Burnie

Wombat droppings are helping an industrial town in the Australian state of Tasmania to fight the effects of the global financial crisis. Burnie has been hit by repeated rounds of job cuts but despite the gloom, one local industry is growing rapidly — producing handmade paper out of a material no one else wants — wombat dung.

The wombat lives in the wild only in Australia. In its own small way, the furry marsupial is doing its bit to help the beleaguered community of Burnie, which has seen the loss of hundreds of jobs as the national economy slides into reverse.

But, Willie, set your fit to mine, / An' cock your crest, / We'll gar our streams an' burnies shine / Up wi' the best.

c. 1820s, James Hogg, "Sing on, Sing on, My Bonnie Bird" A bramble shade around our head, A burnie popplin by