Rachael Michelle Potter: working-dog watercolours

At a glance

Australian War Memorial collection records identify Rachael Michelle Potter’s Unsung Heroes – Afghanistan series and individual portraits of military dogs.

WORKING DOG reference library · Added 2026-10-19 · Editorial guide

Key facts

Documented series: Unsung Heroes – Afghanistan [source]
Nova portrait date: 2013 [source]
Nova accession: ART96885 [source]
Nova medium: Watercolour on paper [source]

Collection-documented work

The Memorial records Nova – Explosive Detection Dog as a 2013 watercolour on paper made in New South Wales and identifies Potter as its maker. The catalogue describes it as part of a ten-watercolour series, with nine held in the collection. This is object-level institutional evidence rather than an inferred connection from a general animal-art portfolio.

A series of individual subjects

Related collection entries identify dogs including Herbie and Kuga. Keep each object’s title and accession separate so a description belonging to one dog does not migrate to another portrait. A series title gives a shared artistic context but does not establish identical service roles or circumstances for every animal depicted.

Read commemorative portraiture carefully

A portrait can preserve public attention to a named dog and the relationship between military service and animal remembrance. The artwork and the catalogue’s historical account remain different kinds of evidence. Use the institution’s service information where supported and avoid treating visual detail as a complete operational record or a reliable guide to breed identification.

Preserve attribution and context

Use the Memorial’s records for maker, date, medium, accession and rights information and consult the associated history for the subject. Publication-era references to the artist as a student describe that context, not a permanent current status. This profile does not reproduce the watercolours, claim a present commission service or endorse a portrayal as the whole historical account. Establish permission before using any collection image.

Common questions

Does one series description establish the same service history for every dog pictured?

No. Preserve each artwork and subject record separately and source the individual dog’s history.

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

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