LOCAL LIFE
Spot the difference !
with Jacqui Taffel
Did you know … a “ black panther ” is not its own species . It ’ s an umbrella term that covers any big cat with a black coat , including dark versions of leopards and jaguars .
Did you know … Black panthers still have spots , more visible when sunlight catches their coat at certain angles .
Did you know … The NSW Department of Primary Industries commissioned four enquiries in 1999 , 2003 , 2009 and 2013 investigating the existence of large predatory black cats in the wild after numerous compelling eyewitness sightings , many in the Blue Mountains , Lithgow , Hawkesbury and Hunter Valley areas . None of the final reports were conclusive either way .
Did you know … Penrith ’ s rugby league club took on the Panther as their emblem in 1964 , after a public competition won by Emu Plains graphic artist Deidre Copland . Her logo showed a black panther leaping through the letter P . The current logo was launched for the 2019 season .
Did you know … that Penrith
Anna Louise Richardson Black Panther ( On the hunt detail ) charcoal and pastel on cement fibreboard .
Regional Gallery , formerly the home of artists Gerald and Margot Lewers who bequeathed their riverside property to Penrith City Council for the community , is presenting an exhibition about Penrith ’ s relationship to the panther in its symbolic and mythical forms .
Spot the Difference explores the modern myth of the elusive Blue Mountains panther and its foundational influence on the evolving identity of Penrith and its communities .
Spurred on by the recent success of the Penrith Panthers football club , the exhibition looks at the speculated origins of the myth , its influence on collective community consciousness and its potential as a story of resilience , adaptation and local pride .
Sightings of large predatory cats in the wild have been reported in NSW for more than 100 years . Unusual injuries to livestock , large footprints and scats have also been presented as proof , as well as photographs and videos , yet still no one has been able to conclusively confirm their existence . Reports of big cats roaming free have come from across Australia including Victoria and West
Jason Phu mask workshops . Photo : Maja Baska .
Australia .
Theories about how these animals came to inhabit the Australian bush include escapees from travelling circuses and the exotic animal trade in the 19th Century , and live animal mascots brought home with WWII returning servicemen . A more modern theory points to big cat cubs bought on the black market being raised by individuals and released when they get too big and pose a danger to their owner .
Despite reports being received with scepticism and at times derision , a growing number of people are convinced including a retired couple in West Australia who captured a large black cat outside their house on video in 2022 . https :// www . abc . net . au / news / 2022-10-08 / giant-blackcat-spotted-near-lancelin
As the media manager for this show this sounds like a convenient story , but I have seen the panther too , near the Boars Head lookout outside Katoomba in July 2020 . I saw its black hind legs and tail as it jumped off the path about 50 metres
Deirdre Copeland ’ s original Penrith Panthers logo , 1966 .
away . I had never heard about the myth then and am familiar with native animals . There is no doubt in my mind it was a large black cat the size of a panther , which I reported to National Parks and Wildlife . So , is it a myth or is it reality , the infamous and elusive panther that is said to roam Penrith , the Blue Mountains , the Hawkesbury and beyond ? Penrith Regional Gallery is proud to present a major exhibition Spot the Difference in November , with original commissioned works examining the modern myth of the Blue Mountains panther , not only as a symbol of mystery and intrigue , but as a foundational story for the evolving identity of Penrith and its nearby communities .
Spot the Difference Exhibition : Saturday 9 November 2024 – 16 February 2025 . Exhibition Opening : Friday 15 November 2024 , 6-8pm . Penrith Regional Gallery , Home of The Lewers Bequest
86 River Road , Emu Plains , ( 02 ) 4735 1100 , penrithregionalgallery . com . au
THE HAWKESBURY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 174 // NOVEMBER 2024 9