Fatso, the Fat-Arsed Wombat.

Wombats are short-legged, muscular marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about 1m (40 in) in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between 20 and 35kg (44 and 77 lb). They dig extensive burrow systems with their rodent-like front teeth and powerful claws. One distinctive adaptation of wombats is their backward pouch. The advantage of a backward-facing pouch is that when digging, the wombat does not gather soil in its pouch covering its young.

Although mainly nocturnal, wombats sometimes venture out to feed on cool or overcast days. They are not commonly seen, but leave ample evidence of their passage, treating fences as minor inconveniences to be gone through or under and leaving distinctive cubic poo. Hit one on the road and it can do lots of damage to a car. We see the occasional road kill around here but have never seen one in the bush. Our neighbour thinks he has some around the creek but has only seen burrows.

All this brings us to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and its mascots.

Olly (kookaburra), Syd (platypus) and Lizzie (echidna) were selected but the public was ambivalent about the trio and they soon were subjected to considerable ridicule.

Which in turn brings us to ‘Rampaging‘ Roy Slaven and H.G Nelson, the alter egos of John Doyle and Greig Pickhaver, well known locally for their satirical sports commentating on radio and as well as their TV programmes eg. Club Buggery. People actually turn their TV sound off and watch games while listening on the radio. Their football commentary show (both Rugby League and Australian Rules) called The Festival of the Boot was, without fail, hilarious. A newer programme is called Bludging on the Blindside is just as funny.
In 2000 the Olympics television broadcaster, Channel 7, gave Roy and HG a nightly post Games show called The Dream. They were let loose to make the trivial serious and the serious trivial.The show was a raging success and had cult following and became essential viewing for two hours from 11pm.
They too were not happy with the official mascots and introduced us to Fatso, the Fat-Arsed Wombat as a more suitable replacement.
Fatso too became a raging success and despite rumblings from the Australian Olympic Committee virtually took over the unofficial mascot role, even making it onto the dais for some medal presentations.

As a result of his popularity a small statue of Fatso was placed outside the stadium with other Olympic memorabilia.

But about 10 years ago he was stolen and never recovered.

But in a rare piece of good news in 2020, Fatso is coming home.

The Sydney Olympic Park Authority has seen fit to mark the 20-year anniversary of the Games by commissioning a new statue and putting the big-bottomed marsupial back on his public shrine, where he belongs.