The plaque beside the 'Sit-by-me' Statue of Smoky Dawson reads:
'Riding, Riding On A Trail Where Dreams Come True'
Smoky Dawson 19.3.1913 - 13.2.2008
Dot Dawson 12.10.1906 - 27.10.2010
"Over eight decades, Smoky and Dot Dawson played leading roles in the great and colourful pageant of Australian Country Music.
"While Smoky revelled in his role as showman extraordinaire, Dot, with her creative flair and practical skills, inspired and managed Smoky and kept the show on the road.
"Dot met Smoky early in his remarkable career in Melbourne in 1933. He was already a talented, popular entertainer on stage and radio. Dot, known then as Florence Cheers, was a radio personality, writer and producer. Together they created a special magic.
"By the late 1930s, Smoky had discovered hillbilly music and when he made his first recording in 19'XX', it was clear he would be a star. In the decades that followed, he and Dot built an amazing career. In 1953, after a short but brilliant spell in America, they returned home to the incredibly successful Kelloggs radio show, "The Adventures of Smoky Dawson". Broadcast throughout Australia, it made Smoky and his horse Flash national identities. Smoky composed, recorded and performed hundreds of songs for his vast audience of loyal fans and received countless awards and accolades.
"The Dawsons had a long and personal association with Radio 'X'TM [the local Tamworth radio station] and Tamworth stretching back to the '50s, including an appearance on the first golden Guitar Awards in 1973 and Smoky's song 'Everybody Knows Why Everybody Goes To Tamworth'. The city became their second home and Tamworth adopted them too.
"Smoky and Dot were treasured by all who knew them as two generously warm and talented people supporting and complementing each other personally and professionally.
"'Together they created the legendary figure that we know as "Smoky Dawson"'"
[26.1.2012 - Sculptor: Tanya Bartlett - Smoky Dawson Memorial Appeal, Australian Country Music Foundation * The Dawson Family * Tamworth Regional Council]
** My APOLOGIES for skipping some information from the plaque, however, there is a Puzzle cache that relates to this memorial, so you will need to work those bits out for yourself! **
See: (
visit link) [It wasn't this cache when I looked for the precursor Traditional cache in April 2016, and DNFed it!]
From the Monuments Australia website: (
visit link)
"Sculpture commemorates country music legend Smoky Dawson (19 March 1913 – 13 February 2008). He was widely touted as Australia's first singing cowboy. The plaque beside the statue commemorates the lives of both Smoky and his wife Dot who, with her creative flair and practical skills, played a major role in Smoky’s extraordinarily varied and successful career.
"In 1952 he starred in his own radio show, The Adventures of Smoky Dawson echoeing that of Roy Rogers in the United States. The show stayed on the air for ten years and at its peak was broadcast on 69 stations across the country.
"A long career of recording and performing followed his radio show, and he still enjoyed performing until he died. He was frequently recognized for his contributions to music and entertainment. In 1978 he was awarded an MBE for his services to country music. In 1983 he was named on the Australian Country Music Roll of Renown."
From a news article/website: (
visit link) "When [Dot] Dawson turned 100 in 2006, FM99.3 ["Northside" - North Sydney] declared a Dot Dawson Day, broadcasting excerpts of her programs and interviews." She and Smoky had no children, and lived on the North Shore of Sydney.
Address: Peel Street, Outside Council Offices, Tamworth, 2340
Visited: 1630, Sunday, 17 April, 2016