from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Cooey \Coo"ey\, Cooee \Coo"ee\, n. [Of imitative origin.]
A peculiar cry uttered by the Australian aborigines as a call
to attract attention, and also in common use among the
Australian colonists. In the actual call the first syllable
is much prolonged (k[=oo]"-) and the second ends in a shrill,
staccato [=e]. To represent the sound itself the spelling
{cooee} is generally used. [Written also {cooie}.]
{Within cooey}, within earshot.
[Webster 1913 Suppl.] Cooey