The Story Behind The Name: Kakadu Creative

Naming a business can be one of the hardest things to do. But equally, a name can just hit you and you know it’s the one.

We’ve heard some great origin stories for company names and we’ve even helped name some. And one of the most common questions we get asked is…

‘Where did the name Kakadu come from?’

Well, here is the origin story for our name – Kakadu Creative.

First, let’s take you back to where it all began.

Lee had been working as a freelance Art Director and graphic designer for almost 10 years. And Kayleigh, that’s me, had been working in marketing and advertising sales for even longer than that.

We’d been working for large-scale corporate companies and learnt a lot.

We’d also met lots of great people and built a strong network of contacts across many different industries. So it felt like the time was right to combine our skills, cast aside the suits and the commutes and do it for ourselves.

So, one of the first questions was, what the hell do we call ourselves?

There were A LOT of names thrown around, some I liked, some Lee liked, some we both hated and one we both liked, Kakadu.

But Kakadu is more than an unusual name we both liked. It actually has a strong link to what we do.

Kakadu?

Kakadu is a national park in the Northern Territory of Australia and is a beautiful place.

It spans almost 20,000 square kilometres and is about a day’s drive from anywhere, it’s a true escape.

Driving through, you marvel at termite mounds almost two stories high, wallabies peering at you from the roadside, and rocky outcrops jutting out of the iron oxide dirt.

Stop to explore and you’re treated to a nature reserve like no other.

If the hundreds of crocodiles relaxing in the sun aren’t impressive enough the history of this place will win you over.

Kakadu has been home to the Aboriginal people for around 20,000 years, although some say it’s more like 40,000. With that, there’s a huge amount of history found in the park. A history that’s recorded in what’s commonly known as rock art, or in Aboriginal, ‘gunbim’.

Kakadu National Park holds one of the world’s oldest and most concentrated records of rock art in the world.

The paintings show the history of the Aboriginal people in the area. Their stories, their daily lives, their celebrations and even show the first European explorers arriving, guns in hand.

When we were thinking of names for our business we wanted it to mean something, to have a story and connection to what we do. So when we heard about Kakadu we knew it was the name for us.

Rock art is arguably the oldest form of visual communication, with graphic design being one of the most modern. So by naming ourselves Kakadu Creative, we’re connecting the heritage of our industry with the modern age.