The sculpture that stands before you is known as 'The Pikeman's' Dog'.
The Pikeman's Dog was a little Irish terrier called Wee Jock, who showed great devotion and bravery at the death of his master, an Irish miner known as The Pikeman, at the battle at the Eureka Stockade on 3 December 1854.
As a result of the attack on the miners by Crown forces, five British soldiers and some thirty miners died in the battle known as The Eureka Rebellion. Among the miners lay the Pikeman, mortally wounded with some 15 wounds. Wee Jock, the little Irish terrier, guarded his master's body throughout the hours into the night as it lay unclaimed at the battlefield. Such was the little dogs devotion to his master, that he even refused to leave his master's side when his body was eventually loaded onto a dray and transferred to the cemetery. Wee Jock, loyal to the end accompanied his master on the dray all the way to the cemetery. According to reports the dog howled continuously and could not be separated from his master.
The pikemen at the stockade were the true heroes of Eureka, many of whom died in the first minutes of the attack, but their resistance with their pikes against overwhelming odds of the English military carbines provided valuable time for others to quickly ready themselves.
Christopher Crook who was a witness to the events the time, reminisced in a letter to the Geelong Advertiser in 1901:
"To the Editor.
Sir,-Perusing your Saturday's issue I was very much interested in your narrative of the Eureka riot, especially the incident referring to the little terrier dog, to which I am desirous of adding my testimony as to its correctness.
Upon that fatal Sunday morning, when the strife was practically over, I visited the scene. I saw eleven bodies lying upon the ground, to be recognised by relatives or friends Some had been taken away before my ar rival. I saw the little terrier whining piteously beside his dead master. While viewing this solemn scene a dray arrived in which was placed the body of the man who in life was the owner of the dog. When the little dog saw his master removed, his grief knew no bounds. Those interested tried to drive him away: they could not beat him back. He got into the dray and sat upon his master's breast, revealing in most unmistakable language that his master was taken from him. No human being could have lamented more at the loss of their dearest relative or friend than that affectionate and faithful dog be wailed the loss of his master. Though fifty years have passed away, this pathetic scene is vivid in my memory as though it occurred yesterday. It is one of those scenes which time cannot efface. I am etc.,
CHRISTOPHER CROOK."
Wee Jock was posthumously awarded the RSPCA`s Purple Cross in 1997, which honours exceptional behaviour in serving humans. The RSPCA Australia Purple Cross Award recognises the deeds of animals that have shown outstanding service to humans, particularly if they showed exceptional courage in risking their own safety or life to save a person from injury or death.
The centerpiece of this sculpture is a bronze replica of Wee Jock. His stance, is an expression of his forlorn anguish, as he sits at the base of a symbolic bronze Pike, his head turned towards the place where once his master stood.
On the 160th anniversary of the Eureka Stockade on December 3, 2015, the Pikeman's Dog statue was relocated to its current position within the Eureka Stockade Memorial Park. The memorial consists of 22 large golden stockade posts, representing the number of diggers killed in battle, erected in a triangle behind the statue of Wee Jock, on high ground outside the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka.
The triangular shape of the monument is metaphorically symbolic. The V shape can be interpreted as symbolising victory, and the 22 golden posts represent the 22 diggers who were killed.
In order to log this Virtual cache, please upload with your log one of the following two options:
1. Take a photo of yourself giving Wee Jock a pat.
OR
2. Take a photo of yourself standing holding the pike in the place of Jock's master.
(If you do not wish to be in the photo upload an image of Jock with your caching name clearly in view)
Your photo must be posted in your Found Log. Do not sent it to me by email.
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.