John Paterson Campbell 1855 – 1924 The Shamrock Hotel in Central Hay Street, WA Oil on canvas on board Signed and dated ‘John Campbell 1919’ lower right 45.5 x 60 cm Exhibited: AGWA. Retrospective Exhibition, John Campbell, 2003 Provenance: Private collection, Perth Illustrated: ‘The People of Perth’ by; C.T Stannage. Pub; P.C.C. 1979. Illustr. P.227 The book describes the pub as being bought by Timothy Quinlan who went on to have a successful political & business career. Janice Baker (Assistant Art curator AGWA, at the time of the above exhibition), notes the following in her published essay for the exhibition. ‘Western Australia has a history of ‘boom and bust’ economic cycles related to the fluctuations of Industrial and resource-development activity. During boom periods life was heady, and the Shamrock Hotel in Perth, immortalised in Campbell’s oil painting Shamrock Hotel in central Hay Street, 1919 was a symbol of such times. The pub was recalled as a perfect stock exchange, with shares bought and sold, land dealing completed, syndicates formed. Who could possibly describe the scenes viewed from The Shamrock balcony of an evening . the wild and Incredible influx of population people pouring into the state in thousands. No rooms; care to sleep on the billiard table or under the table, or on the balcony if you have a swag. Campbell captures the charm and character of the Shamrock Hotel, carefully observing its architectural features including spindly support pillars, balcony, titled and arched frontage, and elaborate lace fretwork. The detail extends inside the building, with a view down the central corridor into the interior. There is a large sign across the entire frontage of the pub announcing its name and that of its proprietor. There are no people, (Note: A portrait of a man,