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The Dictionary of Sydney
Roles
Type
Animal

Animal

Type - Animal

Alice the elephant

Paracyclotosaurus davidi

Pteropus poliocephalus

Saccostrea glomerata

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Animal

Alice the elephant

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Asian female elephant who arrived in Australia with Bostock & Wombwell's travelling menagerie in 1905. After being sold in 1907 she became a major attraction at Wonderland City where she was billed as 'an elephant in a thousand' and 'the children's friend'. She was the subject of a weight-guessing competition and carried a couple in an 'Oriental marriage celebration' witnessed by 30,000 people. In 1908 she was sold to Wirth's Circus and renamed Princess Alice. She travelled the country with the circus until her death in Melbourne in 1941.

Chester

Thoroughbred race horse and sire who won 19 of 29 starts.

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Cocky Bennett

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Sulphur-crested cockatoo who lived at various hotels around Sydney for decades after his first owner, Captain Ellis, died. It was reputed to be 119 years old when it died.

Felix the cat

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Cartoon character credited to Sydney-born artist Pat Sullivan. There is some debate as to whether the character was actually created by Otto Mesmer, another animator in Sullivan's American studio.

Jorrocks

Sydney racehorse which won many races in the 1840s.

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Paracyclotosaurus davidi

Giant salamander-like labyrinthodont amphibian from the Triassic period which lived in lakes in the Sydney basin. A complete fossil skeleton was found in the St Peters brick pits in 1910 and is now in the Natural History Museum, London.

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Phar Lap

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Champion racehorse, trained by Sydney trainer Harry Telford.

Pteropus poliocephalus

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The grey-headed flying fox is a large native fruit bat that lives in large groups across Sydney and along the eastern coast of Australia. Listed as a vulnerable species as their numbers are declining due to clearing of their habitat.

Saccostrea glomerata

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Sydney's famous native rock oyster.

Trim

Matthew Flinders' cat, who accompanied the navigator on his voyages to Australia and Mauritius. During the circumnavigation of Australia in 1801-03, Flinders' noted his feline companion formed a bond with fellow shipmate and Garigal man, Bungaree. After departing for England aboard HMS Porpoise, the ship wrecked off the Wreck Reefs and the crew survived aboard a cutter and sailed back to Sydney. On his way back to England again, Flinders was arrested and imprisoned by French authorities in Mauritius. During his imprisonment a French woman offered to care for Trim. Within two weeks, a public gazette declared Trim had been lost. Flinders' tribute described him as 'the best and most illustrious of his Race, the most affectionate of friends, faithful of servants, and best of creatures.'

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Walla Walla

Pacer who created several records in trotting races at Harold Park.

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