Australian films and television series have entertained generations of children around the world. The 1977 feature film Dot and the Kangaroo is based on Ethel Pedley’s 1899 children’s book of the same title. The story is set in 1880s New South Wales, when a five-year-old girl called Dot gets lost in the bush. A red kangaroo who has lost her joey helps Dot find her way home. On the way, they meet other local animals, and Dot learns to appreciate nature: the bushland, plants and animals. The film was produced and directed by Polish-born Yoram Gross and shot in the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves west of Sydney. It set animated characters against live-action backgrounds, and an extensive musical score composed by Bob Young. Dot’s voice was that of Australian television and radio actor Barbara Frawley. Other renowned actors included Joan Bruce as the kangaroo (and as Dot’s mother), June Salter as Mrs Platypus, and Spike Milligan as Mr Platypus. The songs were performed by some of the actors as well as by professional singers such as Kerry Biddell. Eight sequels were made, including Around the World with Dot (1981) and Dot Goes to Hollywood (1987). Dot and the Kangaroo carries a strong environmental message. It begins with an appeal from Ethel Pedley’s book ‘to the children of Australia … In the hope of enlisting their sympathies for the many beautiful and frolicsome creatures of their fair land; whose extinction, through ruthless destruction, is surely being accomplished'.

Dot and the Kangaroo stamps come as a pair in a perforated minisheet, affixed to the cover, from Kids' Showtime Greats stamp issue released on 2 September 2024. Features an exclusive gold medallion with enamel fill and direct-to-metal print, made from zinc alloy, minimum gross weight 51g, maximum size 50 x 38.5 (mm), maximum thickness 4mm. The covers and medallions feature matching individual numbering on 1 to 200.