May 11, 2014
Wondai’s beloved emu was run over and killed sometime between 5:00am and 6:00am this morning.
The bird – no one seems to know for sure if it was a he, “Eric”, or a she, “Charlotte” – was struck in Scott Street, about 100 metres up the road from Wondai Hardware.
She / he will be sadly missed by local residents and by southburnett.com.au
Charlotte (our preferred name) had been wandering the streets and footpaths of Wondai for years and was often fed tidbits by residents.
She was a popular frequent visitor at Forest View and seemed unperturbed by humans.
She was also quite stealthy. It could be quite a shock to get out of a car, burdened by camera bag etc, turn around and find Charlotte a foot away peering over your shoulder …
Charlotte was even immortalised in the metropolitan media, starring in an infamous article penned by stand-up comedian Mandy Nolan in 2012 which generally bagged the town:
“Wondai means dingo, although we didn’t actually see any of them, but we did notice an emu walking the streets. The emu walked beside our moving vehicle and then casually came up to my passenger window and stared at me with a strange prehistoric curiosity.”
Charlotte – in her “Eric” persona – even had her own Facebook page
The story goes that there were originally two Wondai emus but one perished in a bushfire many years ago.
No one really knows where they came from … wandered in from out west like the dingoes, survivors from a past age, or (more likely) escapees from Cherbourg’s old emu farm.
But wherever she came from, Charlotte will be missed.
All that is left now are the memories and feathers on the roadway.
* * *
Kingaroy writer Bronwyn Marquardt* prepared this tribute:
A town is in mourning, after its much-loved icon tragically died.
Wondai’s town emu – known by a number of names, including Eric, Emmy, Moo and Charlotte – was strolling across Scott Street when she was hit by a car driven by a local resident.
The emu, believed by many locals to be a male but mostly believed to be female, had to be put down after its leg was broken in the accident. The driver is said to be very upset.
The much-loved icon was so popular, she/ he had her own Facebook page and also had a presence at www.homely.com.au, where Burns Crescent was recommended as a place to live, partly because: “Our resident emu keeps the little and not little kids entertained.”
She even made an appearance on pinterest, photographed walking down the main street of Wondai.
Charlotte was also mourned elsewhere on Facebook, with fans sharing their favourite memories of the near-tame emu.
The flightless bird was a regular visitor at Forest View, delighting elderly residents.
Wondai mum Stacey Turcan says the emu will be sadly missed, particularly by her children Haley, 6, TJ 4, and Abagail, 17 months.
The emu often hung out near their daycare centre to greet the children and made appearances on field trips.
Sean Redding also had a fondness for the animal, as she used to bed down opposite his South Street home every night to sleep. She was also partial to bananas.
“I want her to buried across the road from me, and a memorial set up for her,” he says.
Jayna Cunningham hailed Charlotte as an amazing character.
“She was always on my street, Scott Street, in Wondai. She would always stop the traffic because she was on her path and never changed it,” she recalls.
“She used to chase us when we first moved there because I used to shoo her out of my rose bushes. But then we let her have her share.
“She used to come down our driveway and peck at her reflection in my car window and come on our back patio. We used to give her bread. My kids grew to love her and call her every afternoon, and she would come in and say hello and leave.
“She was amazing and it saddens me that she will not be there when we return to visit my mother Donna Kennedy; we always look for her when we get home. Wondai will never get the opportunity to have such a wonderful creature in their presence, so quiet and time.
“She was female, from the noises she made. There was talk there were two and the male died a few years ago and she never left, as emus mate for life.”
There are now calls for a permanent memorial to be made in tribute to the bird.
Do you have memories of Wondai’s beloved emu? How do you think her life should be celebrated?
* Bronwyn Marquardt blogs at Maid In Australia
