WBro Damien of Devotion , with help from Georgina

The town of Gundagai, known for the dog on the tuckerbox in Australian folklore, is situated in NSW on the Murrumbidgee River at the foot of Mt Parnassus, 387 km south-west of Sydney. It is located just off the Hume Highway about halfway between Yass and Holbrook. Those traveling between Melbourne to Sydney or Canberra pass through it and stop for a snack at the cafe or to fuel-up just down the road. Georgina recently passed through Gundagai. The historic now meets the modern with some new vehicle “tuckerboxes” which Georgina snapped a photo of. The Tesla company, known for producing electric vehicles has installed some charging stations at Gundagai. It’s a new spin on the famous Australian song about the tuckerbox five miles from Gundagai.

The Dog on the Tuckerbox is a famous poem, song and tourist attraction. A bronze statute, located at Snake Gully, five miles (8 km) from Gundagai, celebrates the dog. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons on 28 Nov 1932 as a tribute to pioneers. The statue was inspired by a poem, Bullocky Bill, which describes a drover's dog that loyally guards the man's tuckerbox (slang for lunch box) until death. Jack O'Hagan's song, Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox (5 miles from Gundagai), was published in 1937. O’Hagan also wrote the song Along the Road to Gundagai in 1922 and the town features in several other poems and songs like “Lazy Harry's”.

 

Freemasonry started in Gundagai in 1866. In the exact same years as Gipps Street was built, Gundagai Lodge built the Art Deco Style Gundagai Theatre, erected in 1928/9 with the Temple at the rear. The Theatre is now an antique and vintage clothing store. Sold several times, Masons retain a lease over the lodge area.

 

Gundagai United # 25 meets behind the old Theatre at Gundagai, Cnr Sheridan & Kitchener Streets every 2nd Tuesday. Find their details on the web.

 

There's a track winding back
to an old-fashioned shack.
Along the road to Gundagai.

Where the gum trees are growin'
and the Murrumbidgee's flowin'
beneath the sunny sky.

Oh my mother and daddy are waitin' for me
And the pals of my childhood once more I will see
And no more will I roam 'cos I'm headin' right for home
Along the road to Gundagai.