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Tom DanceyPrint Page 
Statue of Aboriginal Stockman, Tom Dancey who won the Stawell Gift.
Tom Dancey, an Aboriginal stockman and boundary rider won Australia's most famous footrace, the Stawell Gift in 1910. The story goes that Dancey's £1000 prizemoney was kept by his handlers and hangers-on and Tom went home to Dirranbandi with nothing but the trophy.
Tom Dancey was born at Hebel around 1888 and his family moved to Dirranbandi where he and his brothers started work at an early age on sheep stations around the region. He was a good stockman and boundary rider and also an amateur runner. At Stawell, Dancey had no difficulty in silencing the opposition in the final, leading over the last 50 yards and winning comfortably by four yards. Tom Dancey was buried in an unmarked grave in 1957 and a memorial plaque has been erected over his grave.
Location
| Address: | Castlereagh Highway, Dirranbandi Railway Park, Dirranbandi, 4486 |
|---|---|
| State: | QLD |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -28.585556 Long: 148.226389 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Sport |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Saturday 23rd April, 2011 |
|---|
TOM DANCEY
TOM DANCEY WAS BORN IN HEBEL AND AS A CHILD
MOVED WITH HIS FAMILY TO DIRRANBANDI. THROUGHOUT
HIS LIFE TOM WORKED AS A STOCKMAN, BOUNDARY RIDER
AND WAS ALSO AN AMATEUR RUNNER.
IN 1919 AT THE AGE OF 22, TOM WENT TO STAWELL IN
VICTORIA WHERE HE RAN IN THE STAWELL EASTER GIFT.
WHEN TOM WON THE STAWELL GIFT HE EARNED £1000 FOR
HIS TRAINERS, WAS DECORATED BY THE VICTORIAN STATE
GOVERNOR WITH A BLUE RIBBON AND PRESENTED WITH
A SILVER CUP.
TOM WAS THE SECOND ABORIGINAL TO WIN THE
PRESTIGIOUS STAWELL GIFT. THE HISTORY AND ROMANCE
OF THE STAWELL GIFT IS ENTRENCHED IN AUSTRALIAN
FOLKLORE, ENSURING ITS STATUS AS AN ICON OF
AUSTRALIAN SPORT.
THIS STATUE HONOURS THE MEMORY AND ACHIEVEMENTS
OF TOM DANCEY.
THIS PLAQUE IS A GIFT FROM THE BALONNE SHIRE COUNCIL IN
RECOGNITION OF TOM DANCEY, HIS ACHIEVEMENTS AND
CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT AND COMMUNITY.
23 APRIL 2011
