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Goat Race
The Story Behind This Mural
In the early 1900’s, Queensland was the place for goats. They were used for food, for their skin and for racing. Children would hitch their ‘Billy Goat Cart’ to a single racing goat and compete at organised events. Large sums of money were often illegally bet on the outcome and stories of nobbling were rife. The Goat Race Mural is a comic representation of a major Goat Race that was conducted at the Shamrock Hotel in Maryborough in 1900. It was estimated that between five hundred and six hundred people gathered to watch the spectacle. Gallagher’s Billy won the double after a vastly entertaining afternoon in which several goat carts veered off course or tumbled over, dumping their drivers in the gutter. The Shamrock Hotel was burnt down in 1910 and replaced with a two story wooden building. This was remodelled in 1952 with a brick exterior wall.
About the Artist
Being deaf he learnt to communicate through drawing and his art.
He is a successful artist who has exhibited nationally.
Contributors to this Mural
The Maryborough Mural Project relies entirely on the generosity of volunteers and sponsors from our local community. The artist’s commission was generously sponsored by Councillor James Hansen’s Discretionary Funds. The Committee would like to thank Mr Ashley Bower, Mrs Jan Carlson, Mrs Tracey Christoffel, Mr Mal Finlayson, Ms Tracey Gray, Mrs Dawn Vanderwolf, Mr Rai Whitten and Mr Mark Williams for their time and expertise in coordinating this mural. The Committee also thanks Josef Lorenz and the following businesses for their kind and generous sponsorship of this mural: