Dog on Tuckerbox or the DonT Thanks for that feedback. I hadn't heard that. I wish I had know it at the time. I would have looked at it with different eyes.
Dog on Tuckerbox or the DonT The Dog on the Tuckerbox is about a large massacre of Aboriginal people in the 1830s. The story wouldnt go away and peopel began to write poems and songs and put up dogs on sticks at the Nien Mile. (In Indigenous lore, a shape a bit similar to a dog is an important cultural aspect so 'dog' refers to indigenosu people and lore similar to 'tigers' in Gundagai refers to member sof the Rugby league Club).
The poems, songs and dogs up on sticks became embarrassing for the town and area, but it is what the area is known for even if the massacre was a very terrible one. The DonT monument was built an dsome try ot align it with faithful dogs. Any quick reading of the inscription on the monument tells the reader that monument is at the least about the war the colonials had with the Indigenosu people whent hey took their land from them.
The dray loaded with flour did bog in the creek. The driver went to the pub and when he came back the flour had been interferred with. The colonials then laced the remainign flour with arsenic and more flour was taken. The deaths were terrible but there were also abuses perpetrated by the colonials on the Indigenosu peopel as they were dying. A recent archaeological survey of the Five Mile/Coolac area has found numerous artefacts, campsites etc. The area was an incredibly important Indigenosu cultural area as is all of Gundagai and the surrounding country.
This has been hidden but is also at the same time, now well known where it needs to be known. Areas are listed on the AIHMS Register.
That's an interesting thought. This trip is the first time I will be travelling with my own lap top, so the boring times like that will be totally different. I'm not sure if it has changed all that much. An outback Aussie small town doesn't really change all that much.
Boredom That was when you needed a computer to keep you entertained, hey Madeleine. I wonder how different the town is now and whether it has all those things now. You most likely wouldn't be as bored if you broke down there these days. LOL................
Ken, that was the only way I could describe it. I was closer to the front of the train taking a photo of the back (at least I think that's the direction). If you look closely you can see the engine on the back pushing the train. Kewl hey??
Hi Kaz. He was a gorgeous dog, lots of personality and smarts. Too smart for his own good. We had a totally fenced in garden with chicken wire up the gate to well over my head. He climbed up that and went over the top of the gate and got killed on the road.
Sirius I fell in love with the picture of your little dog Sirius!! He was sooooooooooooo cute!! I love those sorts of dogs. I don't know the people in your story but it is fun following it. I love things like this, stories about people's lives and memories...........Karen
Maybe I will be able to show you when I'm over there Kahless.
Glad you found me. Now all I have to do is to pass the word around so people know about the blog when I do head off.
Madeleine
Thanks Kazza. I wrote this one years ago and was using it to test the blog and learn how to use it before I went away. I didn't realise at the time what an exciting and brave thing I was doing.
Madeleine
I love your new blog!! And I love hearing stories like this one. It sounds like a real adventure. Makes me wish I had done more things like that and I can imagine the excitement of two girls out in the world by themselves for the first time.
Cheers.........Karen
Testing the site. I'm going overseas later this year and this will be the first time I've travelled with a digital camera and a laptop. I'm 61 years old and been to quite a few places in my life. Lived and worked in 4 countries (Canada, England, Germany, Australia) and rather like going places.... full info
Gezunda
Madeleine
Dog on Tuckerbox or the DonT
Thanks for that feedback. I hadn't heard that. I wish I had know it at the time. I would have looked at it with different eyes.