The Local Watering Hole – And Meeting Place

The Local Watering Hole – And Meeting Place 45.5cm x 35.5cm Original Oil on Board by Max Mannix

In this painting Max has captured the typical outback Hotel with a working-class drovers and cattlemen as its customers, but more importantly it is the meeting place for residents of the town and properties from miles around, it’s an iconic place for locals and visitors to meet, gather, eat, drink and catch up on what’s happening. This tastefully built circa 1860 building provides an inviting setting to enjoy a catchup with neighbours and find out what has been happening whilst browsing the unique blend of regional pies and local cuisine on offer. The colourful array of characters with extensive collection of endless stories and yarns is a great way to spend time out from farm duties.
NEXT TIME YOU’RE PASSING through a country town, head for the wide verandah and cheery atmosphere of the local pub. Here you’ll discover the soul of a town; it’s where the beer is cold and the yarns are spun. JUST A GLIMPSE OF A HOT and dusty outback scene is enough to make your throat feel parched; it’s not surprising then that the cool and dark interiors of outback pubs are oases of life, and hundreds of them dot the routes scribbled across Australia’s inland. But these roadhouses are more than just boozers – they often act as post office, general store, cafe, church, airport lounge and even police station. Their colourful and talkative publicans and rows of bar stools provide social touch points for the stockmen, farmers, truckies, bush balladeers, weary travellers and other characters who travel the nation’s heart.
Max was born in Nyah-West Victoria near Swan Hill on the mighty Murray River in 1939. A self-taught artist, he works in oils, acrylics, etchings, lithographs, pen and inks and ceramic figurines. Max left home at the age of 16 to venture north and spent 20 years in the Australian working in mustering camps, shearing sheds, droving and fencing. From 1966 until1973 he managed a cattle station for Dalgety covering an area of 1300 sq. miles and carrying 8000 head of cattle and 300 working horses. This property was located near Thargomindah on the Bulloo River in the far south west of Queensland. Known as “Heart Break Corner” because of its lack of rain and long droughts. Max started painting full time in 1979.