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See Red Dog Run (D)

DAMPIER, WA – Red Dog is the spirit of every restless male. Born in Paraburdoo, the result of a kelpie and heeler consummation, his real name was Tally-Ho, which his owners shortened to Tally.

After a family move to Dampier, neither the name nor the ownership lasted much longer. Red Dog, as his new town would know him, was a vagrant of the first degree. He learnt how to catch the Hamersley Iron work-bus. He kept a close eye on the Dampier Salt Works. He hitchhiked to the mall when the heat got too much. He rode on ore trains, fathered several mongrels and cadged meals form back doors.

One time a mining family took Red Dog to Perth for a holiday, and lost him on the beach. Anguished, they drove the 1500 kays back to Dampier, only to find Red Dog had arrived before them.

And then there’s the yarn where Red Dog and Co orchestrated a mass bust-out at the Karratha Dog Pound. (Disney Productions, are you taking notes?) Other antics are documented in Red Dog – The Pilbara Wanderer by Beverley Duckett. Louis de Bernieres, of Captain Corelli fame, wrote a chapbook on the champion. Red Dog is poised in the info bay approaching town, gazing at the roadside.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 10th, 2006 at 10:58 am and is filed under Suggest WA/NT. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

2 Responses to “See Red Dog Run (D)”

  1. Col Wotherspoon Says:
    November 28th, 2007 at 10:03 am

    I worked in Dampier/Karratha in 1976 and knew Red Dog personally. He would often “flag down” our car asking for alift. I also saw him many times on the work buses and he had the run of the Pilbara. Everyone loved him and would give him a lift or a feed, whenever he asked.

    I wrote an article titled “Red the Hitchhiker” which was published in the Women’s Weekly in 1978 – November issue I think.

    I hadn’t realised he had become such a famous dog, with his own bronze statue and everything.

    I feel very privileged to have known Red Dog and I still have a clear image of that rough old head and dusty red coat.

    Vale old fella.

    Col

  2. peter Shaw Says:
    December 20th, 2007 at 8:55 pm

    I would love to get a copy of Nancy Gillespie’s book ‘Red Dog’ the Pilbara Wanderer. Could you or any one known to you’who may have a copy let me know how I may get it?

    I would be most grateful. I already have a copy of a small book by Beverley Duckett, but it is the original that I am looking for.

    Regards, Peter.

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