World Art Utopia

Yakkan Toort / Dog Rock

Dog Rock in Albany, Western Australia: a granite boulder shaped like a dog's head beside a road, with a painted white collar around its base
Artwork FileAlbany, Western Australia, Australia

Yakkan Toort / Dog Rock

SeenSep 2026

Natural rock formation · Albany, Western Australia, Australia

Photo: Aliceinthealice / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)

Yakkan Toort / Dog Rock is a granite outcrop on Middleton Road in Albany that, seen from its western side, looks like a dog's head. The Albany Advertiser reports that the council proposed blowing it up in 1921 to widen the road. After the Royal Automobile Club called it a danger to traffic in 1938, a collar was painted around its 'neck'. Source Source Reported

Photographed Sep 2026. Evidence date: 2026-09-21. Source Reported

💡 4 things to know

  1. Saved from the explosivesIn 1921 the council proposed blowing up the rock to widen Middleton Road; protests and petitions stopped it, says the Advertiser. Source Reported
  2. A collar for safetyAccording to the Albany Advertiser, a 1938 RAC traffic warning led authorities to paint the collar. Source Reported
  3. Wild dog tamedThe state heritage record says local Aboriginal people call it 'Yacka', meaning wild dog tamed. Source Reported
  4. The spaniel legendOne legend says a storm washed away the grave of a settler's spaniel, Victor, and a dog-shaped boulder appeared there. Source Reported

📍 Where it is

Middleton Road at St Werburghs Lane (adjacent 298 Middleton Road) · Albany, Western Australia, Australia Source Reported

Open in Maps

Map pin is approximate; use the named site or address to locate the formation.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 202010 Sep

    Albany Advertiser on Dog Rock legends

  2. 202621 Jan

    Albany Advertiser history feature

  3. 202621 Sep

    Photo taken

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

✅ The facts

Formation type
Natural granite outcrop, no artist Source Checked
Location
Middleton Road, Albany, in the road reserve Source Checked
Aboriginal name
'Yacka', meaning wild dog tamed Source Reported
Threat
1921 council plan to blow it up to widen the road Source Checked
Collar
Painted after the RAC called it a traffic danger in 1938, according to the Albany Advertiser Source Reported
Dual name
Yakkan Toort / Dog Rock since 2021 Source Reported
Reflector markings
Painted reflector blocks resemble a collar and improve visibility on the road bend at night Source Checked

In the press

Albany Advertiser · 2026-01-21
“The rock was then labelled by the Royal Automobile Club as a danger to traffic in 1938” Source
Why the collar was painted. Reported

Albany Advertiser · 2020-09-10
“In the 1930s, a collar was painted around Dog Rock’s “neck” to make it more visible.” Source
When and why the collar appeared. Reported

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Photo: Aliceinthealice / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)

Last checked: 26 October 2026 · How we verify art