Expressions of Interest Called for Redevelopment of the Famous Dog on the Tuckerbox site

Expressions of Interest Called for Redevelopment of the Famous Dog on the Tuckerbox site

Gundagai Shire Council is seeking expressions of interest from prospective developers for re-development of the famous Dog on the Tuckerbox site located on the Hume Highway, mid way between Sydney and Melbourne.

Gundagai is a classic Australian country town situated on the Murrumbidgee River between Sydney and Melbourne, in one of the most picturesque rural areas of the Riverina. First discovered by European explorers in the 1820s, Gundagai has a long history which has proved an irresistible subject for poets and songwriters. The likes of Banjo Patterson were inspired by stories of drovers, bullock teams and bush travellers in the Gundagai area.

An internationally recognised Australian icon, the Dog on the Tuckerbox is 8kms (or 5 miles) north of Gundagai, just off the Hume Highway. Like much of Australia's early folklore, its exact origins are clouded in uncertainty and controversy. The monument is a tribute to our early pioneers.

The legend of the Dog began in the 1850s with a poem Bullocky Bill attributed to an otherwise unknown author Bowyang Yorke' which celebrates the life of a mythical driver's dog that loyally guarded the man's tuckerbox (lunch box) until death. A version amended by Jack Moses in the 1920s became famous, capturing the imagination of all Australians. The legend was subsequently immortalised in a popular song by Jack O'Hagan called Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox.

Frank Rusconi suggested a memorial using the legend of the Dog on the Tuckerbox in 1928 and in 1932 the proposal was taken up by the community. The Dog on the Tuckerbox monument was sculptured by Franz Rusconi as part of 'Back to Gundagai' Week in 1932 and was unveiled by the then Prime Minister of Australia Joseph Lyons on 28 November 1932 as a tribute to the pioneers.

A nationwide competition was held to obtain the most suitable inscription for the monument which was won by Brian Fitzpatrick. The inscription says:

"Earth's self upholds this monument

To conquerors who won her,

When wooing was dangerous

And now are gathered onto her again."

For the past 30 years, the Dog on the Tuckerbox site has been leased to various individuals and companies who have provided a kiosk facility with associated toilets and surrounding parkland.

Expressions of interest are being sought from prospective developers to enable a commercial return from activities at the site, as well as enhance and represent the Dog (and associated historical ruins) in a manner befitting its status as a national icon.

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