The New South Wales town of Gundagai has thrown a party to welcome back its much-loved Dog on the Tuckerbox statue.
The dog’s ear was broken off and its nose was damaged when it was toppled from its base in an act of vandalism at the end of July. A 28-year-old Wagga Wagga man has subsequently been charged with damaging property, and is due to appear in court in mid-September.
The iconic statue, which weighs more than 200 kilograms, was repaired at the Australian National University in Canberra and has now been brought home.
“He’s just a real mate and always has been to the community and to everyone in Australia,” local mayor Abb McAlister told AAP.
The tourist attraction was erected in 1932 as a memorial to Australian pioneers.
Good on ANU for doing the repairs, and in lightening quick time!
I have visited the `Dog` many times over the past 60 odd years when travelling the Hume. I was taken there many times by my Dad on his travels up and down the Hume- he always stopped there for a rest on the way to Melbourne from Sydney, which was a 22 hour trip back then. Hard work in those days, piloting a truck with 180 horse power up and down the highway. By comparison, most of our 4X4`s used for towing our vans have much more power than the early trucks.
I can still clearly remember my first visit to the iconic Dog on the Tuckerbox!