Millie Bunyip, School visit |
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| 2010 Bunyip Statue Press release | 2011 Bunyip Statue model | 2011 Bunyip Statue launched | 2009 Bunyip Statue Cartoon |
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| Bunyip Statue | Bunyip Statue | Bunyip Statue | 2011 New Book edition, launch poster, Bunyip Day at The National Library of Australia |
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| 2011 School session poster, Bunyip Day at The National Library of Australia | Alexander Bunyip icon | 2012 Bunyip sessions poster, The National Library of Australia | 2013 Bunyip sessions poster, The National Library of Australia |
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| 2014 Bunyip sessions poster, The National Library of Australia | 2015 Bunyip sessions poster, The National Library of Australia | 2011 Bunyip session poster, Australian Academy of Science | 1983 Fire Safety stickers |
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| 1977, With Scullin Primary Students, outside (old) Parliament House |
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1972, Canberra, our Nation’s Capital City …
I’ve always liked old Monster Movies, especially the original ‘King Kong’, the idea of a gigantic creature crashing into things and generally being very annoying, really appealed to me!
Back in the ‘old days of Canberra’ when Lake Burley Griffin was first filled, you could safely go for a swim without European carp biting your toes or waterweed monsters trying to tangle you up.
It was on a lazy Saturday afternoon down at Yarralumla Bay, lying on the sand, looking across the water towards Civic Centre, that I first imagined a monster devouring all our beautiful buildings here in the Nation’s Capital ….. So I decided to write and illustrate a book about it … I’d never written a book before ….
The monster I chose was a Bunyip, a large fearsome beast from Aboriginal mythology. The Bunyip is said to lurk in swamps, billabongs, creeks, riverbeds, and waterholes. Lake Burley Griffin was the perfect waterhole for such a beast!
My Bunyip was named ‘Alexander’ (after a pet duck we had in our backyard) He was a shy beast that hid from humans, which was pretty hard to do as his scales were bright pink!
The rest is ‘History’ … Canberra people loved the book about all their famous buildings being eaten. He became ‘Canberra’s Bunyip’ … and still is. The ACT Government had a statue of him erected in the Gungahlin Town Square in 2011. You can visit him there and if you do, make sure you rub his tummy and make a wish … ALL Bunyip wishes do come true (mine did!)
There is a list of all Alexander’s adventures below.
Thank you for visiting.
All the best
Cheers
Michael Salmon
‘The Alexander Bunyip story’ … so far
| 1972 | BOOK: ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ printed by Summit Press, Fyshwick, ACT, launched at The Canberra Theatre Centre Gallery (Self-published. Written and illustrated by Michael Salmon) |  |
| 1973 | BOOK: ‘Son of the Monster’ printed by Summit Press, Fyshwick, ACT |  |
| 1974 | BOOK: ‘Travels with the Monster’ printed by Summit Press, Fyshwick, ACT |  |
| 1974 | ‘Alexander Bunyip float’ Canberra Day (25,000 people) Winner: ‘Best float in Parade’, The Canberra Children’s Theatre … First Public appearance (Bunyip suit made in a garage in Lyneham!) | |
| 1974 | ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ Pantomime, at The Theatre Centre Playhouse, presented by The Canberra Children’s Theatre | |
| 1974 | Bunyip appearance on ‘The Mike Walsh show’ TV Channel 10, Sydney | |
| 1975 | ABC Radio (Canberra) serialisation of ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ | |
| 1975 | BOOK: ‘The Monster in space’ printed by Summit Press, Fyshwick, ACT |  |
| 1975 | ‘The Monster in space’ Pantomime, at Theatre 3, presented by The Canberra Children’s Theatre | |
| 1975 | Monaro Mall Children’s mural, designed by ACT Children, painted by MS (incl Bunyip scenes) | |
| 1976 | NCDC finances M. Salmon’s first ACT Schools tour: talking to Students, drawing Bunyip cartoons etc | |
| 1977 | Scullin Primary School presents ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ at the ACT 77’ Drama Festival | |
| 1978 – 1988 | National ABC-TV Show: Various formats: ‘ARV, Alexander’s Afternoon, Alexander Bunyip’s Billabong’ (Puppets) ABC studios, Gore Hill, Sydney + many promotions, incl Bunyip Club | |
| 1980 | BOOK ‘Alexander Bunyip’ published by ABC Enterprises, Sydney | |
| 1980 | BOOK: ‘Alexander Bunyip and the Swagman’ published by ABC Enterprises, Sydney | |
| 1980 | Koomarri Society, ACT: releases series of Bunyip readers for ACT Children (Fund raiser) | |
| 1981 | Australian Toy Fair, Sydney: Launch of ‘Alexander Bunyip and his family’ soft toy range | |
| 1981 | BOOK: ‘Cousin Emma and the green jungle’ published by Golden Press, Sydney |  |
| 1981 | BOOK: ‘The Bush Fire’ published by Golden Press, Sydney |  |
| 1981 | BOOK: ‘The Birthday Party’ published by Golden Press, Sydney | |
| 1981 | BOOK: ‘Brother Bert comes tstay’ published by Golden Press, Sydney |  |
| 1981-1982 | The Australian Women’s Weekly: Activity half page ‘Alexander Bunyip’s Billabong’ | |
| 1982 | The Bush Fire Council of NSW adopts ‘Alexander, the Bush Fire Bunyip’ releases stickers/School’s kit/board game, Big books. | |
| 1982 – 1983 | Launch of Bunyip merchandise in many product categories (20+ Companies) | |
| 1983 | The Canberra Festival: ‘Alexanders Birthday party’ show/promotions | |
| 1983 | ACT Bush Fire Council adopts ‘The Bush Fire Bunyip’ as safety spokesfigure/releases stickers & ACT Fire Brigade uses Bunyip for promotions | |
| 1983 | Royal Melbourne Botanic gardens ‘The Bunyip Magic show’ promotion | |
| 1986 | Royal Easter Show, Sydney ‘Bunyip show’ The Bush Fire Council of NSW | |
| 1987 | The Canberra Festival Mural design (Dinosaurs) City Hill + Canberra Festival performances on inflatable stage, Commonwealth Park | |
| 1987 | The Bush Fire Council of NSW: ‘Bunyip promotions/Helicopter tour’ Northern NSW | |
| 1988 | Design of ‘The Dinodome’ (Sponsored by the Tuggeranong Hyperdome) Canberra Festival + performances inside Dinodome marquee, Commonwealth Park | |
| 1988 | Alexander used in Canberra Tourist Promotions, WORLD EXP88’ (Brisbane) | |
| 1990 | BOOK: ‘The NEW Monster that ate Canberra’ published by PAR, Sydney |  |
| 1992 | BOOK: ‘Spot the Bunyip’ published by Gary Allen Press, Sydney |  |
| 1993 | BOOK: ‘Spot the Bunyip activity book’ published by Gary Allen Press, Sydney |  |
| 2001 | Bunyip Primary School, VIC: The National Library of Australia launches it’s travelling Bunyip Exhibition and website (incl Alex Bunyip activities) http://www.nla.gov.au/exhibitions/bunyips/ | |
| 2004 | BOOK: ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ (NEW EDITION) published by the National Capital Authority, Canberra |  |
| 2004/2005/2006 | NCA Bunyip Promotions around Canberra (incl Regatta Point) + competition | |
| 2008 | Canberra Youth Theatre workshops ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ and presents a production | |
| 2008 | Gungahlin Community Council proposes a statue of Alexander Bunyip outside it’s forthcoming Library … as a tribute tthe book’s role in helping young people of the ACT read over 37 years | |
| 2009 | April: Gungahlin Community Council: Alexander Bunyip colouring competition | |
| 2009 | September: Gungahlin Community Council announces ACT Government Ministerial approval for bronze statue of ALEXANDER tbe erected 2011, launched officially at Harrison School, ACT (4/09/09) | |
| 2011 | 13th April: ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope ‘unveils’ the Bunyip Statue: Gungahlin Town Square. 500 kg of bronze, $175,000 cost, sculpted by Anne Ross. An artsACT project. | |
| 2011 | May: New edition of ‘The Monster that ate Canberra’ from Halstead Press. National Library launch of title by the new NLA Director-General, Ms Anne-Marie Schwirtlich | |
| 2012 | June: NLA presents ‘Alexander Bunyip’s stories of Australia’ School sessions at the Library with MS. Promotion of The Treasures Gallery | |
| 2013 | May: NLA presents ‘Alexander Bunyip’s real history of Canberra’ School sessions at the Library with MS. Promotion of Canberra’s 100th Birthday | |
| 2014 | May: NLA presents ‘Alexander Bunyip’s … Under the Lake’ School sessions at the Library with MS. Promotion of Canberra’s 50th year – filling of Lake Burley Griffin | |
| 2015 | April: Communities at work, ACT presents ‘Celebrate Gungahlin’, a community Fair based around the Bunyip Statue in the Town square. MS sessions in the Public Library | |
| 2015 | June: NLA presents ‘Alexander Bunyip’s … History is Fun’ School sessions at the Library with MS. Australian History syllabus for Years 3 – 6. |