Acrylic on wood, ready to hang.

Signed on the front.

This artwork comes with an external frame

Ron Marshall painted this scene inspired by the story of the Cobb and Co coach run from Mackay to Mount Britton, which is about 120 km to the west-north- west of Mackay, Queensland, and which serviced the gold rush to Mount Britton in 1881, as well as being inspired by the unique mountains and peaks of the area.

This is that story
In February 1881 gold was discovered at Mount Britton, and in April and May the rush was on. On the 14th May, Mackay’s Daily Mercury announced that Cobb & Co. was considering establishing a coach run to service the gold rush to Mount Britton. At great expense Cobb & Co. shipped from Brisbane to Mackay over 50 horses and their sets of harness, 2 coaches and 2 drivers. In the first week of June over 400 men left Mackay to seek their fortune at Mount Britton. But the rush was short lived and the Daily Mercury was warning people not to go out to the diggings before the coach service even started. The first coach left for Mount Britton from Will’s Hotel in Mackay at 8 am on the 27th June 1881 without a single passenger, but expected a full load on its return. The twice weekly service ran for 3 months.
In this painting the Cobb & Co. coach is carrying passengers on the return trip to Mackay, leaving the distinctive ranges and peaks that surround Mount Britton in the distance. A young man is riding out to the diggings leading a pack-horse loaded with supplies, while boiling their billy under the gum trees are a pair of luckless prospectors who cannot afford the coach fare, for they like many others have failed to find gold, or have squandered what they did find among the many hotels that sprang up in the new township.

Cobb & Co.- On The Road To The Diggings, is both a landscape and it portrays a unique part of our Australian history. It really does tell a story – a true story that touches on the fortunes and misfortunes of the Australian pioneers that occurred below these majestic mountains. The landscape is lush and thriving after good rains and before the onset of the dry season. Each element- the peaks, the gum trees, the cycad, the log, the road, are all local to this area.

This colorful painting will make a bold and dramatic statement on any wall and will start many a conversation, and inspire thoughts pondering an almost forgotten era of our history. It has value not only as an outstanding artwork, but is a record, a reminder of a time past when the pace was much slower, and man was more connected to our land.

In keeping with the traditional nature of the painting it has a beautiful, traditional wooden frame, with a deep scooped profile, and a broad inner slip that is a neutral cream colour with a warm blush to the inner gold edge. On the back it is fitted with D-rings and heavy plastic-coated picture hanging wire. The frame can be removed if necessary.

This painting is one of 3 that Ron painted that features the Cobb and Co service to Mount Britton, and one of 12 paintings in our Mount Britton Collection.