The painting Three Well Known Australians has been touring the country since 1983, in turn recording the changing psyche of the nation.

More social experiment than art exhibition, artist Martin Shaw’s abstract work has enabled its viewers to paint a metaphorical picture of politics, sport and social issues of the day.

The concept is that people form their own idea of who the painting represents, then record those ideas in an ever-growing collection of year books, which travel with the work.

“Some people have ‘painted’ politicians, sport stars and artists, while others have suggested general and abstract themes,” Martin says.

“There are the famous and the infamous, the historical and contemporary, the serious and amusing. Some people have recorded their political and social concerns.”

The painting tours the circuit of Australia every 10 years.

Central Goldfields Shire tourism manager Joel Chadwick believes this is the first time it’s arrived in Maryborough. He said the gallery space behind the town’s Visitor Information Centre had been booked to receive it two years in advance.

“It’s been really good, people have been stopping off to look at it and talk about it. There’s been plenty of different guesses and lots of political views put forth,” Joel says.

Politicians themselves have added their thoughts over the years. In 1993 Tony Abbott had his turn at guessing. He said the blue figure “is obviously Paul Keating, who doesn’t have a clue how to solve Australia’s problems.

“The fella with the umbrella is John Hewson – he’ll never get wet even if the rest of us drown.

“The person sitting bemusedly in the middle is the typical Aussie who doesn’t know what to make of the turmoil and hot air all around.”

Despite the odd patch of said turmoil, Martin says if the public can understand the symbolism of the painting touring cities and towns for many generations, then they will probably understand it as a symbol of Australia’s continuous political, social, economic stability and peace.

“Whether one has a thousand years of Aboriginal heritage, first fleet ancestry or is a newly-arrived migrant, everyone has the opportunity to record their name, age, occupation and address into the year books along with opinions on the identity of the three Australians,” he says.

Add your thoughts to the masses at the Maryborough Resource Centre until the end of April, after which the painting moves on to Ballarat.