State emblems
NSW has its own state flower, animal, bird, fish and gemstone.
The Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas) is the bird emblem of NSW. This great brown kingfisher is sometimes called a 'laughing jackass' because of its distinctive territorial laughing call. Meat eaters, they hunt snakes, lizards, fish and insects and live at forest edges, in clearings.
The Black Opal was proclaimed the state gemstone of NSW in 2008. It is the most rare and valuable type of opal.
The Waratah (Telopea speciosissima) is the floral emblem of NSW, a large (10-12cm across) and spectacular scarlet flower growing in the bush in clumps of tall stems. The Waratah is protected by law.
The Blue Groper (Achoerodus viridis) was proclaimed the state fish of NSW in 1998. A friendly but powerful coastal fish that often follows divers. It can be up to a metre long and weigh between 2 and 15kg, though some specimens may reach 40kg or more.
The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), is the animal emblem of NSW. The platypus is a furry creature, about 30cm to 38cm long, it has webbed feet and a large duck-like bill which it uses to gather its food from the bottom of rivers.
The 370 million year old fossil fish, Mandageria fairfaxi, is the NSW state fossil emblem. The fish was a large, air-breathing lobe-finned fish from the Canowindra Fish Bed in central NSW. The fossil is nicknamed Fred to honour Fred Fewings who recovered the fossil.