Depicting his fellow cabin-class passengers whiling away time at sea on the voyage to Australia, Roberts based Coming south on sketches made on board the SS Lusitania en route to Melbourne in early 1885. It combines the academic draughtsmanship learned at the Royal Academy Schools with elements of more advanced painting, identified as ‘French’ by contemporary viewers. At this time middle-class Australians called Britain ‘home’ and regularly travelled between the two countries by boat. One of Roberts’ fellow passengers returning to Australia on the Lusitania was J.F. Archibald of the Bulletin.