Dorothy the Dinosaur is a "rososaurus", a "yellow-spotted herbivorous green Dinosaur with surprisingly scary teeth".[1] She lives in a pink and purple house with her own Rosy Orchestra and a rose garden in her backyard. She loves to eat roses and dance the ballet.[1] She enjoys serving guests rose-derived treats such as "rosy-posy tea".[2] She is the very first character to be introduced in the very beginning of The Wiggles in 1991.

Murray Cook created Dorothy from his experiences in working at a preschool, sensing a need to make up some good dinosaur songs.[3] Dorothy was part of the band's early stage shows, and was originally played by Cook, then Wiggles choreographer Leeanne Ashley, and Wiggles dancers such as Caterina Mete and Lyn Stuckey.[4][5] Ashley was Dorothy's first full-time portrayer; according to Field, she "wrote the blueprint"[6] for the character. Ashley developed movements that conveyed Dorothy's unique personality.[6] South Australian Carolyn Ferrie, an opera singer and dancer, has provided Dorothy's voice from 1997 to 2009.[note 1] when she worked with Anthony Field on an Irish music Wiggles CD.[7] Ferrie described Dorothy as "a dinosaur superstar ... very open, friendly, and warm. She is like a mother figure even though she is only meant to be five, and kids really respond to her ... She is calm and mothering but friendly as well. She's young and still playful but has got a motherly feeling to her".[7] Ferrie insisted that Dorothy "is number one after the boys including Captain Feathersword, in terms of who kids say they love".[7] Dorothy has a distinctive, trill-like, descending laugh created by Ferrie.[2][7]

In 1996, shortly before moving into American markets, The Wiggles discovered that someone in Maine had registered Dorothy as a trademark, so they reached an agreement and paid a settlement.[8] In 2007, Dorothy began to star in her own television show in Australia.[7] The show had a distinct look and sound. Whereas The Wiggles' TV shows were "hyper-real and cartoonish" and had a pop sound, Dorothy's show was "really rich and beautiful looking" and based its sound on orchestral music.[9] Dorothy was the focus of her own touring production, which performed in smaller cities The Wiggles could not perform. The production, based upon the TV show, was written by Field, and Moran was the host of this show before he joined the band. Lyn Stuckey, who later married Moran, played Dorothy.[10][11]