Find of the Month
June 2026
Alexander Bunyip
Alexander Bunyip is a character from the popular 1972 children's book, The Monster that Ate Canberra by author and illustrator, Michael Salmon. In what became a series of books the bunyip is portrayed as a bemused adventurer who munches on Canberra’s iconic landmarks and institutions. Alexander Bunyip appeared in theatre, radio, TV, murals, and more. This article will highlight some fun finds amongst the collections of ArchivesACT, the ACT Heritage Library and elsewhere.
Book cover for The Monster that Ate Canberra, courtesy of Michael Salmon.
Alexander was so popular that in 1974 a Canberra Day float of Alexander Bunyip was the winner of the best float in the parade. That same year, the Canberra Children’s Theatre staged a production of The Monster that Ate Canberra. The ACT Heritage Library holds a program from this production which was the first of many public appearances of real-world incarnations of Alexander. Apparently, this original Bunyip suit was made in a garage in Lyneham.
A sequel was published in 1973 and set in the then-futuristic year of 2022. Son of the Monster has environmentalist themes, pitting Alexander’s son Ralph against corrupt politicians in a smog-polluted Canberra.
In keeping with the character’s environmental focus, another early real-world incarnation of Alexander Bunyip accompanied ninety-three pupils from Scullin Primary School as they demonstrated outside Parliament House in 1977. Their protest was anti-pollution, but it also served as promotion for the school’s theatre production of The Monster that Ate Canberra. They presented a petition to the Member for Fraser, Mr Fry, asking that Canberra be kept beautiful.
Students and Bunyip march against pollution outside Parliament House. Photo by Jim Green, published in the Canberra Times 19 August 1977, page 3. Item 006519, courtesy of ACT Heritage Library.
From 1978 to 1988 Alexander Bunyip starred in their own national Australian Broadcasting Corporation television show in various formats, alongside other puppet and live-action characters. A few scant clips can be seen on YouTube, however The National Archives of Australia’s catalogue RecordSearch lists some 54 episodes of the TV show in their ABC Television Archives collection. For a fee, you can request that the National Archives digitise an episode for you. Episode titles include The Good, The Bad, And The Bunyip, and Alexander for Prime Minister.
In the vein of animal mascots such as Healthy Harold and Constable Kenny Koala, Alexander Bunyip was recruited to spread important messages to children and the wider community. In 1983 Alexander Bunyip was adopted by the ACT Bush Fire Council as a safety spokesfigure, and the ACT Fire Brigade used him for promotions. ACT Government records show correspondence between the ACT Fire Brigade and Michael Salmon, thanking him for the loan of Alexander for an appearance at the Civic Children’s Festival in 1986, and requesting to use Alexander again for Fire Awareness Week in 1987.
Letters from the ACT Fire Brigade to Michael Salmon. Record number 89/13278 - CANBERRA TOURIST BUREAU, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS pages 9 and 11. View larger images: page 9, page 11.
An Alexander bunyip colouring-in page promoting Stop, Drop, Roll. Record number 89/13278 - CANBERRA TOURIST BUREAU, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS page 12. View larger image .
Some of Salmon’s artwork was sold at a 1984 charity auction for Koomarri, a non-profit organisation that supports people with a disability. That same year Salmon illustrated a series of cards and books for sale by Koomarri.
A photocopy of a promotion for the cards. Record number 89/13278 - CANBERRA TOURIST BUREAU, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS page 7.
The below image shows Anne Jackson, of the ACT Handicapped Citizens' Association, hanging one of Michael Salmon's Alexander Bunyip paintings to be auctioned at Koomarri Sheltered Workshop.
Photograph by Richard Briggs, published in the Canberra Chronicle 14 November 1984, page 7. Item 008605, courtesy of ACT Heritage Library.
The Canberra Festival was frequently visited by Salmon and Alexander during the 1970s and 1980s. Salmon painted murals and drew caricatures, and the bunyip-suit version of Alexander entertained children at an event styled as Alexander Bunyip’s Birthday Party.
Pages 15 and 17 from the 1983 Canberra Festival program, in record number 83/2307 - TECHNICAL SERVICES BRANCH - CANBERRA FESTIVAL 1983. View larger image: page 15, page 17.
Record number 89/13278 - CANBERRA TOURIST BUREAU, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS page 15 and 16. View larger image: page 15, page 16.
Left: Alexander the Bunyip meets children from the French-Australia Preschool at a Canberra Festival event. Photograph by Michael Porter, published in The Canberra Times on 11/03/1986 page 10. Item 007966, courtesy of ACT Heritage Library.
Right: Alexander Bunyip helping Michael Salmon work on a mural for the 1988 Canberra Festival. Photograph by Andrew Campbell, Canberra Times 25/02/1988. Item 007832, courtesy of ACT Heritage Library.
In 2011 a sculpture of Alexander Bunyip was unveiled. By sculptor Anne Ross, the artwork is titled A is for Alexander B is for Bunyip C is for Canberra. It is located in Gungahlin Town Park, fittingly, right near the Gungahlin Library. Now is an appropriate time to mention that Libraries ACT and the ACT Heritage Library hold copies of various Monster that Ate Canberra books - search the catalogue here .
Anne Ross’ sculpture, photographed by Doug Butler. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
Alexander Bunyip played a role in a generation of Canberran children’s reading. Beyond the page, he became a public figure involved in community causes, safety campaigns, theatre and festivals. Alexander helped us simultaneously poke fun at and celebrate our unique city of Canberra.
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ACT Government records used
83/2307 - TECHNICAL SERVICES BRANCH - CANBERRA FESTIVAL 1983
89/13278 - CANBERRA TOURIST BUREAU, ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS
Other sources
Michael Salmon website
A is for Alexander B is for Bunyip C is for Canberra - ACT Government public art listing
Canberra Children's Theatre Incorporated Ephemera 1962-1979 - ACT Heritage Library listing
Canberra Theatre Centre Performing Arts Ephemera 1928- - ACT Heritage Library listing
Koomarri publishes books for children - Canberra Times 12/12/1984
Koomarri art auction and dinner - Canberra Times 20/03/1984
Postcard humour aids Koomarri - Canberra Times 22/09/1984
Alexander Bunyip returns - Canberra Times 28/02/1987
Alexander has a serious message for children – Canberra Times 07/03/1986
We couldn’t leave out an image of this cuddly Alexander Bunyip soft toy. Photograph courtesy of Nick Harman.
