Yowie

Yahoo. Quinkini. Joogabinna. Ghindaring. Jurrawarra. Myngawin. Puttikan. Doolaga. Gulaga. Thoolagal. Noocoonah. Wawee. Pangkarlangu. Jimbra. Tjangara. Yirriji.

Australia’s answer to Bigfoot goes by a different name in almost every Aboriginal culture, but around the world it is best known as the Yowie.

The term “Yowie” may derive from the Gamilaraay word for a spirit that roams the earth at night: Yō-wī.

The word “Yahoo,” meanwhile, only recently became associated with delinquent behaviour. Traditionally, it allegedly referred to an ancient race that once dominated Australia until Aboriginal people overpowered them during the Dreamtime.

Stories of hairy, bipedal creatures exist across the continent, though they are most commonly reported along the east coast. More importantly, these beings are deeply embedded in the traditions of Aboriginal peoples, with accounts stretching back to the Dreamtime—long before European settlement.

That matters because it suggests the legend is more than simply Australia’s version of Bigfoot. The stories developed independently, rooted in local traditions rather than imported folklore.

Descriptions vary. Some accounts place the creature between 2.1 and 3.6 metres tall (6'11" to 12 feet). Like Bigfoot, it is said to leave enormous footprints, often distinguished by irregular shapes and unusual numbers of toes. Some are said to be shy and reclusive; others are described as dangerous and aggressive. Witnesses commonly describe a wide, flat nose and remarkable speed, but beyond that, details differ considerably.

Perhaps that is because, like the Indigenous nations who tell these stories, each tradition shares common elements while remaining distinct.

Not every Yowie is described as a giant, however. Some traditions speak of much smaller beings.

Among the Eastern Kuku Yalanji of Cape York Peninsula, the Yirriji is described as a small, hairy man who emerges at night to steal fish—and, in some stories, young girls. Certain traditions hold that these beings gave people the Lore and existed before the Mob arrived. Others suggest that humankind somehow descends from them, an intriguing claim given that they are also said to remain among us today.

As with any mystery, there are sceptics. Many are convinced no such creature exists and actively search for alternative explanations. They argue that reports of ape-like, hairy people were relatively uncommon before the 1970s, despite First Nations traditions maintaining that such beings have existed since time immemorial.

That argument becomes more complicated when you consider that European reports stretch back much further. By the 1850s, accounts of “indigenous apes” were already appearing in the Australian Town and Country Journal.

Some sceptics also contend that the Yowie emerged from misunderstandings surrounding the Yahoo. It is an interesting theory, although the two names have often been used interchangeably throughout Australian folklore.

Yet for many First Nations people, the question is already settled. These creatures are real.

But whether they are large or small, timid or violent, the traditions agree on one thing:

The Yowie—by any name—is out there.

And if you find yourself alone in the bush, and quiet enough to listen for them, you might just see one.