Dad, Dave, Mum and Mabel Statues

Dad and Dave Statue pays tribute to Steele Rudd's famous Snake Gully characters — Dad, Dave, Mum, and Mabel. Created in copper by sculptor Aurel Ragus, the life-sized statues celebrate an enduring piece of Australian cultural history.

The beloved characters originated in On Our Selection, Steele Rudd's stories about pioneering life and land selection in late 19th-century Australia. The humour and authenticity of the novels resonated strongly with readers, leading to the creation of the silent films On Our Selection and Rudd's New Selection. In the 1930s, the characters also inspired the popular radio series Dad and Dave.

Today, the statues are on permanent display in Carberry Park beside the Gundagai Visitor Information Centre on Sheridan Street, where they continue to delight visitors and celebrate Australia's rural storytelling heritage.