Since 1932, the Dog on the Tuckerbox has sat beside the Hume Highway. To this day, it remains a pivotal road trip stop for travellers.
The iconic statue initially sat closer to Gundagai but was moved in 1932 to its current location to better accommodate travellers and tourism within the area, 10 years after its creation.
The statue has since only been moved once, when university students unbolted the dog and stole it as part of a prank in 1979. The dog was only taken to Canberra temporarily before it was safely returned to its watchful perch on the highway.
In 2009, a debate ensued as proposals to move the statue closer to Gundagai began, much to the disappoint and anger from locals and heritage groups.
Now, after more than eight years of delays in development to the location, it seems the Dog might be moving after sitting stationary at the rest stop for nearly 90 years.
Locals are divided by the proposed changes, which could involve the potential relocation of the iconic statue to sit closer to Gundagai.
A move could generate more tourism for the town but would change years of history for the rest stop.
The Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council first identified the developments as a ‘major project’ in 2027, and plans for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment of the site were cleared.
The initial plans site the construction of three new buildings, construction of a play area, new car parking, landscaping and, most worryingly for some locals, the relocation of the Dog on the Tuckerbox statue.
The current statue was initially set up to help the Gundagai hospital, and all money that is donated through the wishing well feature is given to the hospital.
Although new buildings will see more jobs available for locals, concerns still remain about the longevity of a stop dedicated to a statue that may not exist in the same location.
For now, it seems as if nothing has been set in stone, and the Dog continues to stand guard on his tuckerbox as he watches travellers pass by.
Elizabeth Kovacs
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