Did you know the first guide dog to arrive in Australia lived in Perth? Dreena, a black labrador retriever, belonged to University of Western Australia (UWA) Economics Professor Arnold Cook.
Arnold was born in Western Australia in 1922 and was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa, which left him blind by age 18. Arnold would pioneer the first guide dog movement in Australia with his beloved labrador Dreena.
Despite his blindness, Arnold earned a Bachelor of Arts (honours) in Economics from UWA. After venturing to England for further studies, Arnold was first paired with a German Shepherd, but he soon met Dreena, a labrador trained by Betty Bridge. Dreena and Arnold’s bond was profound. He was amazed at how she obeyed his every command, and decided he could not live without her.
Guide dog ,Corrie, Association for the Blind, WA in 1960.
After returning to Perth with Dreena in 1951, Arnold initiated Australia’s first guide dog training centre. Intelligent dogs up to 18 months old, pedigree or not, preferably female and measuring at least 50 centimetres in height, were welcomed to the Guide Dogs of the Blind Association.
Elsie Mead of Maylands was the first person to own a guide dog trained in Australia. Blind from a detonator explosion at the age of 5, Elsie became the owner of “a new set of eyes that could see – a dog’s eyes.”
Beau, a handsome and alert old black kelpie, was specially trained by the same woman who had trained Dreena in England, Betty Bridge. Equipped with a harness, leash and guiding handle, Beau could assist Elsie safely across busy Guildford Road and take her to shops on request, including the butcher’s, the grocer’s and to her favourite fruiterer. Beau also knew of the post office, the railway station and the bus stop. When at home, he served as a watchdog. Elsie described Beau as “a Godsend” to The West Australian in 1952 but admitted he did have one fault, he was "no gentlemen. On public transport he would immediately sit down on a seat and was reluctant to rise".
The movement grew, and by 1957, every Australian state had established their own Guide Dog Association. Under Arnold’s influence, the organization evolved into Guide Dogs WA, which catered to millions. Their services expanded by introducing Autism Assistance Dogs.
After Arnold’s passing in 1981, Perth commemorated his contributions with a bronze statue of Arnold with his beloved Dreena at the entrance to Kings Park. Upholding Arnold’s vision, Guide Dogs WA introduced new training programs in 2021 and began a breeding initiative in 2022.
Please enjoy the gallery below of pictures from the Royal Institute for the Blind in the 1950s. The gallery, along with the story, was originally posted on our Facebook page in 2021.
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