Where: 5 miles (8 km) north of Gundagai, just off the Hume Highway
An internationally recognised Australian icon, the Dog on the Tuckerbox Pioneer Monument is located 8 km north of Gundagai, just off the Hume Highway.
The Dog’s story comes from the hard, often humorous life of the early bullock drivers who transported supplies across rough inland tracks. Long before sealed roads and railways, bullock teams faced dust, mud, river crossings and wagons bogged on the flats around Gundagai. Their dogs travelled alongside them as loyal companions and guards, keeping watch over their belongings while the bullocky tended to the team or went for help.
The familiar tale tells of a weary bullocky bogged on a Murrumbidgee flat near Gundagai. After a long day of setbacks, he looks back to find his dog sitting on the tuckerbox, the food chest that held his supplies. It is a simple image, but one that has come to represent the resilience, hardship and dry humour of life in the Australian bush.
Like much bush folklore, the legend has several versions. It is linked to an early poem attributed to the pen name Bowyang Yorke, with poet Jack Moses later helping to bring the story to audiences across Australia through his poem Nine Miles from Gundagai. Jack O’Hagan’s 1937 song Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox further cemented the Dog and Gundagai in the Australian imagination.
The monument was unveiled by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons on 28 November 1932, following a community campaign to honour the pioneers of the district. Today, it remains a much-loved stop for travellers, locals and generations of families.
The precinct is evolving into a destination where mateship, memory-making and the spirit of Australiana come to life. Enjoy fresh food, coffee, local produce, gifts and regional treats, explore the gardens and picnic areas, and take a moment to share a yarn with mates on two legs or four.
Follow the journey and discover what is next at dogonthetuckerbox.com.
A new addition to the Dog on the Tuckerbox site is the “selfiebox”. Grab your own photo with you four-legged friend.