Brisbane Ipswich Coochin Coochin Cunninghams Gap Glengallan Westbrook Drayton Pilton Goomburra Gladfield Franklyn Vale Cressbrook Rosalie Plains Cecil Plains Yandilla Canning Downs Killarney Warwick Ballandean to New England The Pyramids (Terrawambella) Complete List of Works in the Exhibition		Canning Downs Patrick Leslie was the first pioneer to establish a European presence on the Darling Downs. In 1839 he followed the trail from New England established by Allan Cunningham and in 1840 drove his flock of sheep north. Patrick and Walter Leslie built the first dwelling at Canning Downs, a bark and slab hut, in 1841. George built a new homestead in 1846, and in December 1847 married Emmeline Macarthur, the daughter of Hannibal Macarthur of New South Wales. In 1854 the lease was sold to a cousin, Gilbert Davidson. Full screen Martens, Conrad England/Australia 1801–78 Heifer Station, Canning Downs 1854 Watercolour 29.4 x 43cm Collection: Queensland Art Gallery Purchased 1998 with funds raised through The Conrad Martens Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Appeal and with the assistance of the Queensland Government's special Centenary Fund The ‘heifer station’ was a 26-kilometre stretch of land along Swan Creek, a branch of the Condamine River, which was enclosed at one end by a fence to form a huge natural paddock for stock. The painting looks up the valley from the present village of Yangan. On the horizon are Spicer's Peak, Mount Doubletop and Mount Huntley, part of Australia's Great Dividing Range. Full screen Detail 1 Photo 1979 Martens, Conrad England/Australia 1801–78 The homestead, Canning Downs 1852 Watercolour 30.1 x 45.5cm Collection: Queensland Art Gallery Purchased 1998 with funds raised through The Conrad Martens Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Appeal and with the assistance of the Queensland Government's special Centenary Fund The first dwelling at Canning Downs was a modest bark and slab hut built in 1841 by Patrick and Walter Leslie. It was the centre of a vast run, originally over 100,000 acres. A new homestead was erected in 1846. George Leslie's marriage to Emmeline Macarthur in December 1847 led to many improvements. Emmeline planted fruit trees, flowers and vegetables in her garden. This painting shows the 1846 homestead, the original slab hut, and a woolshed and boiling-down works in the distance. Full screen Detail 1 Detail 2 Photo 2001 Martens, Conrad England/Australia 1801–78 Crossing place, Canning Downs 1854 Watercolour 28.8 x 42.4cm Collection: Queensland Art Gallery Purchased 1998 with funds raised through The Conrad Martens Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Appeal and with the assistance of the Queensland Government's special Centenary Fund This crossing place for riders and stock was probably about 300 metres south of the Canning Downs homestead, and was the route from the homestead to other parts of the run. The river gums have now been replaced by introduced European willows. Full screen Martens, Conrad England/Australia 1801–78 Paddy In an album dated 1851–2 Pencil 18.4 x 28.6cm Collection: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales Paddy is thought to be an Indigenous stockman who worked for the Leslies at the Canning Downs run, as this undated work appears in the same sketchbook as other studies of Canning Downs. Print friendly version