Jerry the Railway Dog (Cockatoo)

Jerry just turned up, out of the blue one night in 1929, at the Upper Ferntree Gully home of hills train driver Lionel Orr 'Dickie' Down. The stray was alone but desperate for a best mate. Mr Down sensed an immediate bond and adopted the lovable rascal, which soon took to racing the train, day and night, three or four times per week from Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook and back again. The return trip was downhill, and therefore faster. But Jerry - not afraid to cut the occasional corner - refused to be beaten. Locals became enamoured with the plucky courage of the little dog and would often watch out for him - even leaving food out on his journey.

But on 29 April 1934, tragedy struck. While running along the tracks as the train approached Cockatoo, Jerry sprinted in front of the engine and was killed. He was buried by the tracks next to Cockatoo Creek and his grave sat for years as a landmark for local passers-by. A white wooden cross was erected on the dog's grave, which has been meticulously kept to this day, thanks to the efforts of Puffing Billy and their tireless volunteers.

Location of the grave: There is very little information about where to find the grave and it took us a lot of investigation to find it. Here are the directions:

Start near the intersection of Pakenham Road and McBride Street, Cockatoo.
Follow the track northwards which runs between the railway line and Pakenham Road. After 420m you will pass the Cockatoo CFA building.
After another 300m you will see a traffic sign with an arrow to C412 Belgrave and another arrow to C411 Woori Yallock.
Near the sign is an indistinct track which leads down to the railway line and the grave sits beside the line.

Alternatively, if you don't want to do the walk, park your car near 52 Pakenham Road, Cockatoo, walk south for a short distance and find the track down to the grave site.