Cooee
Encyclopedia
Cooee! is a shout used in Australia
, usually in the Bush
, to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate one's own location. When done correctly - loudly and shrilly - a call of "cooee" can carry over a considerable distance.
The word "cooee" orginates from the Dharuk language of the original inhabitants of the Sydney
area. It means "come here", and has now become widely used in Australia as a call over distances. It was known among white settlers in colonial times and Watkin Tench
refers to the Aborigines of Sydney calling to each other in this way.
One of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
's Sherlock Holmes
mysteries hinges on the use of "cooee!". "The Boscombe Valley Mystery
" is solved partly because, unlike everyone else, Holmes recognizes the call is commonly used among Australians.
An expression "within cooee of" has developed. It means "within a manageable distance", and seems to be confined to New Zealand
and Australian English
, and is often used in the negative sense (ie "not within cooee of" meaning not close to).
The word cooee has become a name of many organisations, places and even events. Perhaps the most historic of these was the Cooee March
during the First World War. It was staged by 35 men from Gilgandra, New South Wales
, 766 km northwest of Sydney
, as a recruiting drive after enthusiasm for the war waned in 1915 with the first casualty
lists. The men marched to Sydney calling "Cooee!" to encourage others to come and enlist. When they reached Sydney on 12 December, the group had grown to 277 men. To this day, Gilgandra holds a yearly Cooee Festival in October to commemorate the event. Other Cooee Festivals occur across Australia.
Cooee is also the name of a suburb in the Tasmanian city of Burnie.
Richard White indicates the important means of demonstrating Australian nationality with the call taking on a consciously nationalistic meaning. He also documents its spread through Empire, to New Zealand and South Africa.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, usually in the Bush
The Bush
"The bush" is a term used for rural, undeveloped land or country areas in certain countries.-Australia:The term is iconic in Australia. In reference to the landscape, "bush" describes a wooded area, intermediate between a shrubland and a forest, generally of dry and nitrogen-poor soil, mostly...
, to attract attention, find missing people, or indicate one's own location. When done correctly - loudly and shrilly - a call of "cooee" can carry over a considerable distance.
The word "cooee" orginates from the Dharuk language of the original inhabitants of the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
area. It means "come here", and has now become widely used in Australia as a call over distances. It was known among white settlers in colonial times and Watkin Tench
Watkin Tench
Lieutenant-General Watkin Tench was a British Marine officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first settlement in Australia in 1788...
refers to the Aborigines of Sydney calling to each other in this way.
One of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
's Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
mysteries hinges on the use of "cooee!". "The Boscombe Valley Mystery
The Boscombe Valley Mystery
"The Boscombe Valley Mystery", one of the 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by British author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the fourth of the twelve stories in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. It was first published in the Strand Magazine in 1891.-Plot summary:Lestrade summons Holmes to a...
" is solved partly because, unlike everyone else, Holmes recognizes the call is commonly used among Australians.
An expression "within cooee of" has developed. It means "within a manageable distance", and seems to be confined to New Zealand
New Zealand English
New Zealand English is the dialect of the English language used in New Zealand.The English language was established in New Zealand by colonists during the 19th century. It is one of "the newest native-speaker variet[ies] of the English language in existence, a variety which has developed and...
and Australian English
Australian English
Australian English is the name given to the group of dialects spoken in Australia that form a major variety of the English language....
, and is often used in the negative sense (ie "not within cooee of" meaning not close to).
The word cooee has become a name of many organisations, places and even events. Perhaps the most historic of these was the Cooee March
Snowball marches
During World War I, recruitment marches or snowball marches to Sydney were a feature of volunteer recruiting drives for the Australian Imperial Force in rural New South Wales, Australia. Between October 1915 and February 1916, nine marches were held starting from various points in the state; the...
during the First World War. It was staged by 35 men from Gilgandra, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, 766 km northwest of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, as a recruiting drive after enthusiasm for the war waned in 1915 with the first casualty
Casualty (person)
A casualty is a person who is the victim of an accident, injury, or trauma. The word casualties is most often used by the news media to describe deaths and injuries resulting from wars or disasters...
lists. The men marched to Sydney calling "Cooee!" to encourage others to come and enlist. When they reached Sydney on 12 December, the group had grown to 277 men. To this day, Gilgandra holds a yearly Cooee Festival in October to commemorate the event. Other Cooee Festivals occur across Australia.
Cooee is also the name of a suburb in the Tasmanian city of Burnie.
Richard White indicates the important means of demonstrating Australian nationality with the call taking on a consciously nationalistic meaning. He also documents its spread through Empire, to New Zealand and South Africa.