Marion Sinclair

Marion Sinclair (1896 – 1988) was an Australian schoolteacher and songwriter. Her song Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree has achieved worldwide popularity.

In 1934 the Girl Guides’ Association of Victoria organised a competition, judged by Dr A. E. Floyd, for ‘a typically Australian round’. Sinclair’s entry, Kookaburra Sits In The Old Gum Tree, won the contest. Printed in a leaflet entitled ‘Three Rounds by Marion Sinclair’, it was sung late that year at the first Pan-Pacific Baden Powell (Guides and Scouts) jamboree held in Australia. Visiting overseas scouts and guides embraced the Kookaburra song and it achieved worldwide popularity. The lyrics have been translated into many languages. In 1935 Sinclair was awarded King George V’s silver jubilee medal. Sinclair always regarded Kookaburra as ‘just a trifle’, however it is now recognised around the globe as an iconic Australian tune.