'The Loaded Dog' The goldfields were a setting very familiar to Lawson. The main characters Dave Regan, Jim Bently and Andy Page are good-natured. The escapades of Tommy, the black retriever dog establish the plot of the narrative. Tommy's good nature and the challenge of a game with his friends build into a chase scene which has become synonymous with bush larrikinism and legend. The male characters hit on an ingenious plan to catch fish, …showed first 75 words of 769 total…

…showed last 75 words of 769 total…and the towns with their Railway Hotels. He explores change through the characters he sees along the way and uses their dress as a social commentary on the people he sees on the journey. The journey ends at Bourke, the end of the railway line. Lawson's personal belief that the progress of change as the result of the railway signalled the end of the life as his characters knew it is symbolised by the journey.