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Dog LinePrint Page Print this page

08-May-2014
08-May-2014

Photographs supplied by Arthur Garland

The bronze sculpture of a dog denotes the `Dog Line,` where a row of savage snarling beasts deterred escapes during the convict era in colonial times, ferocious dogs guarded the isthmus. They were intended to ensure no convicts escaped the Port Arthur penal settlement.

The dog line which ran across the Neck was devised by John Peyton Jones. Any break of the scrub, movement or slightest noise would set the hounds barking and alert the sentries. Dogs were also placed on stages out in the water to detect absconders attempting a sea crossing. They made an impassable barrier. When one of the sergeants foolishly decided to test the effectiveness of the line he was attacked, receiving a severe wound from one of the dogs. A convict handler was responsible for their care. It was he who 'brought their meat, shook up their beds, was their friend, and caressed them'. Today, a cutting through the sand dunes marks the location of the dog line.

Location

Address:Arthur Highway , Eaglehawk Neck Historic Site, Eaglehawk Neck, 7179
State:TAS
Area:AUS
GPS Coordinates:Lat: -43.01329
Long: 147.926116
Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate.
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Details

Monument Type:Sculpture
Monument Theme:Culture
Sub-Theme:Crime
Artist:Ruth Waterhouse & Curtis Hore (sculptors)

Dedication

Actual Monument Dedication Date:Wednesday 1st September, 1999
Source: MA,ACPH
Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au