Welcome to our Flora and Fauna page. Below you will find each Australian states flora and fauna emblems and information regarding each.

Australia's floral emblem is the Golden Wattle.

Fauna = Platypus

The average sizes for platypus are, 50cm and 1700g for males and 43cm and 900g for females. Platypus have a covering of soft, dense waterproof fur with coarser hair covering the tail. The duck like bill is soft and rubbery. When diving, platypus close their ears and eyes using the bill to find their way under water. The feet are webbed. The webbing on the fore feet is used for paddling, but can be folded back to expose broad flattened claws for digging.

Flora = Waratah

The Waratah is a stout, erect shrub that grows up to 4m. The dark green leathery leaves, 13-25cm in length, are arranged alternately and tend to be coarsely toothed. The flowers are grouped in rounded heads, 7-10cm in diameter, surrounded by crimson bracts about 5-7cm long. The species name speciosissima is derived from the Latin adjective 'speciosus', meaning beautiful or handsome. Early settlers at Port Jackson adopted the Aboriginal name 'Waratah'.

Fauna = Leadbeaters Possum

Leadbeater's Possum are 40cm from nose to tail. They are nocturnal, tree-dwelling marsupials covered in soft brown-grey fur with white underparts and beautifully marked facial features. They appear similar to Sugar Gliders except that they lack a gliding membrane and have a club-shaped tail, broader near the tip than at the base.

Flora = Common Heath

These slender shrubs grow to 1m. The leaves are small, tapering and dark green in colour and 1.5cm x 0.6cm long, with short stalks and parallel veins. Flowers are up to 2cm long and are produced along the length of the stem. The corolla is tubular with 5 lobes at the top, varying in colour through white to deep red.

Fauna = Koala

Koalas are easily recognised by their faces; round, with small almond shaped eyes, a large broad black nose and erect fur covered ears. Their fur is grey through grey-brown with a white underside, including the neck, chest and limbs. Males may weigh up to 12kg reaching lengths of 78cm. Female reach lengths of 72cm and weights of up to 8kg.

Flora = Cooktown Orchid

Plants of up to 80cm with three to six lance-shaped leaves, between 5-12cm long, arranged on the upper parts of pseudobulbs. 40cm flower spikes are covered in approximately 20 pale lilac flowers. Each flower is about 3-6cm wide and 1.5cm in diameter.

Fauna = Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat

Their hairy muzzles, silky grey fur and erect pointy ears easily identify the two Hairy-nosed species. Slightly smaller than the Common Wombat, the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat ranges in weight from 19-32 k, and grows to almost a metre in length. As with all wombats, the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat is a marsupial. Females have pouches that face backwards, opening toward the rear limbs. Wombat do have tails, though they are difficult to see as they are very short.

Flora = Sturt's Desert Pea

This perennial herb grows to a height of 15cm and spreads up to one metre. Leaves are pinnate, broad to elliptic in shape. The silky-grey green foliage is prostrate along the stem. Brilliant red standard petals with a central black blotch form the spectacular flower. The blotch is referred to as a 'boss' and can vary in colouration to include a blue variation.

Fauna = Numbat

The numbat is easily recognised by its distinctive appearance; the reddish brown coat has prominent white bands across the back and a dark, horizontal eye stripe underlined in white. The long, bushy tail resembles a bottle-brush when erected. The slender body, with a narrow, pointed snout, is about 40cm long including the tail, and weighs approximately 500g. Numbats are also called banded anteaters or known by their Aboriginal name, Walpurti.

Flora = Kangaroo Paw

The Red and Green Kangaroo Paw is also known as the Mangles' kangaroo paw or by its Aboriginal name, 'Nol-la-mara'. It has sturdy flowering stems, 30-120cms tall that emerge from grassy tussocks of long, flat leaves. Each stem has a large number of paw-shaped, unscented, velvety flowers. Distinguished by its deep red stems, brilliant green flowers with pale green interiors and red ovaries, this plant is easily the recognizable.

Fauna = Red Kangaroo

The Red Kangaroo is a pouched marsupial that stands erect, balancing on two powerful hind legs and a strong muscular tail. The foot of each hind leg is long with three forward facing clawed toes. Their forelimbs are smaller and have five clawed toes. Adults are distinguished from other kangaroo species by their size, males growing up to 1.4m tall and females reaching heights of approximately 1m. Most males are red while females are grey. Both sexes have white underparts and white patches or a stripe from the corner of the mouth to the base of the ear.

Flora = Sturt's Desert Rose

The Sturt's Desert Rose in its natural habitat forms a relatively small shrub. It grows to about a metre in height, but may grow to 2m under cultivation. The leaves are dark green with black stipples, round to oval shape and about 5cm long. The petals are mauve (about 5cm long) with red bases forming a contrasting centre in each flower. Flowering is not strictly seasonal but usually peaks in late winter. The fruit in the form of a capsule is about 1cm long and contains many small seeds with short silky hairs.

Fauna = Gang Gang Cockatoo

Adult males have a scarlet head and dusky grey body. Females and juveniles are dull grey. Both sexes have a unique crest of curved feathers.

Flora = Royal Blue Bell

The Royal Bluebell gets its name from its distinctive flower. The plant has dark green shiny oblong or lance-shaped leaves 25-35cm long. The tooth-shaped margins of the leaves are noticeably wavy. The flowers are up to 3cm in diameter and violet to blue in colour, often appearing to have a paler centre. Numerous flowers are grown on long slender stems (spikes) up to 20cm high that stand erect or droop. Two white stigmas are easily seen inside each bell-shaped flowers.

Fauna = Tasmanian Devil

The Tasmanian Devil is the largest carnivorous (eats meat) marsupial (a mammal that has its babies in a pouch) in Australia. Tasmanian Devils are a nocturnal (active at night) animal. It lives alone and prefers its own company hence it is a relatively shy animal.

Flora = Blue Gum

This tall upright tree can grow to 70m with a trunk diameter of 2m. The bark of adult trees is smooth and silvery-white. Rough grey bark sheds off in ribbons, at the base, as the tree grows. The plant gets its name from its juvenile leaves that are broad, ovate and greyish blue. Juvenile leaves occur in opposite pairs. Mature leaves are arranged alternately and are long and narrow with a glossy green appearance. Flowers are cream and seldom grow in clumps. Individual flowers are dispersed through the canopy.

Thanks to Zoo.Org for images and information.