In the late 19th century, the railway was at the heart of life in South Australia. Trains carried people, livestock, goods and mail across the growing state.
And among the drivers, guards and passengers was an unlikely railway traveller – Bob, a Smithfield sheepdog who became one of South Australia’s most famous dogs.
Bob wasn’t just a passenger. He became part of the railway community, travelling thousands of kilometres, making friends along the way and earning a reputation for having a mind of his own.
His story has become part of South Australian railway folklore.
Bob was no ordinary dog. His story began in the 1880s where he was originally part of a pack of stray dogs rounded up in Adelaide. His luck changed when he became close with a stationmaster named William Ferry who took him along to work at the Peterborough station.
Bob was not meant for a quiet life. He soon found his way to the railway yards, where he formed an unbreakable bond with the all the train drivers and railway workers.
For the next decade, Bob practically lived on the trains. He travelled thousands of kilometres across South Australia, venturing as far as Melbourne and even supposedly taking trips on steamships.
He had no single owner; instead, he belonged to the entire South Australian Railways community.
Bob the Railway Dog was fiercely independent and had a distinct personality that endeared him to the railwaymen. A typical day for Bob was nothing short of an adventure:
The Best Seat in the House: Bob’s favourite spot wasn’t a cushy passenger carriage. He preferred riding right up front on the coal box in the locomotive cab, feeling the heat of the fire and the wind in his fur.
The Unofficial Guard: Bob took his “job” seriously. He was known to bark at strangers who got too close to the engines and would proudly clear the tracks of stray sheep or cattle.
The Social Butterfly: When the train pulled into a station, Bob would hop off to visit local butchers or railway dining rooms. The staff always kept a prime cut of meat ready for their famous four-legged guest.
A Mind of His Own: Bob knew the train timetables intuitively. If a train wasn’t going where he wanted, or if he simply didn’t like the look of a particular engine, he would stubbornly wait on the platform for the next one.
Bob’s railway friends eventually gave him a special brass collar.
It carried the famous inscription:
“Stop me not, but let me jog,For I am Bob, the driver’s dog.”
The collar became one of the most enduring reminders of Bob’s remarkable life.
His original collar can be seen at the National Railway Museum in Port Adelaide.
Bob’s adventures have been passed down through generations of railway enthusiasts, historians and storytellers. Over time, some stories have become part of railway folklore.
But behind the legend are historical photographs, newspaper reports and contemporary accounts that help reveal the real Bob and the railway world in which he lived.
And that’s where Bob’s story becomes even more fascinating.Because the real history is every bit as remarkable as the legend.
The history behind the legend.
Turbulent Political Times in SA and a Remarkable Railroading Dog
Step aboard and follow Bob on his adventures.
A book of historical fiction about Bob the Railway Dog.
Sarlines Books collaborated with Blue Goanna Digital to produce our feature video “A Tribute to Bob The Railway Dog“, to celebrate the release of our 2022 publication “The Amazing Adventures of Railway Bob“, South Australia’s most celebrated canine.
This video was taken in the Burra Railway Station and features the music box version of Bob’s Song which had been composed by Glen Hadden. Glen appears in this video playing classical guitar for the Song of Australia.
Bob the Railway Dog died in 1895, but his story didn’t disappear with him.
His memory has continued through South Australia’s railway communities and the generations of people fascinated by his adventures.
Today, a life-sized bronze statue of Bob stands in Peterborough, South Australia, a town steeped in railway history and one of Bob’s favourite stops.
And his story continues to capture the imagination of railway enthusiasts, history lovers, dog lovers and families.
