Discovery of Koalas

The aboriginal and native people from Australia were the first ones to discover koalas and they discovered them long before the arrival of Europeans at the Australian continent. It is not known when they first discovered koalas, however; these aborigines have been living at the Australian continent for more than 30,000 years.

Koalas were first discovered by the aboriginal and native people of Australia. These people also discovered that koalas do not drink water at all.

When the Europeans reached the Australian continent in the 19th century, the aborigines (comprising of various aboriginal tribes) used to call koalas with a lot of names (more than half a dozen koala names) in their own native languages and they knew all basic information about koalas. For example, these aborigines already had the knowledge about koalas that they do not drink water from the waterholes and on the basis of this observation the natives used to call koalas as cullawines.

Koalas' Earliest Discovery
Aboriginal Australians Aboriginal People in Australia
30,000 Years Ago Aboriginal Recognized Koalas
By At Least 6 Names Earliest Knowledge about Koalas
Koalas do not Drink Water

Koalas were discovered by aboriginal Australian people.
Koalas were first discovered by the aboriginal and native people of Australia. Photo courtesy of 

But how did the Australian aborigines discovered that koalas do not drink water at all? It has been speculated and assumed that the native Australian inhabitants were hunters. They used to ambush and hunt the Australian animals near the waterholes, where animals used to come for drinking water.

It is assumed that the aboriginal Australian hunters would have learned that unlike many other animals, koalas can never be ambushed near waterholes for hunting.

It is assumed that hunters from the aborigines would have discovered that koalas do not come for drinking near the waterholes and the only way they could be hunted was to reach them directly at the trees which was rather difficult to accomplish. Afterall; this fact that koalas do not drink water at all is considered as one of the most fundamental discoveries about koalas and all credit goes to aborigines who discovered it long ago.

Earliest Discovered Koala Knowledge
Koalas do not Drink Water Aboriginal Hunters Believed that
Koalas can't be Ambushed at Waterholes

Koala discovery of not drinking water.
Aboriginal Australians believed that koalas do not drink water at all. They never saw them drinking water from the waterholes like other animals. Photo courtesy of 

Koalas did enjoy a reasonable degree of acknowledgment and respect within the Australian aboriginal people as well. For an example, koalas used to have such a good reputation among the aboriginal Australians that some tribes used to seek advice from koalas. Among aborigines it was considered as a bad omen to make objects out of koalas’ skin.

Koalas were part of the superstitious beliefs, folklore tales, counseling and even good or bad omens among the aboriginal Australian people. These are also key proofs that aboriginal Australian discovered koalas first.

Some aborigine tribes used to believe that if a koala’s body doesn’t get a proper burial, it will result in droughts and rivers will dry. Similarly; the aboriginal Australians used to believe that koala emerged from a boy who stole water from a tribe and hid himself in tree and became a koala. All of these narratives are the key proofs that aboriginal Australian people were the first ones to discover koalas at the Australian continents.

Koalas' Discovery Led to
Superstitious Beliefs Koalas' Superstitious Belief
Don't Make Objects of Koala's Skin Koalas' Superstitious Belief
Droughts may happen if koalas are not burried properly Koalas' Folklore Tale
A boy who Stole Water & Became a Koala

Koalas' discovery led to superstitious beliefs as well.
The discovery of koalas also created several superstitious beliefs among the aboriginal people of Australia. Photo courtesy of 

On the other hand; the modern-day discovery of the Australian koalas took place in the early 19th century. However; some Europeans did have a bit knowledge about koalas in 18th century as well which they knew from the aboriginal Australians. The European settlers reached the Australian continent in 1787 and a few years later, their arrival at the island contributed to the discovery of koalas which resulted in their awareness for the rest of the world.

The modern-day discovery of koalas took place in the beginning of the 19th century. The European settlers arrived at the Australian island in 1810 and some years later they discovered koala.

Furthermore; from the 19th century onwards; rapid discovery and research took place to learn about koalas and they gradually gained reasonable popularity across the globe. Today; koalas are the most popular animals across Australia and they are even more popular in Australia than kangaroos. The discovery of koalas by the aboriginal Australian people only contributed the knowledge about koalas to local tribes while the European settlers’ discovery of koalas spread their knowledge all over the world.

Modern Day Discovery of Koalas
19th century Arrival of European Settlers in Australia
18th Century in 1787 Scientific Discovery of Koalas
European Settlers

Koalas' modern day discovery in the 18th century.
The modern day discovery of koalas took place in the 18th century by the arrival of the European Settlers at the Australian continent. Photo courtesy of 

Among the modern-day discoverers of koalas, John Price in 1798 was the first European individual who learned about koalas from the aboriginal Australian people. He specifically learned that there is a sloth-like creature which the natives call cullawine. Later in 1802, Francis Barrallier became the first individual review the first ever koala specimen.

John Price was the first individual who discovered and learned about koalas from the native Australians while Mr. Bauer was the first individual to accurately draw a koala specimen.

Onwards; Mr. Bauer was the first individual to draw a koala and accurately detailed its description with his companions named as Robert Brown and Mathew Flinders. All of these individuals from John Price to Bauer and his team are considered as one of the modern-day discoverers of the Australian koalas.

First Individual to Learn about Koalas
John Price in 1798 First Inidividual to have Koala Specimen
Francis Barrallier in 1802 First Individual to Draw Koala
Mr. Bauer & his Team

Koala discovery by John Price.
John Price was one of the earliest European settlers who learned and discover about koalas by learning its information from an aboriginal Australian people. Photo courtesy of 

Lastly; despite the discoveries of hundreds of animals from the Australian continent, the discoveries of kangaroos and koalas are considered as the most iconic ones. Kangaroos are considered as the national animals and pride of Australia while koalas are the most popular animals across Australia.

The discovery of koalas and kangaroos are the most iconic ones from the Australian continent. Furthermore; even today, new discoveries about koalas are revealed every other week.

Today there are more than hundreds of thousands information sources about koalas in the form of research papers, periodicals, newspaper sources and books etc. Furthermore; new revelations about koalas are updated almost every other week as more and more researches are taking place to discover new traits of these amazing animals. People also keenly take interest about this cutest animal of the Australian continent.

Iconic Discovery of Animals in Australia
Koalas and Kangaroos Today Koalas are
Most Popular Animal in Australia

Iconic discovery of Koalas in Australia.
The discovery of koalas at the Australian continent has been one of the iconic animal discoveries. Photo courtesy of