monument on the basis that it was more convenient to the Hume Highway and closer to the town, thereby more beneficial to tourism. A nationwide competition was held to obtain the most suitable inscription for the monument. The chosen inscription on the base of the monument was written by Brian Fitzpatrick of Sydney. The inscription says: "Earth's self upholds this monument "To conquerors who won her when "Wooing was dangerous, and now "Are gathered unto her again." The dog section of the monument was modelled by Rusconi and cast at 'Oliver's Foundry' in Sydney. The base was created by a pattern maker at Oliver’s Foundry by the name of Richard Fowler. The Dog on the Tuckerbox monument was erected in 1932 as part of 'Back to Gundagai' week, and a large crowd "gathered to her again" to witness the unveiling by Prime Minister Joseph Lyons on 28 November 1932. It was planned to donate money placed in the wishing well at the base of the monument to the Gundagai District Hospital. A souvenir shop was also opened nearby. Copyright on the monument was vested in the Gundagai Hospital, who for many years received a useful income from receipt of royalties from firms using the iconic image. Later history A "Dog on the Tuckerbox" festival has been held each year since 1992, the 60th anniversary of the monument. In November 2005, the annual festival included a two-day Snake Gully Cup Racing Carnival and festivities at the Dog on the Tuckerbox Centre. The statue was vandalised on 28 July 2019 by being dislodged from its plinth, suffering minor damage, and had its grand re-unveiling on 17 August 2019 following repairs. A more deliberate piece of vandalism was perpetrated a few months after its unveiling, when the name of Prime Minister Lyons was chiselled away from the base of the monument, presumably as a political act. Rusconi reported that the only proper repair was to take the marble slab away to be reworked. References External links The Dog on the Tuckerbox "Knowledge Site" including all relevant history, Old Photos, who made The Dog on the Tuckerbox, newspaper clippings and information about the local area...Gundagai and surrounds The Dog on the Tuckerbox information site including information on the Tourist Centre and Café at the site of the statue. Dog on the Tuckerbox tribute page including the two poems that inspired the monument, and photo