The Dog On The Tucker Box. (As told by the dog)
I’ve been sitting on this box for years and years
Now I’m finally realizing my worst fears
My master’s gone away, he ain’t coming back
Looks like the bastard’s given me the sack
I’ve been guarding his tucker for such a long time
By now the steak is surely past its prime
The big buses come along every single day
A bloke stands up and has his say
Gundagai, clear blue sky, a sheila named Mabel
To me this sounds like a silly old fable
The tourists throw coins in the box at my feet
Why don’t they know I much prefer meat?
So I forlornly sit in the hot summer sun
Itching fur, drying throat, not having much fun
The cold winter nights raise my ire
I should be inside in front of the fire
Contentedly curled at my master’s feet
Now that would indeed be a canine treat
Drovers stop by with kelpies who scorn
Their withering looks make me forlorn
You should be out earning your keep
Come and help us round up some sheep
Sorry boys, I can’t go for a run
There’s a bloody great bolt screwed up my bum
OM:NI - Diamond Creek 
Bloody hilarious!!!!
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Just finished reading Patsy Adams Smith’s book ‘The Shearers” A really good read about the shearers who travelled the country offering their services to the squatters. Patsy does mention this dog in Gundagai. She claims the dog wasn’t actually sitting on the tucker box but,rather –
OK, you know where I’m going Bruce!
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Ken – in the 1970’s we used to go and see the ‘Bushwackers’ bush band in an old pub on Brunswick St. Fitzroy (before they became well known) – and as I remember, their version of “Bullocky Bill” ended up with the dog not actually ‘sitting’ on the box.
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Totally correct guys, we all know what the dog probably did, but in the interests of my “decent” writing group, decided to keep it clean, so to speak!
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We stopped for a feed and a photo on this trip. Brings back the memories of the old Hume Hwy in the 70’s when we lived in Sydney and returned to Melbourne often. It was just an image then but now we know and appreciate the story behind the “dog” and have the time to reflect on a bygone era.
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