The Yowie is one of several names for an Australian folklore entity that is reputed to live in the Outback. The creature has origins in Aboriginal oral history.

The Yowie is typically described as a bipedal, hairy, and ape-like creature, standing upright at between 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) and 3.6 m (12 ft). Reports of Yowie footprints describe them as significantly larger than a human's, but alleged Yowie tracks are inconsistent in shape and toe number. The Yowie's nose is described as wide and flat.

Descriptions of the Yowie's behavior vary; some accounts depict the Yowie as timid and reclusive, while others suggest it can be violent or aggressive.

The exact origin of the name "Yowie" in reference to Australian hominid legends is uncertain. The term was documented in 1875 among the Gamilaraay people by Rev. William Ridley in Kámilarói and Other Australian Languages, where "Yō-wī" was described as a spirit that roams the earth at night.

Some researchers suggest that the term arose through Aboriginal legends of the "Yahoo". Nineteenth century European accounts describe the creature and deem it the Yahoo, specifically the entry of Robert Holden, who described it saying "The natives of Australia... believe in... [the] Yahoo."

Another story about the terms origins come from an Aboriginal source. One account from Old Bungaree, a Gunedah elder, stating that the Yahoo was an ancient race that once inhabited Australia. He describes conflicts between Yahoos and Aboriginal people in an event called Dreamtime, claiming that the latter usually overpowered them, although the Yahoo is said to be a fast runner.

Additionally, some scholars propose that the Yowie legend may have been influenced by European folklore. Possible sources for this claim include:

A 1987 column in The Sydney Morning Herald, columnist Margaret Jones suggest that the first reported Yowie sighting in Australian occurred as early as 1795.